The Miracle Maker
UK/Russia 1999
Reviewed by Simon Louvish
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
Judea, the first century AD. An ailing young girl, Tamar, becomes aware of a charismatic carpenter called Jesus who has turned up in her village. Tamar witnesses the carpenter's intervention to save Mary Magdalene, a social outcast, from a beating. Some years earlier Jesus tells his mother Mary that he intends to leave home to do God's work. After he is tempted by the devil in the desert, Jesus begins preaching, attracting a band of disciples. One of his disciples Judas believes that Jesus will lead a rebellion against Roman rule. Jesus begins to perform miracles, one of which is the raising of Tamar from her death bed. When news comes of the killing of John the Baptist, Jesus and his disciples head for Jerusalem. On hearing that his friend Lazarus has died, Jesus raises him from the dead. In Jerusalem, Jesus purges the money lenders from the temple but refuses to defy Rome openly. Disillusioned, Judas denounces him to the Pharisees. After supper with his disciples, Jesus is arrested. On trial, he is condemned by the call of the mob, despite the reluctance of the Roman legate Pilate. Jesus is crucified, but, having been entombed, rises again and confounds his doubting disciples. He leaves Earth in an intense white light.
Review
The above synopsis demonstrates the problem of treating the story of Jesus in a schematic way. For a non-believer, Christ's life story poses a series of conceptual dilemmas. This ancient narrative, told and retold over the centuries, in translations, passion plays, masques, school nativities, and so on, constantly attracts the faithful on the look out for ways to pass on the Good News. For anyone outside this circle, the narrative can take hold either through the poetry of its language or through the human drama of those involved. One need not be a Christian, for instance, to feel the pull of Pasolini's Il vangelo secondo Matteo (1964), or understand the pain of Jesus in Nikos Kazantzakis' novel The Last Temptation of Christ (filmed in 1988 by Martin Scorsese).
Ninety minutes of being preached at by animated figures (the film is a mix of cartoon creations and puppetry) does, however, sorely test the tolerance of agnostic, let alone non-Christian viewers. Not only is The Miracle Maker garlanded with testimonials by prelates, doctors of divinity and the like, but the film-makers attempt to lend their figures weight by using the voices of such distinguished actors as Ralph Fiennes, Julie Christie, William Hurt and Miranda Richardson. To veer back to Pasolini, it might have been more appropriate if directors Derek Hayes and Stanislov Sokolov had used the voices of ordinary, unknown people.
The Miracle Maker boasts puppets of fine workmanship, animation by British and Russian artists of high calibre and admirable art design. The problem with the film, however, comes down to its original source material. Given that so many audiences today don't buy into the idea that religious orthodoxy is necessarily a force for good, the film-makers' earnest attempt to tell the story of the Passion in a way that avoids offending anyone is doomed to failure. Some people draw moral force from their faith. Others slaughter each other for the same ideals. The Message is not, in narrative, the message. In stories, only the human drama inspires.
