CRITICAL REVIEWS

LE MONDE:

"Intelligence as spectacle"

"With the Origin of Christianity [Mordillat and Prieur] take on a century of history beginning in the year 30 - the supposed date of Jesus' death - to the final Jewish revolt in the middle of the 11th century. Their literary materials, which are the Epistles of Saint Paul, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Gospels, are copious but also dubious, embroidered and contradictory... Ten 52-minute episodes about the birth of a religion. What a race and they win it!

While the decision to deconstruct an accepted 2000-year-old tradition may appear surprising it is hard to deny its scientific and pedagogical interest. 'The texts,' say Mordillat and Prieur 'are our only witnesses and best witnesses. The 27 books of the New Testament are a fantastic legacy. We do not treat these books as history, rather it is through them that we seek history.'"


TELERAMA:

"[Mordillat and Prieur bring] the expertise of the most specialized authorities to the screen with a rare intelligence and simply create the most captivating account of historic suspense."


LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR:

From Gérard Mordillat: 'Jesus wrote nothing; he is what others have written about him.'"


BIBLIA:

"...a grand moment in culture."

"...Arte has revived the question of all time: What is it to believe?"


LA VIE:

"Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and Jérôme Prieur and Gérard Mordillat's Origin of Christianity confirm that the figure of Jesus STILL stimulates the imagination..."

"Arte declares that this documentary is a response to the film by Mel Gibson."