Resurrection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 8, 2021

Resurrection is the latest in the increasing collection of Bible-based content from the producing tandem of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey whose The Bible, Son of God, and A.D. The Bible Continues were runaway hits on release. Resurrection takes material already covered in previous efforts -- focusing here on Christ's resurrection and His disciples' early ministries -- and is essentially a repackaging, going so far as to lift shots and scenes straight out of A.D. The Bible Continues and building a little more narrative depth and story focus amongst them. It's a typically solid outing from the producing pair, even if there's not a lot of "new" here. It's excellent but one cannot help but to believe that it's also a bit superfluous, simply exploring material they have already committed to the screen, and recycling a good amount of footage at that.

The film begins with text that sets the table for the story to follow: Israel is under brutal Roman occupation and he people are seeking a savior, a military leader who would remove the Romans from control and restore the country under Jewish leadership. Many believed that leader to be Jesus, but He is about to be executed, an execution demanded by the Jewish people and facilitated by Rome. He is charged with blasphemy for claiming to be the son of God. The film begins with His crucifixion and death and continues to follow the remaining eleven apostles – including Peter (Adam Levy) and John (Babou Ceesay) – as well as Mary Magdalene (Chipo Chung) who is the first to witness the resurrected Christ (Juan Pablo Di Pace) in the flesh. Once word reaches the apostles, they find themselves in awe of His return and in preparation for their own ministries, soon to be indwelled by the Holy Spirit to continue Christ’s work. Meanwhile, the Roman government fears the uprising that may occur if Christ’s is resurrected – whether truly resurrected or the body taken as part of a stunt – while the controlling religious sect fears for its own place in society for similar reasons.

Resurrection's focus is on the story as it begins at the end of the Gospels and as it continues through the opening chapters of the book of Acts. It's a swiftly paced narrative that, even as it repurposes and repackages previously filmed and viewed content, finds a compelling structure in its laser focus on that time in which Christ's story comes full circle and in which the early church is born. While it is His death and resurrection that drive the film, Resurrection is perhaps rightly more concerned with the apostles, and Peter and John in particular, as they manage the aftermath of Christ's death: Peter living with guilt over his denials and John having born witness to the crucifixion and having personally buried Jesus in Joseph's tomb. The film tightly builds these characters in the hours between the death and resurrection and follows to explore their place in the burgeoning church -- Peter in particular -- after the ascension and after they've been filled by the Holy Spirit. The story ultimately culminates with Peter healing a beggar who has not walked since childbirth and follows his, and John's, defiant testimony before the Sanhedrin, championing Jesus' Messiahship and the power to heal in His name.

The film is well acted across the board. Adam Levy's work as Peter is extraordinary, finding a depth and nuance that, on one hand, sees him living with guilt after his denial -- a story made more powerful within the fuller context of his relationship with Jesus over the course of Jesus' ministry -- and what amounts to a second chance when he interacts with the resurrected Christ on several occasions and ultimately must tell Jesus he loves Him three times, successively, prior to the ascension. While Peter is literally the Biblical "rock," Babou Ceesay is easily the rock in this cast, playing John with a stalwart center and tangible depth. He ultimately gives way to Peter as the main focus at film's end, but the work he does in the first act at Jesus' side at the crucifixion and, later, in death is remarkable. The film further plays well beyond its budget. It looks great and only a few overhead CGI shots of ancient Jerusalem betray the authentic feel that permeates the film.

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Resurrection was shot on video. The picture is a capable one, presenting clean, efficient details, reliable clarity, and solid color reproduction. The digital sheen does not betray the historical setting. While there's no film-grain grit, the picture's high yield detail allows for the ornate period costumes and the world of early A.D. Jerusalem to come to life with great clarity and visual acumen. Beyond dirt terrain, rocky formations, worn and rough structures, and dense Roman armor are highly detailed and intimate facial details which are a consistent point of interest and highlight throughout the film; viewers will often be awestruck by the depth, definition, and easy-come intimacy that is in evidence in practically every shot. The Blu-ray's color output is strong, too. While it is true that the film primarily favors earthy shades of beige and brown and gray – all of which are very well defined in their own right – there are sprinkles of vivid color that leap off the screen for intensity, natural contrast, and accuracy. Both blood and Mary's blue garments and eyes are highlights amongst the film's early minutes at the crucifixion. Later, additional clothing examples and some fiery special effects constitute much of the remainder of the bold color output. Flesh tones appear to be perfectly true and black levels are pleasantly deep. The picture does suffer from some rather intense noise output in lower light situations but such is the only obvious source drawback to be found. No serious encode issues are in evidence, either. There's a lot to like here and fans will be well pleased with the results.

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Resurrection rises onto Blu-ray with a relatively good DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. When strong winds blow and the earth quakes following Jesus' death on the cross, the track could stand a bit more forceful aggression. There's no lack of movement and detail and surround implementation, but the track needs some low-end gain to bring the scene to the startling life it deserves. In contrast, the track does find some more fervent output later in the film during a riot at the 64-minute mark. The track is never wanting for more space, just a little more depth at the bottom. Indeed, environmental fill is quite striking in bringing old Jerusalem to life. Various sounds encircle the listener, whether light background ambience or more forceful crowd din during the most intense, raucous scenes. Musical definition and spread are first-rate. Dialogue is clear and center focused for the duration.

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Resurrection includes no supplemental content. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's no question that Resurrection is an excellent film. The real question, particularly for those who have seen A.D., is whether watching this is worth the time considering that it amounts to little more than a re-edited version of some of that series' episodes. The answer is yes, broadly. There's new content intermixed with the old. There's also much that has been removed entirely. But the picture plays wonderfully in isolation as a tight, well defined look at the death and resurrection of Jesus, how those events defined the Roman and Jewish worlds of the time, and how the resurrection strengthened the apostles, prepared them to receive the Spirit, and testify to the masses. A.D. does a fine job all its own with this, so this is probably best watched as a lengthy supplement when paired with that, but as it stands it's a fine film that will educate and entertain alike. The featureless Blu-ray includes excellent video and audio presentations. Recommended.