Credits
- Executive Director
- Derek Hayes
- Directors
- Stanislav Sokolov
- Derek Hayes
- Producers
- Naomi Jones
- Christmas Films:
- Renat Zinnurov
- Screenplay
- Murray Watts
- Director of Photography
- Christmas Films:
- Alexander Vikhanski
- Editors
- William Oswald
- John Richards
- Executive Art Director
- Helena Livanova
- Music/Music Conductor/
Orchestration - Anne Dudley
- ©SAF and Christmas Films
- Production Companies
- Ffilmiau S4C Films presents with the participation of British Screen and Icon Entertainment International
- in association with BBC Cymru/Wales
- a Cartwn Cymru & Christmas Films production
- Executive Producer
- Christopher Grace
- Executive Co-producers
- Elizabeth Babakhina
- S4C:
- Huw Walters
- Icon Entertainment:
- Ralph Kamp
- BBC Wales:
- John Geraint
- BBC:
- Geoffrey Marshall-Taylor
- Line Producer
- Christmas Films:
- Irina Karpova
- Production Co-ordinators
- Christmas Films:
- Igor Markozyan
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Nic Howell
- Andrew Peters
- Production Team Manager
- Christmas Films:
- Michael Sementzov-Ogievski
- 2nd Unit Director
- Christmas Films:
- Galina Beda
- Dialogue Director
- Joan Washington
- Casting
- Mary Selway
- Sarah Trevis
- Script Editors
- Martin Lamb
- Penelope Middelboe
- Cameraman
- Christmas Films:
- Leonard Kolvinkovski
- Digital Visual Effects
- The Digital Film Company
- Visual Effects Producers:
- Matthew Plummer
- Rupert Porter
- Digital Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Richard Bain
- 2D Operators:
- Frazer Churchill
- Gavin Digby
- Ed Hawkins
- Charlie Noble
- Ed Plant
- Paul Riddle
- Greg Salter
- Jelena Stojanovic
- Simon Terry
- Tom Wood
- 3D Operators:
- Russell Appleford
- Martin Costello
- Frederik Sundquist
- Paul Franklin
- Stein Gausereide
- Andy Hall
- Nigel Hardwidge
- Chas Jarrett
- Rogan MacDonald
- Jake Mengers
- Stefan Moss
- Gillian Schneider
- Richard Stevens
- Animators
- Christmas Films:
- Natasha Dabizha
- Alla Solovyova
- Vladimir Kadukhin
- Milana Pedoseyeva
- Olga Veselova
- Sergei Olifirenko
- Tanya Molodova
- Key Animation
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Chris Fenna
- Nicolette Van Gendt
- Roger Phillips
- José Solis
- Rick Villeneuve
- Arjan Wilschut
- Mike Bell
- Peter Dodd
- Alastair Fell
- Claire Grey
- Steve Hayne
- Roger McIntosh
- Ann Marriott
- Moving Still Productions
- Mair Thomas
- Animo Compositing
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Paul Bannister
- Susannah Ligt
- Tracey Paddison
- Martyn Yates
- Animatic Compositor
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Louise Harrison
- 2D Computer Animation
- Duncan MacDonald
- Puppet Sculptures
- Christmas Films:
- Vladimir Shafranyuk
- Anatoli Gnedinski
- Gennadi Bogachev
- Natasha Dabizha
- Alexander Draigor
- Igor Khilov
- Maxim Gladikov
- Michael Koltunov
- Anton Vyatkin
- Yuri Odintzov
- Yulia Sheftel
- Nadezhda Chernikova
- Vladimir Schegolkov
- Oleg Ikonnikov
- Alexander Nozdrin
- Vladimir Monastirev
- Victor Grishin
- Tanya Fedorova
- Puppet Facial Articulation Developed and Implemented
- Christmas Films:
- Sergei Olifirenko
- Puppet Armatures
- Christmas Films:
- Konstantin Trusov
- Vladimir Razgulyaev
- Yuri Aksenov
- Lev Morozov
- Puppet Costumes/Wigs
- Christmas Films:
- Natasha Barkovskaya
- Nadezhda Lyarskaya
- Nina Vinogradova
- Lyuba Doronina
- Nina Moleva
- Olga Usacheva
- Marina Kurchevskaya
- Vera Piunova
- Natasha Grinberg
