Tuesday, April 04, 2006
CRUCIFIXION AND PLAYING THE RACE CARD
It's not Mel Gibson's The Passion, but folks involved in this big-screen's production are no less passionate in bringing this adaption of Christ's last 48 hours to your local cinema house in a film that openly plays the race card - with the Messiah cast as a black man.
This racial perspective to the conventional biblical story, the producers say, "is sure to challenge Conservative Christian beliefs."
Producers for “Color of the Cross,” an independent biblical biopic based on the last 48 hours of Christ’s life, claims their film stands to be the most controversial depiction of Jesus to date. “Color of the Cross,” is written and directed by lead actor Jean Claude LaMarre, and co-stars Debbi Morgan (“Coach Carter,” “Woman Thou Art Loosed”) as Mary, the mother of Jesus. The film, independently financed is currently in production and scheduled for theatrical release in fall 2006.
Supporters of the film claim that it is unique in distinct ways: It is said to be the first dramatic film in Hollywood history ever to depict Christ as a black man. Secondly, it is the first Christian based film to inject race as a possible factor in the Crucifixion of Christ.
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Ok, we usually see Him pictured as a white man, but that isn't accurate either. He was, and so is, Jewish. His skin would be olive based on where He lived. Now how do you parse that into a racial conflict?
Maybe the film will speak the language of the African-American Christian community better than a film like Mel Gibson made, but that would also depend upon the content of the film. How much is the race card being played-up?
In any case, it won't be released until this fall. Did production fall six months behind schedule?
