Jesus loves me (4 Stars)

This film, made in Germany in 2012, is a comedy about the return of Christ and the final judgement. I have to say that it's a typical German film. I couldn't imagine anything vaguely like it being made in America or England.

The story is told through the eyes of Marie, a young woman who lives in an unnamed small town in central Germany close to the Rhein. (The location is kept vague by the town scenes being filmed in Bergisch Gladbach, while the rural scenes are filmed near Freiburg). Marie is the only child in a dysfunctional family. Her mother has run away to join a hippy commune. Her father found a new Russian wife on an Internet dating site, a woman who is younger than Marie. On her wedding day Marie is overcome with horror at the thought of marriage and climbs out of the church window to escape. The day isn't a complete waste because Marie's mother begins an affair with the priest.

While wandering through the town Marie bumps into a mysterious man who introduces himself as Jeshua. She falls in love with him immediately, but it soon becomes apparent through his words and deeds that it isn't just any man; it's Jesus, who has returned to Earth to bring about the final judgement. ("Jeshua" is the original Hebrew form of the name "Jesus"). Marie wants to build a relationship with him, but she doesn't have much time because Jesus intends to destroy the world on the following Tuesday.

The film was written and directed by Florian David Fitz, who also plays the role of Jesus. Jessica Schwarz, currently one of Germany's best actresses, plays the role of Marie. The two contrast one another perfectly: the neurotic modern woman and the naive but powerful Son of God. The film begins with a lot of humour -- as funny as German films can be -- but as it progresses it becomes more and more serious. Philosophical and theological discussions between the main characters become more important than what is happening around them. In fact, I can't help thinking that the whole film was intended to be serious, but the writer added the comedy to make it more acceptable.

"Jesus loves me" was a big box office success in German-speaking countries. Critics praised it, whereas the public was divided. I can see that it's a film that would annoy a lot of people. Most serious Christians would find the portrayal of Jesus Christ blasphemous. On the other hand, non-Christians could also be alienated, because the film assumes the truth of the Bible and presents Jesus as a real character with the power to destroy the world. I recommend that the film is watched with an open mind... at least by those who can understand German. I've read that a version with English subtitles was made, but it was never officially released and only shown privately. The German DVD does not include any foreign subtitles.