Pasquale Scimeca
La Passione di Giosué l'ebreo

In the last decades of the 15th century, Spain is unified in the name of Catholicism. Jews and Muslims are thus forced into exile. Among them is Giosué, who, according to the interpretation given by the rabbi to some natural phenomena, should be the messiah, the one who will lead the people of Israel to the promised land. The journey of exodus, naturally difficult and full of adversity, ends in Sicily. (This first part occupies sixty of the ninety-five minutes of the film).

One day, then, upon arriving in a city, he finds himself involved in an interrogation on the holy scriptures by the "bosses" of the local church. Perfect in his answers, he is thus invited to wear the "casazza," a white tunic, and to represent Jesus in the performance of his passion. The Clergy, jealous of his wisdom and his "fluent tongue," gives a prize—freedom and money—to two convicts who, playing two Roman soldiers, must beat him and crucify him for real. Giosué, thus, actually dies on the cross just like the one he was supposed to represent.

The film closes with a quote from John XXIII: "forgive us for the curses we unjustly attributed to their name of Jews. Forgive us for crucifying you a second time in them, in their flesh, because we did not know what we were doing."

I'm intrigued by religious films, I always hope to find food for thought, but unfortunately here, not even a shadow of it. That's not the only reason I rented it, but also because living overseas, I watch a film from my homeland with pleasure. This was disappointing, so I deduce that I found it because it must be a low-priced DVD and because it deals with religion, which sells well in these parts.

Technically, I didn't like the film's acting, often too emphatic, theatrical. However, the set design and the soundtrack were good, written and performed by Miriam Meghnagi.

After some research, I discovered that Pasquale Scimeca decided to make this film after learning about his Jewish origins. Could it be, therefore, a sort of personal homage to his Judaic roots? Or to offer his apologies as a Christian? Honestly, I don't know, but I find myself puzzled, because there are hundreds of bad films, but they at least have the excuse of needing to be commercial—this one not even that.