The Body (2001)

Director:

Jonas McCord

Writers (WGA):

Richard Sapir (novel)
Jonas McCord (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 January 2001 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Chaos, unearthed.

Plot:

A crucified body dated back to the 1st century A.D is uncovered at an ancient cave in Jerusalem. Trouble ensues as word spreads.

Plot Keywords:

Jerusalem | Cave | Skull | Tomb | Woman Sexually Attracted To A Priest

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Antonio Banderas	...	Father Matt Gutierrez
Olivia Williams	...	Sharon Golban
John Shrapnel	...	Moshe Cohen
Derek Jacobi	...	Father Lavelle
Jason Flemyng	...	Father Walter Winstead
Lillian Lux	...	Mother
John Wood	...	Cardinal Pesci
Makram Khoury	...	Nasir Hamid (as Makram J. Khoury)
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Monsignor
Ian McNeice	...	Dr. Sproul
Mohammed Bakri	...	Abu Yusef (as Muhamed Bakri)
Yoav Dekelbaum	...	Avi (as Yoav Deckelbaum)
Sami Samir	...	Achmed
Jordan Licht	...	Dorene
Limor Goldstein	...	Galic
Ariel Horowitz	...	Reb Nechtal (as Ariel Horovitz)
Roi Horowitz	...	Zalman (as Roi Horovitz)
Shai Sharabi	...	Street Urchin
Lillian Lax	...	Mrs. Kahn
Arieh Elias	...	Hamid's Father (as Arye Elias)
Sivan Shwartz	...	Mark
Gilad Bergman	...	Rani
Halima Abu Aguva	...	Jasmine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Glover	...	Jesus Christ Street Actor

Directed by
Jonas McCord

Writing credits (WGA)
Richard Sapir		(novel) (as Richard Ben Sapir)
Jonas McCord		(screenplay)

Produced by
Antonio Bruno	....	line producer: Rome
Rudy Cohen	....	producer
Mark Damon	....	executive producer
Limor Diamant	....	associate producer
Moshe Diamant	....	executive producer
Diane Isaacs	....	executive producer (as Diane Sillan Isaacs)
Nathalie Kassirer	....	assistant producer
Werner Koenig	....	executive producer
Alessandro Orlandi	....	line producer: Rome

Original Music by
Serge Colbert

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Alain Jakubowicz
Lesley Walker

Casting by
Illana Diamant
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Allan Starski

Art Direction by
Nenad Pecur
Giora Porter

Set Decoration by
William A. Cimino
Miguel Markin		(as Miguel Merkin)

Costume Design by
Caroline Harris

Makeup Department
Esther Ben-Noon	....	makeup assistant (as Eti ben Nun)
Miri Ben-Schlomo	....	makeup assistant (as Miri ben Shlomo)
Frances Hannon	....	makeup artist
Rosario Prestopino	....	makeup assistant
Orly Ronen	....	assistant makeup and hair
Lisa Tomblin	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Eitan Alon	....	production supervisor
Dario Angeletti	....	unit manager: Rome
Carlo Carpentieri	....	production manager: Rome
Jon Damon	....	assistant production manager
Limor Diamant	....	unit production manager
Gadi Levy	....	unit production manager
Victoria Lucas	....	production supervisor: LA
Bernard Mazauric	....	production supervisor: Rome
James Portolese	....	production supervisor: LA

