2006年VOA标准英语-Film 'Color of the Cross' Depicts Black Jesus

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
17 October 2006

Artists through the ages have depicted¹ Jesus in different ways, according to their culture and audience.  The new film, 'Color of the Cross,' shows Jesus as black. African-American filmmaker Jean-Claude La Marre offers a new way of viewing the Christian² story.

 
With the success of the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, Hollywood discovered an enthusiastic audience for religious films.  The latest is a life a Christ that shows Jesus and some of the people around him portrayed³ by African-American actors.  The rest of the cast is Caucasian or Middle Eastern.

ANNOUNCER:  "This fall, one film will ask, What color is faith?"

Director and actor Jean-Claude La Marre says the film has no political message.

"When you mention Black Jesus to anyone, the first thing that pops to mind, I guess, is something radical⁴ and a lightning rod for controversy," he said.  "And so we knew we weren't going to get any real warm reception at the studio, on the studio level.  But you know, there are a lot of people out there who support the notion."

Some of that support came from a prominent black minister in Los Angeles, the Reverend Cecil Murray.  He has credit as a producer on the film, which was independently made without studio backing.

La Marre says he is trying to do what artists have always done, present his subject to viewers in a way they can understand it.

 
Scene from 'Color of the Cross'
"I think da Vinci in the 1400s did something that I found very commendable⁵, and that is that he took a revered⁶ figure and made that figure accessible to the people that lived around him," he added.  "And that is what we chose to do."

La Marre began his career in Hollywood as an actor.  He had a supporting role in the 1992 feature Malcolm X, the story of an African-American activist⁷ of the 1950s and 1960s.

Then he turned his hand to writing and directing.  Among his recent projects was last year's Brothers in Arms, a film starring David Carradine.

In his current film, the accomplished⁸ actress Debbi Morgan portrays⁹ Mary, the mother of Jesus.  La Marre plays the title role, a circumstance that came about by accident.  He says he lost his leading actor just before the filming started.

"We sent an emergency casting call out and we had a couple of takers, but no one we felt really strongly about," he recalled.  "And then I thought about it.   You know, I lived with this movie in my mind and my soul for four years, and I'm an actor.   And the guy I was looking to cast looked like me.  Jump into it.  And that's what I did."

The film was made for just $2.5 million, which is minuscule¹⁰ by the standards of Hollywood.  The director says he is confident, however, that it will find an audience, especially among evangelical Christians¹¹.

"I think evangelicals are going to seek this film out, if only out of curiosity," he noted¹².  "I think black people are just a natural target audience for this, and will naturally gravitate towards this picture."

He says despite the racial theme of Jesus as a black man, the film focuses on the message of brotherhood¹³.  He says Color of the Cross is a film about unity¹⁴, not division.

1 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

5 commendable   

adj.值得称赞的

参考例句：

• The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。
• Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。

6 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

9 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。

11 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

14 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。