Color of the Cross (2006)

33% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
58% of users liked it
(2,168 ratings)

Actor/director/screenwriter Jean-Claude La Marre offers a controversial new vision of religious history with this interpretation of the Bible that presents Jesus Christ as a black man and suggests that the crucifixion, may, in fact, have been racially motivated. By exploring the last 48 hours in the… More Actor/director/screenwriter Jean-Claude La Marre offers a controversial new vision of religious history with this interpretation of the Bible that presents Jesus Christ as a black man and suggests that the crucifixion, may, in fact, have been racially motivated. By exploring the last 48 hours in the life of Christ (La Marre), the director/screenwriter places the relationship shared between the Biblical Messiah and his disciples, the mindset of the Romans who occupied Judea, Joseph's relationship with his family, and the manner in which Mary and Joseph's family was affected by Jesus' persecution under the microscope to challenge conventional beliefs and encourage audiences to question the manner in which the story of Jesus has been interpreted by modern, organized religion. Beginning with the preparations of the Last Supper and ending with the Crucifixion that would set into motion one of the most spectacular stories ever told, Color of the Cross aims to tell a timeless and familiar tale from a fresh and thought-provoking new perspective. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Jean-Claude La Marre
Genres: Drama, Faith & Spirituality

In Theaters: Oct 27, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jan 9, 2007
Studio: Nu-Lite Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Color of the Cross, a low-budget re-imagining of Christs final days, makes a big deal out of the relatively tame suggestion that Jesus was black.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Filled with close-ups of Jesus and his apostles (all the better to hide the absence of elaborate period sets), mixing quotes from the Scripture with flat exposition, this low-budget affair is earnest and, alas, more than a little bit cartoonish.
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
...The first film to depict a black African Jesus is hindered by shoddy production values and so-so storytelling.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Lacking the drama of Jesus' trial and the passion, as well as the substance of his teachings, (actor Jean Claude) LaMarre's turgid take has very little to offer dramatically or inspirationally.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Many are calling Color of the Cross controversial, but it's really not. It simply states a possibility -- that Christ was a man of color -- which it dramatizes earnestly within the narrow confines of its $2.5 million budget.
Kam Williams, Positive Community
I suppose if Kanye West can appear on the cover of Rolling Stone sporting a crown of thorns, then we're probably already primed for a religious epic featuring an ebony Prince of Peace.
Kam Williams, Heritage Konpa Magazine
The Crucifixion revisited with black Jesus as victim of bias crime.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Director, cowriter, coproducer and star LaMarre is more interested in Jesus' teachings than in his suffering, and suggests that race may have helped shape the course of biblical events.
F.X. Feeney, L.A. Weekly
A too-specific tale of historic injustice rather than one of divinely benevolent sacrifice on everybody's behalf.
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Press releases are promoting the film as 'controversial' before the fact, but compared to such predecessors as 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' 'Godspell' and 'The Passion of the Christ,' 'Color' -- race issue aside -- unspools like a Sunday-school filmstrip.