The first clip from The Young Messiah is here — and, since Christmas is only two days away, the clip in question naturally depicts a scene from the story of Jesus’ birth.
You can watch the clip below:
https://vimeo.com/149465413
A few quick thoughts:
First, the scene is narrated by a boy who apparently witnessed the arrival of the Magi himself. Is the boy one of Jesus’ “brothers”? Or is he a local resident of Bethlehem who meets Jesus’ family as they pass through Judea on their way back to Galilee?
Second, the Magi don’t arrive on the night of Jesus’ birth, but they do arrive when he is still an infant lying in the manger. Note, though, that the manger seems to be positioned just outside a house, where the animals feed. This is, indeed, one way that people have suggested harmonizing the Nativity accounts in Matthew and Luke.
Finally, note how the Magi are explicitly identified as advisors to the king of Persia. Director Cyrus Nowrasteh is himself of Persian descent. This reminds me of how the Iranian film Saint Mary made a point of noting that the Magi were Persian and that the Persians were monotheistic centuries before Islam came into existence.
[ other clips deleted at the request of Motive Entertainment ]
December 29 update: I just noticed that these other two videos, which use Christmas-themed arts & crafts and baking lessons to promote the film, were posted to the film’s YouTube account last week. No new footage from the film, alas:
Check out earlier trailers and other videos here:
- The ‘Extended Look’ featurette (September 15, 2015)
- The first trailer (September 18, 2015)
- The Cyrus Nowrasteh interview with Raymond Arroyo (December 18, 2015)
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