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zvi Bebera	....	third assistant director
Serena Canevari	....	first assistant director: Rome
Simone Frattari	....	second assistant director: Rome
Nick Heckstall-Smith	....	first assistant director
Tamar Ichilov	....	second assistant director
Itai Tamir	....	first assistant director: Israel
Lori Zaitz	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Attef Salem Ahvaz	....	construction assistant
Avichai Bari	....	assistant dresser
Francis Blaskez	....	construction assistant
Michael Blaskez	....	construction assistant
Livia Borgognoni	....	set decorator: Rome
Richard K. Buoen	....	storyboard artist (as Rick Buoen)
Marco Canevari	....	art director: Rome
Zvika Chen	....	art coordinator (as Zvika Haen)
Andrew Chernakov	....	painter
Yoav Dahari	....	property assistant
Bob Einfrank	....	painter
Bob Einfrank	....	standby dresser
Antonio Fraulo	....	assistant standby props
Robyn Glaser	....	property assistant
Erez Goldfarb	....	set dresser
Shelly Gross	....	graphic designer
Sharon Haen	....	assistant painter
Inon Hazan	....	painter
Inon Hazan	....	standby dresser
Boaz Katzenelson	....	property master (as Boaz Katznelson)
Eran Kotzki	....	assistant buyer (as Eran Kotzky)
Amos Lavi	....	set dresser
Nurit Levy	....	scenic painter
Haim Lubaton	....	construction assistant
Motti Lubaton	....	construction manager
Daniel Margen	....	set dresser (as Daniel Magen)
Antonio Murer	....	standby props
Sebastiano Murer	....	props dresser (as Stebastiano Murer)
Tal Rossman	....	draughtsman
Yakov Salam	....	carpenter
Harbi Salame	....	assistant painter
Alessio Schenone	....	props dresser (as Alessio Piermichele Schenone)
Barbara Anne Bock	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Joseph E. Stone	....	supplier (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Bateman	....	foley recordist
Jonathan Bates	....	supervising sound editor
Philip Bothamley	....	dialogue editor (as Phil Bothamley)
Chris Burdon	....	adr recordist
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer
Adriano Di Lorenzo	....	boom operator: Rome
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley artist
Craig Irving	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Lafbery	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Jenny Lee Wright	....	foley artist (as Jenny Lee-Wright)
Shahar Moshe	....	cableperson (as Sachar Moshe)
Yohai Moshe	....	sound mixer (as Yochai Moshe)
Alastair Sirkett	....	assistant sound editor
Len Tremble	....	foley editor
Richard Welsh	....	dolby sound consultant
Amos Zipori	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Itzchak Bareli	....	special effects assistant (as Yitzhak Bareli)
Pini Klavir	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Angus Cameron	....	digital effects supervisor
Daniel Pettipher	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Yan Dron	....	stunts
Itzik Farage	....	stunt coordinator (as Itsik Faraj)
Max Garnier	....	stunts
Gilley Grey	....	stunt double: Antonio Banderas
Vick Hakman	....	stunts (as Vick Hakmon)
Rémy Julienne	....	stunts
Dino Dos Santos	....	stunt double: Antonio Banderas (uncredited)
Bradley Farmer	....	stunt driving double: Antonio Banderas (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ofer Almog	....	grip
Arie Amit	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Enrico Appetito	....	still photographer
Ehab Assal	....	focus puller (as Ehab Assak)
Micha Ben-Simhon	....	dolly grip (as Micha ben Simchon)
Mordi Boaz	....	grip (as Mordy Boaz)
Patrick Bramucci	....	gaffer: Rome
Bruno Colanzi	....	key grip: Rome
Aviezer Dasberg	....	best boy electric (as Avi Dasberg)
Don Duffield III	....	second assistant camera (as Don Duffield)
Mirko Fioravanti	....	electrician
Stanislao Galasso	....	electrician: Italy
Alessandro Gentili	....	focus puller
Gili Getter	....	pre-rig gaffer (as Gilad Getter)
Nimi Getter	....	gaffer (as Nimrod Getter)
Bob Gorelick	....	steadicam operator (as Robert Gorelick)
Victor Hakmon	....	grip (as Vick Hakmon)
Bruno Ietto	....	grip
Avraham Karpick	....	director of photography: second unit (as Avi Karpick)
Mark Kenedy	....	electrician
Danna Kinsky	....	video assist operator
Emanuele Leurini	....	video assist
Aviram Levy	....	electrician
Yoram Lupo	....	electrician
José Ángel Manrique	....	key grip
Ofer Margolin	....	best boy (as Dfer Margolin)
Ofer Margolin	....	electrician
Tony Nagy	....	first assistant camera
Dudi Namir	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Marco Peroni	....	steadicam operator
Yonatan Polig	....	assistant grip
Gideon Porath	....	director of photography: second unit (as Gideon Porat)
Tami Porath	....	still photographer (as Tami Porat)
Danny Rosenfeld	....	assistant electrician
Shimon Sabach	....	key grip (as Shimon Sabah)
Yehuda Sar-Israel	....	camera loader
Moshe Shabbat	....	best boy grip (as Moshe Shabat)
Alberto Torrecilla	....	camera loader (as Alberto Torricina)
Marco Verginelli	....	grip
Gaby Weismann	....	third assistant camera (as Gaby Weisman)

