Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageMessiah (1999)
Director: William Klein
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Handel's Messiah is an exultant declaration of religious faith. But does it still speak to us (and for us) in the same way, some 250 years after it was written? To find out, photographer and documentarian William Klein took his camera all around the world, from the United States to France, Israel and Russia, capturing images of devout choral groups, and a larger global culture which seems anything but spiritual. The soundtrack, meanwhile, is a new performance conducted by Marc Minkowski. It sounds like a great idea, but a lot of this film is pretty obvious. Klein begins in Las Vegas, for example, counterpointing shots of gambling with 'Behold Your God'. Nevertheless, for all its editorialising it does have some cumulative power.Author: TCh
Cast & crew
Director: William Klein
Producer: Michel Rotman
Cast: Lynne Dawson, Nicole Heaston, Magdalena Kozená, Charlotte Hellekant, Brian Asawa, John Mark Ainsley, Russell Smythe, Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Mark Minkowski full cast
Duration: 111 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now