The Nativity: Episode 4 (2010)

 

Most of what we traditionally think of as “the Christmas story” occurs in this episode.  Delivery in a stable, swaddling clothes, no-crib-for-a-bed, and all that.  The star is brilliant, the shepherds are visited by an angel, and the three oddest baby gifts in history are given.

 

A bit more revision to the classic story:  “no room at the inn,” in this version is more conditional than practical.  In the search-for-lodgings montage, a number of innkeepers make it clear that they have room, just not for the likes of Mary.  Though Joseph refers to her as his wife, scandalous whispers have followed them, and word quickly gets around that Mary isn’t a woman to open one’s doors to.

 

Not too much to say about Balthazar and his cohorts here.  They and the shepherds all do a nice job of worshipping a baby and making it look genuine.  (I don’t know that I’d ever thought before about what a strange image that makes, but they do it ably and without self-consciousness.) 

 

As an aside, I’m not terribly impressed with how Gabriel is done in this miniseries.  While the no-wings thing isn’t a deal-breaker for me, I would’ve liked to see something more demonstratively angelic.  I don’t really understand how people in his presence immediately know that he’s an angel.  There’s dialogue about how people feel when he touches them, but touch isn’t a very cinematic sense, and it doesn’t translate all that well.

 

Round-up for The Nativity:

 

Accent Watch

 

RP.  A few hints of Scottish intrusion, but not many and not by much.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – If you like adaptations of the Christmas story, this is a good one.  The acting is excellent, and the characterization is interesting and engaging.  It tells the story in its own way, but without going too far off the rails.  (I still cringe to think of Mary Mother of Jesus, wherein Mary is the one to come up with the parables and tells them to young Jesus as bedtime stories!)

 

PC-wise – Maybe.  It’s not a hugely demanding role, but PC does well with it.  The conversation with Melchior in episode 2 is especially good.

 

Warnings

 

Nothing further.

The Nativity: Episode 3 (2010)

 

Episode 3 surprised me a little; I’m of course used to film and TV adaptations making changes to their original source material, be it novel or historical.  However, it’s always unexpected to see an adaptation making changes to the Bible – especially the Christmas story.  Here, Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem starts before Joseph is visited by an angel and assured that Mary is indeed carrying the Messiah.  The journey instead begins with tension and anger.  Mary’s parents, fearing for her safety as an unwed pregnant woman, beg Joseph to escort her to Bethlehem in the hopes that she’ll be able to hide until they figure out what to do for her.  Though Joseph is furious at her seeming betrayal, he can’t stop loving her and doesn’t want her coming to harm.  That doesn’t mean he’s happy about the arrangement, though, and this reordering of the timeline naturally extends the dramatic potential.

 

Revision aside, the general reaction to Mary’s pregnancy is well-done.  There’s an intense, almost visceral scene of Joseph confronting Mary, as well as her parents’ crushing disappointment in her, her village’s violence against her, and her religion’s rejection of her (honestly, the alliteration just happened – it wasn’t a plan or anything.)  You really get a sense of the impossible position she’s in.  How does one even begin to explain something like that?

 

And of course, we can’t forget the magi.  Our favorite wise men enter Herod’s domain today, where they’re menaced and intimidated for their troubles.  Despite their best attempts at subterfuge (which only Balthazar is any real good at – he really is the most street-smart magi,) Herod and his minions start to smell out their intent.  Herod, by the way, is very suitably creepy:  diseased, paranoid, and power-mad.

 

Once again, Balthazar is the voice of practicality.  While they ultimately decide not to abandon their journey, he brings up the very real danger of carrying on – Herod could easily punish them and the citizens of Bethlehem.  It seems he’s also the one who figures out how to escape Herod’s notice and continue.

 

I forgot to mention a couple more familiar faces in this miniseries.  I recognized Claudie Blakley, who plays Mary’s mother, as Charlotte Lucas from the Knightley/Macfadyen version of Pride and Prejudice.  Additionally, Ruth Negga (the wife of Thomas, the shepherd) has appeared in several things I’ve seen:  she first caught my eye in Breakfast on Pluto, she joined PC as another W.H.O. doctor in World War Z, and most recently, she’s had a recurring role as a baddie on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

Warnings

 

Some of the epithets against Mary get pretty ugly, and there’s a scene of attempted violence.

