From the opening sequences of the film, I knew this would be a "different" movie about Jesus from others I had seen. I am not implying, by any means, that there is anything "faulty" about other versions, such as "Jesus of Nazareth" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Both are quite accurate and reverent accounts of Jesus Christ's life and ministry, and are among my favorite re-tellings of Jesus' story. I also extend praise to "The Last Temptation of Christ", a great production as well, because it proposes a unique, albeit controversial, question on what Christ's significance and impact on humanity would have been if he had not died on the cross. What makes "Jesus" one-of-a-kind is that it takes the main elements of the three aforementioned films and skillfully blends them into a portrait of Christ as a man who was, very much, both human--experiencing temptations and doubts, and having wants and needs such as the desire to lead an average life: working as a carpenter, possibly marrying and raising a family--and divine, performing miracles and healing the sick to support the message of God's love of all humankind. "Jesus" is definitely a fresh, yet dignified and very believable depiction of a man, his life and mission, all of which continue to be somewhat of a mystery to many.