Casting Department
Levia Hon	....	casting: Israel

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Francesca Brunori	....	costume assistant
Michal Eini	....	costume assistant
Shimon Elimelech	....	costume master
Orit Kedem	....	costume assistant
Anna Lillo	....	seamstress
Efrat Meirav	....	costume supervisor (as Efrat Merav)
Ruta Shoudenishky	....	costume supervisor (as Ruta Shaudenisky)
Katherine Burchill	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Tania Blunden	....	post-production supervisor (as Tania Windsor Blunden)
Claire Ferguson	....	assistant editor
Jeremy Hume	....	assistant editor
Nadia Naimi	....	first assistant editor
John Stanborough	....	color timer
Melissa Wegman	....	Bond Co. Post Superviser
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Leland Bond	....	orchestrator
Pedro Eustache	....	musician: ethnic flute
London Symphony Orchestra	....	orchestra (as The London Symphony Orchestra)
Steve Price	....	music engineer
David Snell	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Ilan Appel	....	driver
Ranen Armon	....	production assistant: driver
Eli Ben Zer	....	driver
Avi Cohen	....	driver
Mitch Dasseville	....	caravan driver: Mr. Banderas
Ilan Doani	....	production assistant: driver
Rafi Gabai	....	production assistant: driver
Moishe Gissis	....	driver (as Moshe Gissis)
Avidan Hatuka	....	daily driver
Nimrod Hoffman	....	driver: Mr. Starski
Shmaia Kedem	....	driver: production office
Yaniv Klein	....	production assistant: driver
Yossi Lachmish	....	honeywagon operator
Guy Magen	....	driver: Mr. Starski
Asher Maman	....	caravan driver: Ms Williams
Itsik Mini	....	picture vehicles assistant
Eli Mualem	....	driver (as Eli Muallem)
David Naim	....	driver
Ben Natany	....	picture vehicles assistant
Ofer Netzer	....	driver: Mr. Banderas
Yoav Oron	....	production assistant: driver
Izat Abu Rabia	....	driver: Ms Williams
Hadar Shadmi	....	production assistant: driver
Sela Shifoni	....	production assistant: driver
Nissim Shriki	....	mechanic
Meir Sigura	....	transportation captain
Itsik Tal	....	driver
Eli Zion	....	picture vehicles

Other crew
Chris Allies	....	title designer
Elisabetta Bartolomei	....	production coordinator: Rome
Nitsana Bellehsen	....	script supervisor
Noa Ben David	....	production coordinator: Hebrew
Alessandra Bracci	....	location manager: Rome
Carlo Brocanelli	....	production assistant
Osnat Bukoftzer	....	unit publicist (as Osnat Bukofster)
Albert T. Dickerson III	....	completion guarantor
Sean Egan	....	production counsel
Joy Ellison	....	dialogue coach: for Mr. Banderas
David Eshel	....	set production assistant
Sassi Franco	....	armorer
Massimiliano Frondaroli	....	production assistant
Wilma Garscadden-Gahret	....	script supervisor (as Wilma Garscadden-Gehret)
Amiram Gitzelter	....	production counsel
Michal Grady	....	assistant accountant
Michal Grundland	....	set production assistant
Galit Hakmon	....	assistant to director
Orian Hillel	....	assistant to producer
Joe Hobel	....	completion guarantor
Elia Izhar	....	office production assistant
Malle Jensen	....	personal assistant: to Mr. Banderas
Uzi Karin	....	key location assistant
Nathalie Kassirer	....	assistant to producer
Nathalie Kassirer	....	production coordinator: second unit
Kristine Knudsen	....	assistant to executive producer
Ritsko Korlander	....	location assistant
Efrat Kotsky-Shemesh	....	accountant
Michal Kristal	....	travel coordinator
Felice Lattes	....	crowd marshall
Gadi Levy	....	location manager
Sherisse Levy	....	craft service
Tim Levy	....	production financing
Sirish Malde	....	production auditor
Ami Mammi	....	stand-in: Mr. Banderas
Stephen Margolis	....	production financing
Maurizio Marini	....	permits
Raya Meroz	....	assistant accountant
Gal Moked	....	assistant location manager
Ran Moncaz	....	runner (as Rani Moncaz)
Mandy Morris	....	production coordinator
Abu Yusef Muhamad	....	office production: maintenance
Yoni Nakash	....	set security
Cindy Park	....	assistant to director
Sarit Rosenfeld	....	medic
Simona Schwartz	....	set production assistant
Jonathan Sela	....	assistant: Vilmos Zsigmond
Netta Sela	....	assistant accountant
Motti Shapira	....	security: for Mr. Banderas
Michael Alan Signer	....	unit publicist (as Michael Singer)
Art Stribley	....	production financing (as Arthur Stribley)
Tamar	....	caterer
Ron Taylor	....	lab contact
Matthew Thompson	....	production counsel
Luly Torre	....	location assistant
Andrea Turel	....	assistant to cast
Maya Yagen	....	stand-in: Ms. Williams
Dorit Yosha	....	production controller
Oved Zarfati	....	set security

