Been several years since I've seen it, but...
In the flashback scenes, does Jurgen Prochnow play Jesus? I remember him being struck repeatedly to the floor and looking up at Demi Moore... Am I mis-remembering something...? Thanks ahead...
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Jurgen's character of David is a 'Jesus' like figure. We find out the Peter Friedman character of Lucci was Carthephilus, Pilate's gate keeper. David may have even have been John the Baptist.
"Sometimes my ruminations are too confusing for someone not inside my head." -Anon
This movie seems to follow a more Pentecostal/Evangelical view of Revelations (Pentecostals and Evangelicals are EXTREMELY LITERAL not SYMBOLIC in their interpretations of scripture) and thusly, Mr. Prochnow is indeed playing the resurrected Jesus or David (as was written earlier). As he says in the movie... I came as the lamb (Jesus is referred to as THE LAMB of God in The Bible and also, by Christian based denominations) but I have RETURNED as THE LION (i.e. God's Wrath and Judgment of humankind's sins in Revelations) to pour out God's judgment on the earth... okay, I am not quoting verbatim but I have seen this movie enough to know that this is very close to what Prochnow says. Demi's character is like Carthephilus because BOTH DENIED Christ at one time in their existence. Carthephilus mocks Christ by beating him prior to his death at Calvary while Abby's "former self" denies Christ when confronted, ironically, by Carthephilus (similar to the Apostle Peter who also denied Christ three times prior to sunrise). Thusly, their "fates" are bound together until the end of time. Both are essentially "punished". Carthephilus is damned to walk the earth until "the end times" and probably is damned to spiritual hell for participating in Christ's torture and death. Although he knows Christ and God exist, I gather from the movie, he rejects them. Abby is "punished" in her current life because she does not believe in anything which reflects back on her former rejection of Christ (Atheism). Thusly, she cannot have a living child and is suicidal (in the Christian view.... spiritually dead). HOWEVER, Abby "redeems" herself by ultimately accepting the existence of God and Christ as the Savior. Thusly, she sacrifices herself (as Christ did on the cross) for the life of her son and also, the human race. Yeah, this is definitely as more Evangelical/Pentacostal view of Christianity/Book of Revelations.
shareOne major deviation from the Biblical view of the end-times is the concept that mankind can do anything about it. This movie is like most Hollywood dealings with a God-sent end of time in that our hero (here Demi Moore) is able to change God's mind about proceeding with His judgment of mankind. This may be somewhat of a more Judaistic view, because we often find Moses in the Old Testament pleading with God to get Him to hold off from wiping out the Israelites. There is also the inclusion of some extra-Biblical Jewish ideas about the Well of Souls which is kind of interesting to explore.
I saw this movie when it came to theatres and it's still one of my favorites of this type.
Where in the bible does is ever say Christ took the name David??? He is refered to as "The Son of David", indicating his lineage to King David. So if you could name a Scripture (Book, Chptr, Verse), that would be great. Thanks.
shareThanks Pokey, I was wondering the same thing.
Also, one of the earlier posters pointed out man being able to do anything about it. I never thought about all of the Old Testament people pleading to God to save the cities, like Lot with Sodom and Gamorah (Lot is saved, but not the cities), and Noah (again, Noah & family saved, but not the world). Very interesting, I'll have to think about that.
The problem is that Christians are praying FOR Christ's return, not against it. I would be so upset if Demi messed it up and we had to wait another 2000 years!!
My impression in this film is that David is supposed to be Jesus. Remember when he says "I can't die again, Abby. I wish I could." "I came as the Lamb. I return as the Lion."
The book is REVELATION! ONE REVELATION! Sorry, that just annoys me.
"O Captain, My Captain."
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'David was a logical name since he is the "Son of David." Bannon may mean something if someone were to look up the history behind the name but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. He needed a last name because if he told people he had no last name that also would attract unneeded attention and suspicion'.
Well said, EloiMorlock. I agree 100%.
"Some laughed. He let them. His own heart laughed, and that was enough."
-A Christmas Carol
Doug, good analysis. John the Baptist was held and beheaded by Herod.
I'm not a 'Christian' per se, but a gnostic, (and was so for many lifetimes, not the Duh Vinci Code version).
The Guf referred to in The Seventh Sign is the Well of Souls which is located in the Temple at Jerusalem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_of_Souls
I may have some sympathy and appreciation for the more poetic/mystical aspects of Islam, but not the political manifestation. Muslims have no business being at the Holiest site for Jews.
