Joseph of Nazareth (TV 2000)
"Gli amici di Gesù - Giuseppe di Nazareth" (original title)

The people of Jerusalem are suffering under the reign of HEROD, and are hoping to be delivered from the Roman occupiers by the Messiah # whose arrival, it is rumored, is to take place very ... See full summary »

Directors:

Raffaele Mertes, Elisabetta Marchetti

Writers:

Gareth Jones, Gianmario Pagano (story)

Stars:

Tobias Moretti, Stefania Rivi, Massimo Reale

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tobias Moretti	...	Joseph
Stefania Rivi	...	Mary
Massimo Reale
Ennio Fantastichini	...	Herodes
Francesco Dominedò	...	Simon
Franco Interlenghi
Omar Lahlou	...	Judas
Andrea Prodan
Mattia Sbragia
Imma Piro
Ida Di Benedetto	...	Elizabeth
Giovanni Micoli
Renato Scarpa
Gabriele Tozzi
Paolo De Crescenzo	...	Quirinus

Storyline

The people of Jerusalem are suffering under the reign of HEROD, and are hoping to be delivered from the Roman occupiers by the Messiah # whose arrival, it is rumored, is to take place very soon. Unlike his nephew JUDAS, who wants to join the zealots (freedom fighters), the 35-year-old widower JOSEPH is not interested in participating in any fighting against the Romans. He is well aware that such an uprising would be pointless, and Judas's death shortly afterwards confirms this. The other men in the village have to hide, and Joseph gets a visit from JOACHIM and ANNA, asking him to marry their unprotected 14-year-old daughter MARY. Joseph agrees, but promises to preserve her chastity. Nevertheless, one day Mary tells him, in Anna's presence, that she is pregnant. Believing in this immaculate conception is very difficult for Joseph, as is the message that her son JESUS will end the reign of Herod, which is announced to him in a vision. Their son is born in a Bethlehem cattle shed and ...

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Plot Keywords:

place name in title

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

29 April 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Close to Jesus

Company Credits

Production Co:

Epsilon TV Production, Lux Vide

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by The Friends of Jesus - Thomas (2001)

User Reviews

Very Insightful, except....

This telling is quite an insightful presumption of how Joseph and his family may have coped with their trial in bringing Jesus to age. There is nothing corny going on here. It appears people have got together to make this movie believable with all the good props. The clever producer has overlooked a few basic things stated in scriptures, though he has managed to fill in gaps historically unknown. After the voice of an angel notifies Joseph that Herodes has died Joseph and family, less several kids, come trooping home to Nazareth from Egypt when Jesus is about 12, but the other brothers and sisters are never mentioned. I wished to see how Jesus and his siblings lived. Never mind, because this is a story about Joseph and his goodness to his betrothed Mary when she mysteriously becomes pregnant.