Color of The Cross (2006)
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 88 mins
Theatrical Release: Oct 27, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: This powerful, epic film vividly portrays the last 48 hours of the life of Jesus Christ and challenges commonly held assumptions about Him. With moving performances from Jean-Claude LaMarre (Malcolm X) and Debbi Morgan (Woman Thou Art Loosed), this stirring film is a triumph! The first... This powerful, epic film vividly portrays the last 48 hours of the life of Jesus Christ and challenges commonly held assumptions about Him. With moving performances from Jean-Claude LaMarre (Malcolm X) and Debbi Morgan (Woman Thou Art Loosed), this stirring film is a triumph! The first depiction of Jesus as a black man, Color Of The Cross is also the first to suggest that the Crucifixion could have been racially motivated. A compelling script and astounding interpretations of The Bible make this daring masterpiece an achievement not to be missed. With its inspiring, unconventional approach to an emotionally volatile issue, Color of the Cross presents a fresh perspective on the history of Christianity and delivers as moving a portrait of His life as has ever been put to film! By portraying Jesus as a black Jew, this movie may appear controversial to some. However, it stands to be the single most positive image of a black lead character in a film to date. This film will undeniably resonate in the hearts and minds of the black community and strike a cord of inspiration in the hearts of Christians of all ethnicities around the world. Color of the Cross tells a story that is familiar to most. The movie addresses four areas: Jesus and his disciples, the state of mind of the Romans occupying Judea, the issues facing the Rabbis in the Sanhedrin, and the family life of Joseph, Mary and their remaining children as they were affected by Jesus' persecution. The movie opens with Jesus and the disciples approaching Jerusalem for the Last Supper and the film unfolds with the events leading up to Jesus' capture and crucifixion. This extensively researched film remains true to Biblical and historical facts. Shot on 35mm anamorphic film, Color of the Cross theatrical release is due in October 2006, distribution rights held by 20th Century Fox Entertainment and followed by the DVD release by 20th Century Fox Home Video Division who also released Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" on home video. Color of the Cross is a Nu-Lite Entertainment production, and producers are Rev. Cecil "Chip" Murray, Kenneth Halsband, Jean Claude LaMarre, Executive Producers Lila Aviv, Marc Porterfield, and Jessie Levostre. --© Official Site [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Jean-Claude La Marre, Johann John Jean, Adam Green, Debbi Morgan
DVD Info
Release:
Jan 9, 2007
DVD Features:
- Widescreen - 1.78
Audio:
- Dolby Surround 5.1 - English
- Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The Crucifixion revisited with black Jesus as victim of bias crime.
Color of the Cross, a low-budget re-imagining of Christs final days, makes a big deal out of the relatively tame suggestion that Jesus was black.
Director, cowriter, coproducer and star LaMarre is more interested in Jesus' teachings than in his suffering, and suggests that race may have helped shape the course of biblical events.
Filled with close-ups of Jesus and his apostles (all the better to hide the absence of elaborate period sets), mixing quotes from the Scripture with flat exposition, this low-budget affair is earnest and, alas, more than a little bit cartoonish.
A too-specific tale of historic injustice rather than one of divinely benevolent sacrifice on everybody’s behalf.
Press releases are promoting the film as 'controversial' before the fact, but compared to such predecessors as 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' 'Godspell' and 'The Passion of the Christ,' 'Color' -- race issue aside -- unspools like a Sunday-school filmstrip.
...The first film to depict a black African Jesus is hindered by shoddy production values and so-so storytelling.
Lacking the drama of Jesus' trial and the passion, as well as the substance of his teachings, (actor Jean Claude) LaMarre's turgid take has very little to offer dramatically or inspirationally.
Many are calling Color of the Cross controversial, but it's really not. It simply states a possibility -- that Christ was a man of color -- which it dramatizes earnestly within the narrow confines of its $2.5 million budget.
Related Forums
by: justaguest 11/10/06


Top Critic