The Messiah (2007 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = The Messiah

| image = Messiah Poster - LC.jpg

| native_name = مسیح

| caption =

| producer = Abdollah Saeedi

| writer = Nader Talebzadeh

| starring = Ahmad Soleiman Nia
Fathali Oveisi
Valiollah Momeni
Ahmad Najafi
Morteza Zarrabi
Mina Bagheri
Sirous Asnaghi

| music = Loris Tjeknavorian

| cinematography = Sadegh Mianji

| based_on = Canonical Gospels
Quran
Gospel of Barnabas

| editing =

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2007|10|18|Festival of Cinema and Religion}}

| runtime = 82 minutes

| language = Persian

| country = Iran

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Masih ({{langx|fa|مسیح|Masih}}), more commonly and officially referred to as The Messiah,{{cite news|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/todaysfeatures/2008/January/todaysfeatures_January13.xml§ion=todaysfeatures&col= |title='Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens |agency=Agence France-Presse|newspaper=Khaleej Times |date=13 January 2008 |access-date=8 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4297085&page=1 |title=ABC News: Story of Jesus Through Iranian Eyes |publisher=ABC News |date=16 February 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/new-jesus-film-through-the-eyes-of-a-muslim-director/60734-2.html |title=New Jesus tv series through the eyes of a Muslim director |publisher=CNN-IBN |access-date=3 January 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://ntalebzadeh.multiply.com/ |title=Nader Talebzadeh, Iranian Director |publisher=Ntalebzadeh.multiply.com |access-date=3 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112124429/http://ntalebzadeh.multiply.com/ |archive-date=12 January 2012}}{{cite web|author=TheDeeZone |url=http://thedeezone.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/jesus-from-a-muslim-perspective/ |title=Jesus From a Muslim Perspective « TheDeeZone |publisher=Thedeezone.wordpress.com |date=18 February 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012}} but also referred to as 'Jesus',[http://www.iran-daily.com/1386/2954/html/art.htm#s261540 Iran Daily – Arts & Culture – 09/30/07] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225003930/http://www.iran-daily.com/1386/2954/html/art.htm#s261540 |date=25 February 2008 }} Good Tidings of the Savior ({{langx|fa|بِشارت مُنجی|Bešārat-e Monjjy}}) Jesus, the Spirit of God{{cite web|url=http://biblefilms.blogspot.com/2008/02/abc-on-jesus-spirit-of-god.html |title=Bible Films Blog: ABC on Jesus the Spirit of God |publisher=Biblefilms.blogspot.com |date=25 February 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://healtheland.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/islamic-jesus-movie-from-iran-with-love-how-long-before-tbn-airs-it/ |title=Islamic Jesus Movie: From Iran With Love! How Long Before TBN Airs It? « Jesus Christology |publisher=Healtheland.wordpress.com |date=14 January 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012 |archive-date=3 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503044956/https://healtheland.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/islamic-jesus-movie-from-iran-with-love-how-long-before-tbn-airs-it/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://directionstoorthodoxy.org/n/islamic_jesus_hits_iranian_movie_screens.html |title='Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens |publisher=Directions to Orthodoxy |access-date=3 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224001257/http://directionstoorthodoxy.org/n/islamic_jesus_hits_iranian_movie_screens.html |archive-date=24 February 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.iranian.com/main/blog/darius-kadivar/islamic-jesus-hits-iranian-movie-screens |title='Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens |publisher=Iranian.com |access-date=3 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011013403/http://www.iranian.com/main/blog/darius-kadivar/islamic-jesus-hits-iranian-movie-screens |archive-date=11 October 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sawfnews.com/Entertainment/47027.aspx |title='Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens |publisher=Sawfnews.com |date=13 January 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215212740/http://www.sawfnews.com/Entertainment/47027.aspx |archive-date=15 February 2012}} is a 2007 Iranian film directed by Nader Talebzadeh (1953—2022), depicting the life of Jesus from an Islamic perspective, based not only on the canonical gospels, but also the Qur'an, and, it would seem, the Gospel of Barnabas. The latter conforms to the Islamic interpretation of the origins of Christianity. Iranian actor Ahmad Soleimani Nia plays the role of Jesus.{{cite web |url=http://directionstoorthodoxy.org/n/islamic_jesus_hits_iranian_movie_screens.html |title=Islamic Jesus hits Iranian movie screens |publisher=Directionstoorthodoxy.org |access-date=3 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224001257/http://directionstoorthodoxy.org/n/islamic_jesus_hits_iranian_movie_screens.html |archive-date=24 February 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=165624 |title="Jesus" reflects Muslim belief in Philadelphia filmfest |work=tehran times|date=5 April 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012}} Some Islamic organizations cite it in support of the Islamic view of Jesus.W. Barnes Tatum Jesus: A Brief History 2009- Page 237 "Instead, he is taken up directly to Allah. As acknowledged by Talebzadeh, the film represents a Muslim answer to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004), which specialized in the brutality inflicted on Jesus even before he was nailed to .."

