This is a decent portrayal of the Virgin Birth story, showing a young Mary and Joseph in a light that is believable for the most part. This story is so universally familiar that there are few, if any, surprises in the plot. The film is best judged for how it portrays life at the time and the possible ways in which Mary and Joseph would have related to each other at this stage of their relationship.
The film almost had the feeling that it was shot on a side-lot of the HBO "ROME" series. I almost imagined the major plot of that series taking place just over the hills, since the Roman soldiers and tax-collectors that ride into town look very much like the cast from that series, and it's filmed in a similar style.
The portrayals of the angels visiting Mary and Joseph were well-done, avoiding a lot of the glowing, winged stereotypes of earlier films. The shots of Jerusalem looked computer-generated (since the hills of Jerusalem aren't quite as large as portrayed) but the recreated temple looked pretty accurate.
My only complaint/observation is the reaction of Mary's parents when they learn she's pregnant. Their response is a bit too muted to be believable. The culture of the time would likely have seen the father, at least, enraged and threatening to kill a daughter who disgraced the family. But her father in this film reacts with disappointment, but never even raises his voice. Perhaps Mary's father was this accommodating, but it would have been unusual.
Overall, this is a good portrayal of this familiar story put to film. I give it a score of 6 out of 10.
The film almost had the feeling that it was shot on a side-lot of the HBO "ROME" series. I almost imagined the major plot of that series taking place just over the hills, since the Roman soldiers and tax-collectors that ride into town look very much like the cast from that series, and it's filmed in a similar style.
The portrayals of the angels visiting Mary and Joseph were well-done, avoiding a lot of the glowing, winged stereotypes of earlier films. The shots of Jerusalem looked computer-generated (since the hills of Jerusalem aren't quite as large as portrayed) but the recreated temple looked pretty accurate.
My only complaint/observation is the reaction of Mary's parents when they learn she's pregnant. Their response is a bit too muted to be believable. The culture of the time would likely have seen the father, at least, enraged and threatening to kill a daughter who disgraced the family. But her father in this film reacts with disappointment, but never even raises his voice. Perhaps Mary's father was this accommodating, but it would have been unusual.
Overall, this is a good portrayal of this familiar story put to film. I give it a score of 6 out of 10.