Le cinéaste anglais Philip Saville dirige le récit religieux "l'Évangile de Jean", une production de la compagnie canadienne Visual Bible International. Ce drame de trois heures essaye de suivre avec précision l'Évangile tel que Jean l'a écrit, au cours du premier siècle.
In 1939, Danny, an optimistic cat, dreams of Hollywood stardom, so he travels from Kokomo, Indiana to Hollywood in hopes of starting a career there. He is selected by Farley Wink to feature in a film called Little Ark Angel that is in production alongside a cat named Sawyer. Upon meeting Tillie, Cranston, Frances, and T.W., he is dismayed on learning how minor his role is and tries to weasel his way into more time in the limelight. Danny winds up angering Darla Dimple, a popular, extremely spoiled child actress and star of the film, so she assigns her Valet Max to intimidate Danny into no longer trying to enlarge his part.
A Greek artisan is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ in silver and sculpt around its rim the faces of the disciples and Jesus himself. He travels to Jerusalem and eventually to Rome to complete the task. Meanwhile, a nefarious interloper is trying to convince the crowds that he is the new Messiah by using nothing more than cheap parlor tricks.
The story traces Peter's journey from self-sufficient fisherman to his dependency on a risen Christ. It also presents another story of redemption and forgiveness, as he takes in a young Arab/Jewish girl, Fara. As they both learn of Jesus, it changes their lives.
Solomon is a wise prophet selected as the crown prince by his father King David (Dawud in Islamic texts) when he was 9. Following Prophet David's death, Solomon succeeds to the crown and God appoints him as a prophet. Requesting from God the establishment of a divine kingdom, Solomon takes the wind under his command and jinns and demons under his control. Inviting rulers of the neighbouring lands to the monotheistic religion, Prophet Solomon continues his divine mission in as much as Balqis, the Queen of Sheba professes monotheism. At the end, while leaning on his cane, Solomon bids farewell to the world, and the jinns and demons get out of reign and return to their own world.
The first part of the film revolves around Ruth, visualized as a pagan idolatress in her youth who serves as the spiritual teacher of a young Moabitess girl, Tebah, who is being prepared to be sacrificed to Chemosh, a Moabite deity. High-priestess Eleilat, along with Ruth, instruct Mahlon, a Judean artisan, to polish Tebah's ritual crown. Mahlon delivers the crown to Ruth at the temple, and he begins to question her about the existence of Chemosh. Ruth becomes doubtful of her religion and ultimately falls in love with Mahlon, sharing an interest in monotheism.
We see Mary Magdalene, here portrayed as a wild courtesan, entertain many men around her. Upon learning that Judas is with a carpenter she rides out on her chariot drawn by zebras to get him back. Peter is introduced as the Giant apostle, and we see the future gospel writer Mark as a child who is healed by Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is shown as a beautiful and saintly woman who is a mother to all her son's followers. Our first sight of Jesus is through the eyesight of a little girl, whom He heals. He is surrounded by a halo. Mary Magdelene arrives afterwards and talks to Judas, who reveals that he is only staying with Jesus in hopes of being made a king after Jesus becomes the king of kings. Jesus casts the Seven Deadly Sins out of Mary Magdalene in a multiple exposure sequence.
The film opens after the great flood, with Noah and his family outside of the Ark praising the Lord. Then comes depictions of the building of the Tower of Babel and the worshipping of the golden calf. Then it switches to the eve of World War I. The theme of the gold calf is carried forward by a scene in which a bankrupted trader (Otto Hoffman) shoots his uncaring stockbroker.
Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) was an expert in theology and music who was supposedly killed in a car crash in 1921, shortly after the death of his beloved wife, Victoria, during an operation. However, he survived the crash, horribly scarred by the accident and left unable to speak, forcing him to remake his face with prosthetics and use his knowledge of acoustics to regain his voice. Resurfacing in 1925, Phibes believes that his wife died a victim of incompetent doctors, and begins elaborate plans to kill them.
Quatre époques sont présentées en alternance pour dénoncer l'intolérance : la répression des grèves, le massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy, la Passion du Christ et Babylone. De la Babylone antique au début du XX siècle, une illustration métaphorique de la cruauté et de la férocité de l'homme envers son prochain.
The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parables from the gospel of Matthew, interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around an empty, still New York City. John the Baptist gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus. These disciples then proceed to form a roving acting troupe that enacts Jesus's parables through the streets of New York. They often make references to vaudeville shtick.
A baby set adrift in a basket to be saved from death is discovered by Pharaoh's daughter; she then raises him with the son of Pharaoh Ramses. The child is named Moses and raised as a prince until adulthood, when he is called by God to help free his people.
Aspiring singer-songwriter Jed King is struggling to catch a break and escape the long shadow of his famous father when he reluctantly agrees to a gig at a local vineyard harvest festival. Jed meets the vineyard owner's daughter, Rose, and a romance quickly blooms. Soon after their wedding, Jed writes Rose "The Song," which becomes a breakout hit. Suddenly thrust into a life of stardom and a world of temptation, his life and marriage begin to fall apart.
The film begins with Thorold Stone, a counterterrorist agent, watching home video tapes of his wife and daughter, both of whom have vanished in the Rapture.