Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus

I'm not a religious person but I am a fan of Johnny Cash. Recently watched this movie on television one day from start to end and I enjoyed it. While it didn't convert me, I could appreciate the passion that Cash and others had for the project and respect them for it. Certainly found it more enjoyable than The Passion of the Christ. The fact that the lead was blonde did not matter to me as it does to some people here. If Jesus existed, its irrelevant what he looked like and only his message should matter. If you have an interest in Johnny Cash, then I think you owe it to yourself to give the movie a go, just to see what gave him strength in this life.

This is an entertaining look at the Gospel as presented by Johnny Cash (adorned in black, of course) who sings a lot and narrates a bit also. If you like Johnny Cash, this film is quite enjoyable. Also note the blonde depiction of Jesus in this work...just for fun, try to think of five Jewish men who have blonde hair...? Anyway, its a fun presentation of the greatest and most important story of all.

Johnny and June Carter Cash financed this film which is a traditional rendering of the Gospel stories. The music is great, you get a real feel of what the world of Jesus looked like (I've been there too), and June gets into the part of Mary Magdalene with a passion. Cash's narration is good too.

But....

1. The actor who played Jesus was miscast. 2. There is no edge to the story like Cash puts in some of his faith based music. 3. Because it is uncompelling, I doubt we'll see this ever widely distributed again.

I'd love to buy the CD.

Tom Paine Texas, USA

There are few films or movies I consider favorites over the years. The Gospel road was one of them. I watched this as a young teen and would like the opportunity to watch it again. My favorite parts were the fact that

1/Jesus was blond,

2/the last supper was a huge meal,

3/ he liked playing with the children,

4/His death was for all people and for all time.

The movie may not have been theologically sound or high quality acting, but it touched my heart at that time. Besides I am a Johnny Cash fan and it was a brave venture. If it ever comes out on DVD, I will purchase it purely for sentimental reasons.

This movie didn't need a big budget. It had a lot of heart and it shows. I normally don't like particularly sappy depictions of Jesus (Jesus Christ Superstar is admittedly one of my favourite film versions) but this was different.

Jesus was portrayed as very human in the midst of his divinity. Some of the best scenes are of him goofing around with his disciples (a side of the group not normally imagined). It might have been a tad cheesy, but I also appreciated the scene where he plays with children on the beach. But this Jesus isn't simply nice; he angrily calls out the hypocrites in the Temple multiple times. He also beautifully captures mourning for John the Baptist, praying for strength and courage to face his upcoming demise, and being bitterly rejected by Jerusalem.

June Carter's Mary Magdalene is also quite good. She puts a lot of passion into the role. My only complaint with her is that she doesn't do much. She's around for maybe four scenes, two in the middle and then two in the end.

Johnny Cash's narration sounds nice. It does often get repetitive. The most notable example is when Jesus heals a blind man and Cash sings, "I see men walking like trees" around six times before saying anything else. It is also rather off-putting to have the narration do almost all of the talking, especially for the protagonist. In fact, the only people who talk at all in the movie besides Johnny are Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus. However it is a style to which one adapts as the movie continues.

This film might not have the best sets or the best wardrobe or even a very full cast, but what it has is gold. Check it out.