Talebzadeh said of The Passion of the Christ, "Gibson's film is a very good film. I mean that it is a well-crafted movie but the story is wrong." The film has two endings, one from the Christian Bible and one from the Qur'an.

It is a two-hour-plus feature film and a TV series shot for Iranian TV.{{cite web|last=Young |first=Deborah |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117917841.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 |title='Messiah' has Islamic take on Jesus – Entertainment News, Film News, Media |work=Variety |date=13 February 2005 |access-date=3 January 2012}}

Cast

Ahmad Soleimani Nia - Jesus
Valiollah Momeni
Ahmad Najafi
Fathali Oveisi
Morteza Zarabi - Judas

Crew

Director of Photography: Sadegh Mianji
Sound: Seyed Jalal Hosseini
Set & Costume Designer: Ahmad Soleimani-Nia
Make-up Designer: Morteza Zarrabi
Executive Producer: Abdollah Saeedi
Production Assistant: Saeed Kazemi
Photographer: Saeed Sourati
Music: Loris Tjeknavorian

Series

The movie has been adapted into a television series and shown on Iranian TV. Variety stated that "With over 1,000 actors and extras, it is one of the largest film productions ever attempted in Iran. The longer version of the film is airing as 20 45-minute episodes after a theatrical version is released here." The series is being dubbed in many languages, including Arabic for showing on Arab television stations.

A showing of the series based on the film by two Lebanese television stations Al-Manar and National Broadcasting Network during the Holy month of Ramadan was suspended after the broadcast of one initial episode, as the Christian religious authorities in the country demanded broadcasts to be suspended because many portrayals in the film contradict with traditional Christian church beliefs about Jesus.{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/08/lebanon-iranian-director-calls-controversy-over-jesus-serial-political.html |title=Los Angeles Times: Lebanon – Iranian director's Jesus film pulled |work=Los Angeles Times |date=16 August 2010 |access-date=3 January 2012}} These were scheduled broadcasts in a series adapted to television and dubbed into Arabic and shown on many Arab television stations during Ramadan.{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iuIxoyTFypG5lWnZhYzAvkE0GTew |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817014513/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iuIxoyTFypG5lWnZhYzAvkE0GTew |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 August 2010 |title=AFP: Lebanon bans Iranian-made biopic of Christ |date=13 August 2010 |access-date=3 January 2012}}

= Crucifixion =

The film portrays Jesus as a prophet, not as a son of God, and claims that someone else was crucified in his place. Talebzadeh's biopic shows Judas Iscariot being crucified instead of Jesus.

In contrast, the majority of Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God (himself being divine and part of the Godhead) and thus part of the Holy Trinity, and that he died by crucifixion to accomplish humanity's salvation before resurrecting and ascending to heaven.{{cite web|last=Usher |first=Sebastian |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10969499 |title=BBC News: Lebanese Christians angered by TV show about Christ |publisher=BBC |date=13 August 2010 |access-date=3 January 2012}}

Awards and festivals

The film was played at the Philadelphia Film Festival. The 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy has given the movie an award for promoting interfaith understanding.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4297085&page=1 |title="The Story of Jesus Through Iranian Eyes" from ABC News |publisher=ABC News |date=16 February 2008 |access-date=3 January 2012}}