‘Light of the World’ Review: The Greatest Story Ever Retold

Not since DreamWorks Animation’s Prince of Egypt has there been such a powerful biblical portrayal through animation. The story of Jesus has been told countless times in a variety of media, but what makes Light of the World so special is that it’s presented through the eyes of John, one of his apostles, and told via 2D animation.

Directed by Tom Bancroft and John Schafer, Light of the World follows a young boy named John (Benjamin Jacobson) as he struggles to comprehend the suffering among his people. Only wanting to help his family, a grave misstep by John lands his family on the radar of a tax collector. With all hope seemingly lost, he crosses paths with a man, Jesus (Ian Hanlin), who shows him kindness and encouragement. Not long after their encounter, Jesus shares his plans and invites John and his loved ones to follow him. They didn’t know it at the time, but the invitation would change their lives forever.

Two key decisions went into this film: choosing animation as the medium and telling the story through John’s perspective. Animation, much like the Bible, has stood the test of time and never lost its value. As technology changes, adaptation is close to follow. Like animation, the Bible has gone from a touch-and-feel book to a mobile app. There are even audiobooks and DVD options for the Bible, and the same goes for animation. We no longer “have” to watch cartoons at a set time on a specific day during the week. We can simply stream it on our phones, laptops, or TVs, or again, purchase the physical media (VHS tape, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.). In general, animation is easy to digest and fun to watch. So, telling a powerful story like that of Jesus makes it easier to digest for children and non-Christians alike.

When animating something as important as the story of Jesus, creative license is a delicate freedom that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The creators did an excellent job flexing creativity in areas that weren’t so straightforward. A great example of this is the portrayal of The Baptizer (Jesse Inocalla). Scripture describes him as someone who wears “camel’s hair” and “ate locusts and wild honey.” In the film, he’s seen as an outlier, a crazed man who lives in the wild and eats bugs. So there’s no surprise when John first meets The Baptizer, he’s stealing honey from a beehive, which kickstarts a humorous chain of events. Jesus’s miracles are another area where factual bounds were tested. When you’re talking about someone who can quite literally do anything, an extra miracle (or omitted detail) isn’t going to hurt. You can question why they went that direction, but most importantly, it doesn’t detract from the story whatsoever.

The foreshadowing was skillfully woven, subtly hinting at events like Judas’s betrayal. The nuanced facial expressions and body language (not to mention his particular concern for money) made it clear, even to a child’s understanding, that one disciple was headed down a dark road.

Having direct lines of scripture reflected in their visual storytelling allowed heartfelt fulfillment and heightened understanding. For example, the theme behind the film and its title (“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind,” -John 1:4), how the doves were utilized with Jesus (“I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him,” -John 1:32), and the portrayal of Mary (“And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out,” – Luke 8:2).

Everything about this film feels good. It’s an animated feature that already feels like a classic. The same jubilance you felt after seeing The Land Before Time or Beauty and the Beast will be replicated with The Light of the World. The film’s trailer has almost a million views in just four short months, which is more than impressive for an independent film. It also shows that there’s a large number of people who love both The Bible and animation. Last year, Flow shocked the world by toppling corporate titans (Disney, DreamWorks) by combining a unique, original story with a simple (and free) 3D animation software. In the same manner, I believe this film will put the industry on notice and show that you don’t need the latest technology (*cough cough* A.I.) or a bank-draining budget to make a quality film.

Light of the World gets a 10 out of 10. The characters were great and easy to recognize. The score was beautiful, and although the title song, “Light of the World,” had a more country feel to it (didn’t feel like an appropriate fit), it’s catchy enough to live rent-free in your head. I’m extremely pleased they didn’t whitewash the characters and instead, made them reflect their setting. I think the choice to go forward with a young John was a bold move, and one that will work in their favor. There’s research and scripture to suggest the apostles were only teens when Jesus started his ministry, and it’s understood that John was the youngest among them. The film is a bold, fun, fresh take on the greatest story ever told. There’s enough humor and lightness to balance the serious nature of the crucifixion (which was tastefully done for child viewing), which is what I’m sure parents were most concerned about.

Light of the World will premiere in theaters across the U.S. on Friday, Sept. 5. Tickets can be purchased on their website.

-Jon Jones

Photos: Courtesy of The Salvation Poem Foundation, Inc.

Genre: Animation
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hr 24 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date:  Friday, September 5