The Visual Bible: Matthew (1993)

Director:

Regardt van den Bergh

Writer:

Johann Potgieter (writer)

Release Date:

1 October 1993 (South Africa)

Genre:

History

Plot Keywords:

Christianity | Christian Film | Jesus Christ | 1st Century

Cast

Richard Kiley	...	Old Matthew
Gerrit Schoonhoven	...	Peter
Bruce Marchiano	...	Jesus
Dawid Minnaar	...	Judas
Kevin Smith	...	John the Beloved
Hannes Muller	...	Andrew
Charlton George	...	James
Jaqques De Klerk	...	Bartholomew
Sean Cameron Michael	...	Thomas (as Sean Michael)
Tony Joubert	...	James Alpheus
Darryl Fuchs	...	Simon the Zealot
Jonathan Pienaar	...	Thaddeus
Patrick Mynhardt	...	Herod Senior
Chris Truter	...	Herod Junior
Joanna Weinberg	...	Mary
Tony Caprari	...	Joseph
Marcel Van Heerden	...	John the Baptist
Gordon Van Rooyen	...	Caiaphas
Brioan O'Shuaghnessy	...	Pontius Pilate
Pippa Duffy	...	Mary Magdalene
Dominique Newman	...	Young Woman
David Müller	...	Pharisee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ivan Lucas	...	Phillip (as Ivan D. Lucas)
Matthew Dylan Roberts	...	Young Matthew (as Matthew Roberts)

Directed by
Regardt van den Bergh

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Johann Potgieter		writer

Produced by
Chuck Bush	....	producer (recut version)

Film Editing by
Chuck Bush		(recut version)

Other crew
Antoinette van Speyk	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Visual Bible
• Visual International

Distributors

• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (1994) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Visual Bible
• Visual Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Word Microsystems

Also Known As:

Jesus the Christ (USA) (video title)
The Gospel of Matthew

Country:

South Africa

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Visual Bible

Movie Connections:

Edited into Visual Bible for Kids (1998) (TV)

Powerful, anointed masterpiece imbued with the fire of God

As with most of those here commenting on this, I am blown away with the power and grace Bruce Marchiano brings to this masterpiece. The depth of power of his heart and eyes is so overwhelming as to be almost too great to bear; I think my heart will burst under the load save that He carries me with my light yoke (6:34 & 11:30). That it is utterly unknown but to Christians is of course the same story as with Jesus Himself, He Whom the pagans would co-opt to their own agendas and uses, a tactic that only backfires in the end as they prove from their folly that they know nothing of Him.

One point I must make against those who use the profound depth of this as a platform from which to condemn Mel Gibson's equally (though differently) anointed masterpiece, The Passion of the Christ, with priceless Jim Caviezel (though I'll always regret dear Mel didn't play the title role himself which would have been beyond awesome): they're quite wrongheaded on the score, for the testimony of Bruce and his company and Jim and his company are one in describing the divine (and therefore the counterattacking demonic) manifestations so present in the making of these jewels in our Lord's crown. What great grace the Lord has brought us in these precious brothers so to condescend to grace our lives with such inspiration according to His Perfect Word.