The Nativity: on-line reviews all this week

The Nativity - the four-part adaptation of the Christmas story - begins tonight on BBC One.  After each episode, Thinking Faith, the British Jesuits' on-line journal, will be posting up a review - two by Jesuits and two by lay collaborators.

'It is difficult to tell a story that everyone knows, respectfully, without it turning into a biblical snooze or directing it as a series of tasteful, stultifying reverent postcards, shorn of life, awe, mystery,' says Fr Tim Byron SJ, the Chaplain at St Ignatius' College, Enfield, and the reviewer of episode one of The Nativity.  By and large, he is full of praise for the writing, the direction, the acting and the entire concept: 'Shot in Morocco and aesthetically impressive, Tony Jordan's small screen adaptation is a very credible and moving version of the greatest story ever told … There are hidden depths to an all too familiar story.'

Deputy headmaster at St Ignatius' College, Andrew Dickson, is equally as effusive about The Nativity as he reviews episode two.  Although he is critical of some elements of Mary's dialogue, he nonetheless describes the BBC One series as 'a welcome addition to the body of television and film re-enactments already in existence.  For those who are still searching, I think they will judge this as a good story well acted, with an excellent script and stunning locations.  Its primary purpose was no doubt to tell a familiar story from a new perspective and if it challenges us in its interpretation, and gets us to reflect again on our own traditions and beliefs then it has served its purpose.'

In his review, Nathan Koblintz, a member of the Thinking Faith editorial board, highlights the emotional rollercoaster that Mary and Joseph are going through, as well as the drama experienced by other characters in the story, especially the Wise Men (Magi).  The interchange between them in the desert, writes Nathan, 'captures the rarest of things on TV or film: an adventure of the mind.  Usually the hero's challenge comes in the form of physical danger and his reward is equally physical in nature; although there is danger facing the Magi, their challenge is mental.  The Babylon they have left behind is a place where faith has become coated in a little irony, good humour, sophistication: none of these are bad things in themselves, but alone in the desert the Magi ask themselves if they are ready to leap into the breath-taking world where belief frees itself of these coverings and instead locks directly into the will ...  In this episode we see the intellectual courage of the three Magi as they make the decision to leave doubt behind and act with certainty.'

Father James Conway SJ, in reviewing the fourth and final part of The Nativity, to be broadcast on Thursday evening, links the experience closely with the founder of the Jesuits. 'Ignatius would have been pleased with Tony Jordan's efforts to engage his viewers in the Nativity of Christ,' he writes. 'Like Ignatius, Jordan begins with the human, earthy stuff - the mess of the young couple's situation, their grim journey to Bethlehem and the pain of giving birth - to bring to the fore the theological stumbling blocks posed by the Incarnation.'

The Nativity has a powerful combination of drama and faith, of theology and humanity.  Fr Tim Byron SJ, in concluding his review of tonight's episode, has no doubt the series is a hit: 'Hats off to the BBC for commissioning this series and for giving it such a prominent slot,' he writes. 'This is definitely licence-fee money well spent - a phrase that doesn't often roll off the tongue.'

The Nativity is being shown on BBC One at 7pm tonight and on the subsequent three evenings.  Read the full reviews on www.thinkingfaith.org


 Thinking Faith

 BBC: The Nativity web site