I saw this at the theatre with my future wife, and we were both rootng against Demi fo this same reason. We actually thought that was the time it was actually ging to happen yet 25 years later, we are still here. Maybe Demi really did mess it up (Just kidding on that, of course).
shareI may be remembering wrong, but when I saw this at the theatre, I thought Jurgen was Jesus, and my friends didn't. So, we watched as the credits rolled, and I am pretty sure it said Jurgen Prochnow played the role of "J. C." On Netflix, the credits show him as David. Anyone else remember the "J. C." credit?
shareJust watched it on Oxygen, and beside his name as third billed, it said "Boarder" Then I turned it off. Maybe his name was billed again later int he credits as J.C.??? Don't know, but I totally think he was supposed to be Jesus in this movie, which is great, BTW.
shareLike meme-29, I too saw the Oxygen airing, and Jurgen was listed as playing "The Boarder."
From first thinking he may be an archangel very early in the film, I soon began to realize he is intended to be Jesus, but that possibly the filmakers wanted to not totally put that in our faces, lest the viewer become focused on Jesus being back among us in LA instead of focused on what's going to happen to Demi and baby and the fate of the world.
For silky-smooth legs, I use Occam's Razor!
Yes, I believe he was Jesus in the movie. I do think Hollywood did take liberties with the Talmod and the New Testiment. The Guf came from the Hebrew and the Seven Seal from the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible.
I think he was called David, as Jesus was a son of David.
But this is fiction just like The DaVinchi Code, which REALLY takes liberties for Hollywood's sake, as did the writer. What is scary about the DaVinchi Code is those who don't read or know scripture take this movie as fact.
This movie was a great fiction movie I have watched many times. I think Jurgen Prochnow was a great choice, and Demi was actually pregnant during the filming.
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He plays it impressively. Of course, I don't think Jesus the Christ would look anything like this actor, but I enjoyed his interpretation.
I saw this film twice before years ago and remember it differently than recent my viewing experience. It's never how we remember it!
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I liked him because I think he actually looks more like a real man from that geographical area than the long-haired white Jesus we see most everywhere.
shareEveryone likes JP and he was the perfect selection for the part. He made a good, militant, angry Jesus, but in spite of what he was there to do he was still full of love. He played it perfectly. And it was easily one of DMs best roles too.
i always took it to be that he was Jesus and just using the name David ... it would be better esp in Los Angeles since they'd use the 'soft J' pronounciation and think he was from West L.A., then go thru the whole Cheech Marin video thing ...
but anyway, aside from the bad joke, he doesn't announce himself as Jesus, but just uses a "relative's" name from the past, that of King David ... but he definitely references himself as Jesus on several occasions as others have pointed out ...
i remember seeing this when it first came out since i'm a fan of apocalyptic and post-apo literature and film and liked it a lot ... nothing had really dealt with the 'literal' (don't take that too literal) story of Revelation so it was pretty unique at the time ... now there have been tons of movies that have ripped off the idea basically ...
and Prochnow as Jesus was interesting since a girlfriend at the time i went with and another couple were kind of complaining about the 'non-american-centric' Jesus portrayed in the movie, e.g., his accent, etc ... which frankly i really liked instead of an 'american' jesus as nearly all of us in the usa have been raised with (portrayed as very white skinned along with all his disciples, etc) ... they said his accent was phony and so forth ... it was annoying and i let it go rather than get into a whole thing with them (tho the gf didn't last long after that i remember lol) but it was just interesting that they saw this as a flaw rather than a bit more accurate portrayal (not that his skin was dark enough to be a native-born and living middle eastern man but we can't have it all i suppose lol) ...
but i really like his portrayal and his saying he was from 'a lot of places' or 'all over' (i forget which exactly), not pinning it down to any one place like Bethlehem or Jerusalem even or elsewhere ... i thought they handled his part very deftly and left it as he was standing on the sidelines a bit watching and waiting, cracking a seal now and then, until he almost had to reveal himself to Abby, Moore's character, and really get the whole apocalyptic ball rolling ... and she keeps saying thru the film as the problems start again with her pregnancy as we've been told she had previously that 'it's different this time, i know it is' ... and she was right ... it was very different lol ...
also love the young Jewish student ... he's so naturally funny, just thinking of all the ramifications of all of this and talking to the priest (or minister, John Heard's little part in the movie) is a great scene ... 'no one listens to kids' type of thing ... and the look the motel owner gives her as she checks into the motel to get a bible with this young jewish kid wearing his yamaka even lol ... cracked me up ...
some great little moments throughout the movie ... another was Russell exclaiming, "Jesus Christ!" when the sparrow flies into the house .. i don't know if it was meant that way but it makes me laugh ...
a real fave film of mine that i watch once or twice a year probably ...
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I had a conversation with a lady one time about Jurgen Prochnow as Jesus. We both called him the "hot Jesus"! LOL... Totally wrong and I probably will have to answer to that when it comes to go to the next level. Also goes against the whole geographic appropriate Jesus issue- but I did enjoy looking at the "hot Jesus"!!!!
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