Thanks
Stacey Abrams	....	special thanks
Edna Ayesh	....	special thanks
Carolyn Blackwood	....	special thanks
Scott Brisbin	....	special thanks
Matthew Carson	....	special thanks
Lourdes Diaz	....	thanks
Abed El Zoabi	....	special thanks
Mathew Fladell	....	special thanks
Stephen Frey	....	special thanks
David Gaynes	....	special thanks
Raymond Gross	....	special thanks
Kidmat Jaffa	....	special thanks
Tatyana Joffe	....	special thanks
Richard Kiratsoulis	....	special thanks
Yossi Levy	....	special thanks
Ian Lewis	....	special thanks
Stephen Monas	....	special thanks
Martin Peilstucker	....	special thanks
Jenna Piccolo	....	special thanks
Shlomo Shternfeld	....	special thanks
Zvi Spellman	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Avalanche Films
• Compass Productions
• Diamant Cohen Productions
• Green Moon Productions
• Helkon Media AG
• MDP Worldwide

Distributors

• Avalanche Releasing (USA)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Distribution Company (Argentina)
• Egmont Entertainment (2001) (Finland) (video)
• Helkon Filmverleih GmbH (Germany)
• Herald Film Company (Japan)
• Hollydan Works (2003) (Serbia) (DVD)
• Italian International Film
• Lions Gate Films
• New Films International
• SND
• TriPictures (Spain)
• TriStar Pictures

Special Effects

• Mill Films (I) (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Angel Recording Studios  score recording facility
• Bates, Wells & Braithwaite  production counsel
• Cerruti  Antonio Banderas' clothing
• Comerica Bank of California  production financing
• Corporate Risk Management Inc.  insurance
• E T Travel  transporatation
• Edit Hire (New Technology)  editing equipment
• FTS London  lighting
• Factor 8 Films  production financing
• La Riviera  catering
• Lewis Horwitz Organization, The  production financing
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra
• Malde & Co.  production accounting
• Maoz 4 Cargo  customs broker
• Mill Films (I)  titles
• Modern VideoFilm  video mastering
• Motion Picture Bond Company, The  bond
• Negative Cutting Services  negative cutting
• Propaganda  product placement
• Rotenstreich Gitzelter Advocates  production counsel
• Sargent Disc  post-production accounting
• Stroock & Stroock & Lavan  production counsel (as Stroock, Stroock & Lavan LLP)
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Take II  extras casting
• Telefilm Video Services  telecine
• Twickenham Studios  sound post-production (as Twickenham Film Studios)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violent sequences and brief language

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA | Israel | Germany

Language:

English | Arabic | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35768) | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Israel

Company:

Avalanche Films

Trivia:

Kristin Scott Thomas was offered the role of Sharon Golban.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At one point Matt is said to be a "priest from America". Later he recalls fighting in the revolution in his country.

Quotes:

Cardinal Pesci:We are counting on you to protect the church.
Father Gutierrez:Protect the faith.
Cardinal Pesci:That's synonymous. You protect the church, you protect the faith.

Religious thriller developed in city of Jerusalen

A priest ( Antonio Banderas ) is assigned by a Vatican's cardinal ( John Wood ) to discover if a skeleton of a crucified man found beneath a a shop in location of Jerusalen can be the remains of the body of Christ . The priest along with an archaeologist ( Olivia Williams ) will have to resolve the strange enigma . Another priest ( Derek Jacobi ) is about the tracks of the events that result to be each time more difficult and complicated . They'll take on a lot of dangers and they'll be in middle of two confronted parts , ¨ Jews and Palestines ¨ because both of them want the body for their own purposes .

It's a spiritual thriller but with little action , is slow moving and sometimes a bit boring and tiring . The ending confrontation with final shootout between the starring and the enemies is ridiculous and embarrassing . The storyline by Jonas McCord ( director film ) is clunky and confuse is spite of being based in a successful novel. Antonio Banderas (the Zorro) and Olivia Williams (The 6º sense) interpretation is average and other actors have a wooden acting with exception of Derek Jacobi (I Claudio) who plays astoundingly a priest of lost faith . Vilmos Zsigmond cinematography is excellent , he has a long career as cameraman with splendid films ( Deer hunter, Heaven's gate, Sugarland express ). Serge Cobert's music is nice with some esoteric and spiritual notes and creates a mysterious atmosphere . The picture is regularly directed by Jonas McCord . The yarn will appeal to spiritual thriller enthusiasts and Antonio Banderas fans . Rating : Average .