- Maria Fedorova
- Puppet Make-up
- Christmas Films:
- Galina Kruglova
- Tamara Gorshenina
- Tanya Platonova
- Helena Zelenina
- Puppet Character Development
- Helena Livanova
- Mike McMahon
- Layouts
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Tass Darlington
- Peter Hesom
- Backgrounds
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Ashley Potter
- Background Painters
- Christmas Films:
- Boris Scherbakov
- Maya Novozhilova
- Motion Control Operator
- Christmas Films:
- Alexei Morozov
- Supervising Editor
- Christmas Films:
- Helena Mikhailova
- Editors
- Christmas Films:
- Helena Medvezhnikova
- Lyudmila Krilova
- 2D Art Direction
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Ashley Potter
- Executive Set Designer
- Christmas Films:
- Boris Moiseyev
- Storyboards
- Cartwn Cymru:
- Christopher De Lloyd
- Christopher Evans
- Das Petrou
- Costume Designers
- Christmas Films:
- Anna Baibakova
- Eugenia Bogolyubova
- End Titles/Opticals
- General Screen Enterprises
- Title Lettering
- Jonah Jones
- Orchestral Performers
- BBC National Orchestra of Wales
- Solo Performers
- Ethnic Percussion:
- Paul Clarvis
- Flute:
- Andy Findon
- Harp:
- Skaila Kanga
- Solo Choir Boy
- Nicholas Santos
- Choir
- Metro Voices
- Orchestra Leader
- Janice Graham
- Music Supervisor
- Karen Elliott
- Engineer
- Paul Hulme
- Sound Design
- Ian 'Spike' Banks
- Sound Supervisor
- Peter Jeffreys
- Dialogue Recording
- Matthew Roberts
- Re-recording Mixers
- Peter Jeffreys
- Tim Ricketts
- Sound Editor
- Ian 'Spike' Banks
- Foley
- Artists:
- John Fewell
- Julie Ankerson
- Re-recording Mixer:
- Darran Clement
- Technical Director
- Christmas Films:
- Izya Oirakh
- Research/Historical Advisers
- Christabel Gingell
- Anna Iamim
- Angela Kidner
- Nikkos Kokkinos
- David Pileggi
- Technical Consultants
- John Cary
- Tim Farrington
- Ceri Griffin
- Sam James
- Chris Lyons
- Monica McCartney
- Peter Rush
- Jo Weekes
- Malcolm Yallop
- Theological Advisers
- Dr M.F. Brearley
- The Revd Dr Richard A. Burridge
- Nigel M. de S. Cameron
- Revd Dr Noel A. Davies
- The Rt Revd Lord Habgood
- Pryderi Llwyd Jones
- Fr Dominic Milroy
- Dr Stephen Travis
- Bishop Rowan Williams
- The Very Revd Dr N.T. Wright
- Voice Cast
- Ralph Fiennes
- Jesus
- Michael Bryant
- God/the doctor
- Julie Christie
- Rachel
- Rebecca Callard
- Tamar
- James Frain
- Thomas
- Richard E. Grant
- John the Baptist
- Ian Holm
- Pilate
- William Hurt
- Jairus
- Anton Lesser
- Herod
- Daniel Massey
- Cleopas
- Tim McInnerny
- Barabbas
- Alfred Molina
- Simon the Pharisee
- Bob Peck
- Joseph Arimathea
- Miranda Richardson
- Mary Magdalene
- Antony Sher
- Ben Azra
- Ewan Stewart
- Andrew
- Ken Stott
- Simon Peter
- David Thewlis
- Judas
- Vass Anderson
- Nigel Anthony
- Tony Armatrading
- David Becalick
- Robert Duncan
- Martin Gent
- Patrick Godfrey
- Julie Higginson
- William Hootkins
- Joe James
- Lennie James
- Emily Mortimer
- Michael Nardone
- Phoebe Nicholls
- Geraldine O'Rawe
- Geraint Owen
- Neville Phillips
- Rupert Proctor
- Martyn Read
- Sian Rivers
- David Schofield
- Dougray Scott
- William Thomas
- Richard Dyer
- Adam Welch
- voices
- Paula-Louise Beaumont
- Richard Cadbury
- Brian Gear
- Richard Heneghan
- Peggy Mason
- Rex Plowman
- Andy Turvey
- William Vernon
- Jos Williams
- additional dialogue artistes
- Certificate
- U
- Distributor
- Icon Film Distribution
- 8,163 feet
- 90 minutes 42 seconds
- Dolby digital
- Colour by
- Technicolor