Review: Jesus's story is seen through fresh eyes in Light of the World

The story of Jesus has been told time and time again, in so many ways, in every medium, including over and over again on film. His story is sometimes referred to as "the greatest story ever told" (which, yup, was the title of a Jesus movie in the sixties). As an atheist, I can't say I agree, but it's obvious why this story has endured for millennia, why is stirs such religious fervor in so many people, and why it's still a story worth telling.

This year has been flush with faith-based movies (including another account of Jesus's life back in April, The King of Kings), but Light of the World is handily the best of them. It doesn't reinvent the wheel. It doesn't deviate too far from the source material (that's generally frowned upon in Biblical adaptations). Rather, it leans into smart filmmaking choices, adds some lightness and fun, and gets its point across without feeling like a simple Sunday school lesson. 

It's hard to articulate how difficult it is for a faith-based movie to feel like an actual movie. So often, the main concern is squarely on spreading the Gospel, which means a lot of stuff gets made that ends up making non-believers scoff. The filmmaking is an afterthought, the storytelling simply a vehicle for evangelization. It's such a breath of fresh air, then, for Light of the World to feel more fully-formed from a cinematic perspective.

(I'll go ahead and throw in a disclaimer here: if you aren't a Christian, your mileage with this movie will likely vary. I was raised Christian so I always find myself interested in seeing how movies like this do their thing, but if you don't have that background/perspective -- or even if you do -- this might feel like a chore to sit through. Nothing wrong with that.)

Like most movies about Jesus, this one covers most of the highlights. While it skips the Nativity story and childhood years, we get the rest of the best: water into wine, walking on water, the Last Supper, all that jazz. Some of these are presented pretty much as you'd expect them to be. This carries the requisite respect and gravitas when called for. But there are some fun little twists and additions, and some nice comedic timing, that make certain stories pop. It reminded me at times of Journey to Bethlehem from a few years ago, which had some fun with its Biblical story while not feeling disrespectful. 

Here, a lot of those moments come courtesy of our protagonist, John, whose enthusiasm and clumsiness give the story a charming quality. He doesn't always know what he's doing. He has some funny physical comedy bits (like when John the Baptist rains honeycomb down on him from a treetop). John is depicted as a kid here, maybe a preteen. I did a little Bible study (Google search) and it looks like it's agreed that John was the youngest of Jesus's disciples, but it seems like the movie might've aged him down a bit, which is such a smart choice. Seeing these familiar events through the eyes of a child, and one who's an active participant in the goings-on, makes them feel not just more impactful, but also more real. The much-talked-about "faith of a child" is on full display here, and it hits.

It's also just such a relief to see a movie about Jesus that doesn't make Jesus the protagonist. Because, as the main character, Jesus isn't necessarily that interesting. He's perfect! We want our heroes to have flaws, to make mistakes, to learn and grow. Which aren't things that are possible when you are literally God. That said, Light of the World manages to show Jesus's human side well, with him making jokes about John the Baptist's diet and crying over his friends. He isn't a flawed character, obviously, but he's at least a textured one, which again adds to the film's emotional impact.

The hand-drawn animation is lovely. It obviously isn't on par with classic Disney or more modern masterpieces like Cartoon Saloon's stuff, but it feels like they maybe took inspiration from the later. The character designs are nice, the backgrounds often pop, and a few sequences break into a more graphic, almost paper-like aesthetic that's really gorgeous. This style is employed especially well in some story-telling sequences, such as the Creation story and one of Jesus's parables. Really nice-looking stuff.

It's also just fun for me, as a former church kid, to watch something like this and have weird memories and thoughts come rushing back. Like, as a kid in church, there was no more nefarious profession than a tax collector. Those dudes were bad. And, yeah, I still hate the IRS, so that's a lesson that has stayed in my heart, I guess.

I also found myself mulling thoughts I had a lot as a young Christian, and sometimes still mull over. How villainous are the villains in this story? Is Judas a bad guy? Is Pilate? Without them, Jesus wouldn't have ended up on the cross. Christianity wouldn't have been born. Weren't they playing pre-ordained parts in a grand cosmic plan? Did they even have free will? Much to think about.

But above all, my main takeaway here is how impressively un-redundant this movie felt. I've heard all of these stories so many times throughout my life, and seen them told in various media, including in plenty of animated forms. But Light of the World makes so many smart choices to make these stories and characters feel fresh, interesting, and even new. If Jesus's life is really the greatest story ever told, for me, this is one of the greatest tellings of that story.