''The Book of Life'' is a 1998 film directed by

Hal Hartley Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. He is best known for his films '' The Unbelievable Tr ...

. In the film,

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

returns to earth on the eve of the new

millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

planning to bring about the apocalypse, but finds himself surprisingly enamored of humanity. It stars

Martin Donovan Martin Donovan (born Martin Paul Smith; August 19, 1957) is an American actor. He has had a long collaboration with director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, such as ''Trust'' (1990), '' Surviving Desire'' (1991), '' Simple Men'' (199 ...

as Jesus, PJ Harvey as Mary Magdalene, and

Thomas Jay Ryan Thomas Jay Ryan (born August 1, 1962) is an American stage and film actor. He may be best known for his starring role in the 1997 film ''Henry Fool''. Early life and education Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ryan attended Carnegie Mellon Uni ...

as The

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James M ...

appear as a Salvation Army band.

Production

The film was made for the 2000, Seen By... project,Susan G. Cole, Glenn Sumi, Norman Wilner, John Semley,
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" ''

Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...

'', 31 December 2013, URL accessed 15 August 2016. initiated by the French company Haut et Court to produce films depicting the approaching turn of the millennium seen from the perspectives of 10 different countries.Yoram Allon, Del Cullen, Hannah Patterson, ''Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide'', Wallflower Press, 2002, p. 367.

References

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

'' Limelight'' magazine, July 2005, quoting Hartley on the D. W. Griffith reference.

External links

* * 1998 films Films about Christianity 1998 comedy films Films directed by Hal Hartley American avant-garde and experimental films American comedy films 1990s avant-garde and experimental films Yo La Tengo 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{1990s-comedy-film-stub