tsalagicelt

I've never had so much high-brow fun watching a movie. More operas should be made into movies. This was at its earthy best, and the Borodin music was just so right for story of more primitive times. It was sort of like a spaghetti western set to music, and I mean that in a good way. Think what some of the opera-composing greats could have done with "A Fistful Of Dollars" and you have some of the feel of this spectacle, though of course the story was far different. The acting wasn't all that great, but that isn't the most important aspect of an opera, even one put on film. The music, the passion, the spectacle, those are what I look for. I mean, this had Mongol hordes in full regalia, horses, horses and more horses. Much better than seeing it on a stage. This was a lot of fun to watch.

This movie is an example of how a TV-movie can be better than a theatrical film. This TV-movie rises above low budget and primitive production values with the radiant performance of Madeleine Stowe as the Virgin Mary. This was her first movie, and Hollywood really missed the boat not recognizing her great abilities here. It took them another 14 years to recognize her as a star. In my opinion she is the best actress of her generation. The production maintains a simple, straightforward attitude about the story of Christ's birth. It tells the story with a down-to-earth feel, and Mary and Joseph were better understood as people, by me, after seeing this. The film achieves real profundity and power to move, rare these days. It is a real gem. I hope this comes out on DVD someday. Are you listening, Hollywood?