Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Emily Mortimer, Julie Christie
Jesus of Nazareth is a skilled carpenter, with good trade connections. But he decides to quit everything and preach the word of God, as an itinerant preacher and faith healer. He attracts several followers who see him in different ways. Judas Iscariot dreams of a violent Jewish revolution against the Roman Empire. He sees Jesus as a potential leader of the revolution, and liberator of the Jews. Mary Magdalene is a mad woman, who has been suffering from hallucinations. She sees Jesus as the man who can relieve her suffering. Simon Peter is a disgruntled fisherman, loudly protesting against unjust taxation and the corruption of the tax collectors. For him Jesus offers something to believe in. Matthew is a corrupt tax collector with a guilty conscience. He seen in Jesus a chance to redeem to his sins. But as Jesus' message spreads, he is seen as a threat by monarch Herod Antipas and High Priest Caiaphas. In a visit to Jerusalem, Jesus' fate will eventually be decided by the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.—Dimos I