The Body

The Body
Directed by	Jonas McCord
Produced by	Rudy Cohen
Written by	Richard Sapir
Starring	Antonio Banderas Olivia Williams
Distributed by	Avalanche Releasing
Release date(s)	2001
Running time	109 min
Language	English

The Body is a 2001 film based on a novel by Richard Sapir, and starring Antonio Banderas and Olivia Williams.

The movie follows Father Matt Gutierrez (Banderas), a Jesuit priest sent by the Vatican to investigate an archaeologic finding by Dr. Sharon Golban (Williams) which is suspected to be the remains of the body of Jesus Christ. This finding puts Gutierrez' faith and his doubts in constant confrontation with Golban's scientific views.

Also, the finding stirs the political problems between Palestine and Israel in the area, while also shaking the foundations of Christianity itself. Both of these problems put Dr. Golban, and Gutierrez himself, in danger.

Plot

Dr. Sharon Golban (Williams) finds an ancient skeleton in Jerusalem in a rich man's tomb. Coloration of the wrist and leg bones indicates the cause of death was crucifixion. Other signs, include a gold coin bearing the marks of Pontius Pilate and faint markings around the skull, lead authorities to suspect that these could be the bones of Christ. The different reactions of politicians, clerics, religious extremists—some prepared to use terror to gain their ends—to the religious, cultural and political implications of the find, make life difficult and dangerous for the investigators as they seek to unearth the truth.

Father Matt Gutierrez is assigned by the Vatican to investigate the case and to protect the Christian faith. Troubled by his case, he comes to understand that it is the Church that he is protecting and not the faith.

Cast

• Antonio Banderas - Father Matt Gutierrez
• Olivia Williams - Dr. Sharon Golban
• John Shrapnel - Moshe Cohen
• Derek Jacobi - Father Lavelle
• Jason Flemyng - Father Walter Winstead
• Lillian Lux - Mother
• Mohammed Bakri - Abu Yusef
• John Wood - Cardinal Pesci
• Makram Khoury - Nasir Hamid
• Vernon Dobtcheff - Monsignor

Themes

The film deals mainly with three subjects:

• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the region where the body is found. Both sides believe that control of the site will give them an upper hand in the conflict.
• The excessive control of the Vatican and the Catholic church over important issues to protect their own interests.
• The importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith.

External links

• The Body at the Internet Movie Database
• The Body at Allmovie
• The Body at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Body at Metacritic
• The Body at Box Office Mojo