by | 11 November, 2022 | 0 comments
We typically review movies in this format, but today we will review a streaming series. As always, we provide talking points and questions to help explore spiritual topics and to share your faith experience with family and friends.
Unrated • 2017 • Historical Drama • 16 one-hour episodes
Starring: Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Shahar Isaac
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By Andrew Wood
Every generation needs to rediscover Jesus and tell his story in a way that touches not only the head but the heart. The multi-season streaming series The Chosen takes enormous artistic liberties with the historical facts of the Gospels. However, it convincingly portrays Jesus as enigmatically both human and divine.
HARNESSING 21ST-CENTURY MEDIA
The Chosen was produced and marketed in a unique way that takes advantage of 21st-century media to take the message of Jesus to new audiences. It was designed as a multi-season series of one-hour episodes, intended to be binge-watched much like similar programs on online streaming services.
Distributer Angel Studios is a video streaming company that is paying for the series’ production through crowdfunding—online donations from people who believe in the project. Contributors can be included as extras in future episodes. To date, the project has raised over $40 million, making it the most successful crowdfunded television project in history.
ACCURATE JESUS, ACCURATE SETTING
In some ways, the Jesus of The Chosen seems like the best cinematic depiction of the Messiah to date. American actor Jonathan Roumie portrays him with a tension between approachability and regality, simplicity and mystery, gentleness and strength. Watching him, it’s easy to imagine wanting to be in the presence of this charismatic man, yet at the same time feeling some trepidation at what unexpected thing he might do or say. It feels very much like the reaction we might have at meeting the real Jesus.
The cast of this production is diverse, including talented actors of Indian-American, Israeli-American, and other ethnicities speaking accented English. This is not just a nod to modern sensibilities; it’s actually a more historically authentic way to think of the cosmopolitan environment of first-century Israel under Roman occupation. Similarly, while the series is filmed in Texas and Utah, it succeeds in replicating a convincing Middle Eastern setting that feels deep, rich, and historically accurate.
This is no accident. The Chosen has three script consultants: a Roman Catholic priest, a Messianic Jewish rabbi, and an evangelical New Testament scholar (Dr. Doug Huffman of Biola University). Two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded the production company that produced the series, but rumors that The Chosen promotes or benefits that church are unfounded.
AN IMAGINATIVE STORYLINE
The plot of The Chosen is another matter. While adhering to the general outlines of Jesus’ life and ministry, the script takes huge artistic liberties to create fictional backstories and drama for other characters.
Some of these seem generally consistent with the biblical account. We’re introduced to Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish) from the beginning of the series, and learn a little about her as a child, as an adult of questionable morals battling demon possession, and then her transformation into a devout woman after encountering Jesus. Other biographical story arcs stretch credulity, such as an intrigue that sees Peter (Shahar Isaac) informing on fellow Jews to Roman authorities to try to erase his debts.
It’s easy for those familiar with the Gospels to pick out the fiction; not so much for those who are biblically illiterate. The Chosen is perhaps best seen as Jesus in an “alternative universe”—how would he interact if the characters of the Bible actually did these things? From that perspective, the viewer can enjoy the story as a work of fiction while being inspired to consider the character and example of the real Jesus, and how he might interact with us individually today.
This does create a dilemma when showing the series to children or adults with poor knowledge of the Gospels. It can be a useful tool to inspire interest in Jesus but that should be followed up with intentional Bible study to help viewers distinguish fact from fiction.
HOW TO VIEW THE CHOSEN
Seasons 1 and 2 of The Chosen are available free for anyone with a computer, smartphone, or smart TV. Access episodes through the studio’s website (www.angel.com) or via multiple streaming services, including Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and others. You can also download the app—The Chosen: Stream the Series.
The first two episodes of season 3 will be released in theaters nationally Nov. 18. Look for a review of those new episodes here at christianstandard.com in the coming weeks.
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If you’d like to take your discussion of this series with others to a deeper level, try some of these questions:
Andrew Wood, a former missionary to Ukraine and professor at Nebraska Christian College, is a freelance writer.
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