The Nativity: Episode 2 (2010)

 

While we’re moving into the more widely-known story, we’re still on precursor events:  Elizabeth’s pregnancy, news of Caesar Augustus’s census, etc.  In this episode, Mary has learned that she’s pregnant with the Messiah, and she doesn’t know what to make of it.  Part of her hopes it was only a dream, and her visit to Elizabeth is a confirmation mission.  She’s confused, humbled, frightened, ponderous, and overwhelmed; you’re really reminded of how young she is, and how enormous her situation is.

 

Meanwhile, the three magi are beginning their journey.  I like that the legendary Christmas Star isn’t actually apparent yet – rather, they’ve studied the movement of the stars and are predicting a phenomenal event based on current trajectories.  This places a greater emphasis on faith, the belief that the star will be there, and it’s their place to meet it when it appears. 

 

Balthazar proves to be perhaps the most grounded of the magi.  When their associates scorn the idea of going off in pursuit of a star, he considers the journey’s length, its dangers, and the possibility of angering Herod or the Romans.  Gaspar only has eyes for the sky, and Melchior is up to his neck in prophecies, so it may be Balthazar who ensures that they make it to Jerusalem in one piece.

 

There’s an excellent scene between Balthazar and Melchior, where Balthazar asks the older man whether he truly believes that the star will point the way to the Messiah.  Balthazar believes in God, but he thinks the days of God directly interacting with the people through signs and shows of power are long past.  It’s really interesting to see, because I’m accustomed to that attitude nowadays – “Miracles are for the Bible.  God doesn’t work like that anymore.”  Even though the Bible spans eras, I’m used to compressing them into generic “Bible times.”  But in truth, for Balthazar, it’s been ages since Abraham or Moses or David, and I can see why he might feel God is far away from him.

 

Also, PC looks absolutely ridiculous riding a camel; I love it.

The Nativity: Episode 1 (2010)

 

That’s right; the Tenth Doctor’s comment about being at the first Christmas (“I had the last room”) is truer than you think.  Only a few years before being cast as Twelve, PC appeared in this four-part miniseries of the Christmas story.  With the holiday soon upon us, I figured it was a good time to check it out.

 

Now, having seen the first episode, I’m really enjoying it.  As far as Bible stories go, it has a very human focus.  This episode is mostly set-up – it ends with Mary getting the Big News – introducing the major players.  Mary is a sweet, devout girl preparing to leave childhood for married life.  Joseph isn’t especially accomplished, but he has a good, eager heart.  Three astronomers discover a star that captures their imagination, their hope.  A struggling shepherd wonders whether God cares for the likes of him.

 

PC plays Balthazar, one of the magi.  When he first hears of the strange movement of the stars, he thinks it’s an impossibility, but wisely, he’s quick to accept the evidence before his eyes.  He shifts immediately to trying to convince his fellow scholars of the star’s reality, arguing that they can’t call themselves wise men if they ignore the undeniable.

 

Each of the three main magi has a distinct personality from the other two; I like that.  Balthazar is a well-spoken intellectual, a man of action.  He’s calmer than the young, excitable Gaspar, less somber than the elderly, sage-like Melchior.  Ultimately, he agrees to join the others following the promise of the star.

 

Lots of familiar faces in this one.  Andrew Buchan, who played the father in Broadchurch, is Joseph.  Mary is played by Tatiana Maslany – I’ll admit that I haven’t seen Orphan Black, but I have seen the 47 billion commercials for it on BBC America, so I sometimes feel like I have.  Finally, I’ve seen Frances Barber, who plays Elizabeth, in several roles since her turn as the eye-patched Madame Kovarian in Who, but I still have a hard time trusting her.  The second I hear her voice, my brain goes, “Danger!”

 

Accent Watch

 

A pretty good RP.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – So far, yes.  If you’re interested in Bible stories but think a lot of adaptations seem overly stiff, I think you’d really like this one.

 

PC-wise – Maybe.  PC is doing well in a small but important role.  We’ll see what the coming episodes bring.

 

Warnings

 

A few very tame sexual references – comments about Mary’s virginity and so forth.