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As reviewd by the Mega Foundation, April 2003 (www.megasociety.net)
Portrait
of a Radical is a visually stimulating presentation of the radical message
of Jesus Christ through the eyes and words of several noted authors and
theologians. The aim of Portrait of a Radical is not so much to repeat the
details of the life of Christ, but to transport the viewer, with the help of
evocative music and imagery, into a space where the integrated dynamic of
His life and teachings can be experienced on a more emotional level.
The most appealing aspect of
this film is that it resists becoming merely another advertisement for
Christianity. Instead, it attempts to reclaim Jesus' message from the
organized religious institutions that have in many ways worked to obscure
and adulterate it. This message is simple: we all have a direct connection
with God, and do not need to rent access from a church or temple full of
arrogant middlemen.
The documentary is
fast-moving. It consists of an introduction and 14 parts which examine
scriptural passages for clues about the radical nature of Jesus' teachings
and the subversive nature of his actions from the viewpoints of the
religious and political leaders of his day. Portrait of a Radical is one of
four short films comprising the series A Crisis of Faith.
Director D.J. Kadagian is
described as a successful financial advisor who has made it his mission to
use the media to bring reality to the masses. He believes that the media
have been used as a vehicle for propaganda designed to perpetuate the view
that society is a capitalist enterprise, and that the people of the United
States have been systematically subjected to media manipulation so skillful
that they are largely unaware of it.
Kadagian is a native of Westport, Connecticut, a town
he considers the capital of materialism in America. Growing up in this
environment influenced his path in life, a path in which his early
achievement of great material success was followed by moral
repugnance and a
desire for reform. |
