The Book of Life (1998 film)

Template:Use American English Template:Infobox film The Book of Life is a 1998 film directed by Hal Hartley.<ref name="Allon" /> In the film, Jesus returns to earth on the eve of the new millennium planning to bring about the apocalypse, but finds himself surprisingly enamored of humanity. It stars Martin Donovan as Jesus, PJ Harvey as Mary Magdalene, and Thomas Jay Ryan as The Devil. Yo La Tengo appear as a Salvation Army band.

Plot

Template:Expand section On the eve of the year 2000, Jesus Christ (Martin Donovan) returns to Earth, arriving at Kennedy Airport in New York with his mysterious and magnetic assistant Mary Magdalena (PJ Harvey).<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Sent by his wrathful Father, they retrieve a laptop from a locker and, with a few simple clicks, open the seven seals of the Book of Life, fulfilling the prophecy and setting in motion the Apocalypse and Armageddon.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Yet, as he confronts humanity at the brink of a new millennium confused, faithless, and immersed in technology, Jesus begins to doubt the destiny assigned to him.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Meanwhile, in a seedy New York bar, a young gambler (Dave Simonds) and the waitress (Miho Nikaido) secretly in love with him strike up a conversation with a charismatic stranger (Thomas Jay Ryan) - none other than the Devil in disguise.<ref name=":1" /> Their stories intertwine as heaven and earth seem to collide, bringing all the characters together in a hotel room to face the end, or the possible rebirth, of the world.<ref name=":1" />

Cast

• Martin Donovan as Jesus Christ<ref name=":1" />
• PJ Harvey as Magdalena<ref name=":1" />
• Thomas Jay Ryan as Satan<ref name=":1" />
• Dave Simonds as Dave,<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> the guy in Bar<ref name=":1" />

• Miho Nikaido as Edie<ref name=":1" />
• D.J. Mendel as the lawyer<ref name=":2" />
• Katreen Hardt as the receptionis<ref name=":2" />
• James Urbaniak<ref name=":1" /> as the "True Believer".
• Katreen Hardt as the lawyer's assistant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Production

The film was made for the 2000, Seen By... (2000 vu par...) project,<ref name="Cole">Susan G. Cole, Glenn Sumi, Norman Wilner, John Semley, "TOP 25 TORONTO FILMS," Now, 31 December 2013, URL accessed 15 August 2016.</ref> initiated by the French company Haut et Court<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to produce films depicting the approaching turn of the millennium seen from the perspectives of 10 different countries.<ref name="Allon">Yoram Allon, Del Cullen, Hannah Patterson. Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide. Wallflower Press, 2002, p. 367.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes PJ Harvey, Yo La Tengo, David Byrne, Takako Minekawa, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Osnabrucker Jugendchor, Ben Watt and others.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1" />

References

• ABC Limelight magazine, July 2005, quoting Hartley on the D. W. Griffith reference.

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0167059

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• Template:Rotten Tomatoes
• The Book of Life at Mubi
• The Book Of Life Soundtrack: A Film By Hal Hartley at Discogs