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Paul: Apostle of Christ. Film.

We usually do not review films here. I can only think of one exception. I did, however, want to share a few reflections on this film.

First and most of all, it was well written. It was Shakespearean—not in its language(!), but in its plotting and execution. I was expecting something along the lines of the Sholem Asch novel The Apostle.Paul:The Apostle of Christ was much more focused. It could easily be adapted to a stage play.

The main character is actually the Gospel writer Luke. He visits Paul in prison prior to his execution to get his take on what becomes the Book of Acts in the Bible.

Paul here is a tragic hero. He is a victim of irrational persecution. The Emperor Nero blames Christians for the fire that destroyed much of the city of Rome, and Paul is one of their leaders. We do get flashbacks, but they are nearly all concerning Paul’s early life as a persecutor of Christians himself.

The story is not ironic, though. The story is about the possibility of change. Besides Luke and Paul, the third main character is Mauritius, a fictional character, the Roman officer in charge of the prison where Paul is kept. Mauritius is reminiscent of the character Zerah in Jesus of Nazareth, arguably the best film about the life of Jesus

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