Those who have read about the story/history of the Virgin Mary know that her family's story is a remarkable one. Mary of Nazareth simply tells the story of Jesus Christ's birth to death all over again -- which of course anyone who wants to see that should watch the famous Zeffirelli version, where the actors, costumes and sets are more authentic. The leading actress seems rather fake in many instances.The saving grace of the film is St. Joseph, who is relatively well portrayed as the humble and loving husband and father. (No spoilers, but this is literally the best part of the film.)The film should have focused much more on the story of the title character... through her remarkable death, which does not happen at all. A very disappointing film.

German actress Alissa Jung stars in a TV movie about the Mother of Christ in this European production called Mary of Nazareth.It also stars various actors and actresses from Europe such as Andreas Pietschmann,Alissa's real-life and current boyfriend Luca Marinelli, Paz Vega and Antonia Liskova.This 2-and-a-half hour movie presents the life of Mary from her childhood until the resurrection of Jesus.While it was evident that there were creative licenses taken in the film like with Paz Vega's Mary Magdalene,who was portrayed to be a prostitute connected to King Herod and closely associated with Queen Herodias when all people who have read the Bible or Christians from different denominations know otherwise,it was a great film about the Blessed Virgin Mary for many reasons.First,the relationship between Jesus and Mary was definitely highlighted throughout the story.It definitely felt compelled to tell how valuable their relationship have been from the moment Jesus was conceived until he resurrection from the dead.We get to see the joy that Mary felt when Jesus have started to preach the gospel as well as the positive he has had to many people and how sad she was when she was going through his passion until the death on the cross. It just made sure that viewer would realize that Mary was definitely a big part of Jesus's life.Second,the bond between Jesus and Mary was also showcased in it and how much importance Mary was in Jesus' life.This was shown well when Jesus performed his first miracle unexpectedly at the wedding in Cana.Aside from that,the viewer also got to see how Mary took care of Jesus when he was young after their escape from Egypt when King Herod started killing young children below 2 years old and how vital she was in her public ministry as she would tag along with him all the time.Finally,Alissa Jung did a wonderful performance as Mary.We can see through her various emotions at different points of Jesus' life and feel for her character in both her joys and pains as the mother of Christ.The viewer will definitely feel for her character throughout and a viewer will have a better appreciation for the mother of Jesus.With all these reasons stated,there is no reason not to give it a perfect rating.

We just saw Mary of Nazareth last evening and it was wonderful! Our church rented the screen for the evening. The experienced was enhanced by our praying the Rosary as an audience prior to the movie beginning. What a shame that a movie like this is not readily available to the public. The portrayal of Mary was done so beautifully - her purity and innocence just shone through! The role of Joseph was realistic and heartfelt. I loved the respect that St. Joseph was shone in this portrayal as protector of his precious family. We loved the portrayal of Mary's relationship with Jesus which is very emotional at times. I have seen so many biblical movies but this one was the most tender, gentle and beautiful witness of our Mother and her Son. I would see this movie again in a heartbeat and would strongly recommend it to all believers.

Wonderful movie! For our family, the author and movie director employed their gifts and talents from the Holy Gospels to create another telling of the "Good News". On a sad note, did anyone notice the beginning of the movie, the husband had to approve the stoning of his unfaithful wife? That's something to ponder. I always wondered why Joseph wanted to break off the marriage proposal in secret. Perhaps to save Mary's life? The staged scenes of the second temple and homes made the movie realistic. All of the actors and actress preformed excellent. Christmas 2013 is just days away. We wish to thank the entire production organization and special gratitude to Netflix for offering us this selection!