18. The Book of Job movie features many shining elements, including direct quotes from the scriptures, good performances, appropriate music, and the theme of suffering. Many questions are asked during the film which include the oft-asked question: why do people suffer?
The movie’s effects are awesome with lightning striking in the sky, dark clouds, deep seas, etc. The storms perfectly represent what is going on in Job’s spirit. He was a man greatly blessed with children and wealth, but soon one catastrophe after another strikes, and Job is soon left with just his wife and poor health. His children and wealth are no more.
Job has his “comforters” – Eliphaz (Shane Emmett), Bildad (Roberto Zenca), and Elihu (Tim Lim). His own wife (played by Jessica Marchi) tells him to “curse God and die.” And his comforters won’t remain that way, soon suggesting he must have sin in his life to suffer as he does. Josh Adamson portrays Job and delivers a lot of dialogue convincingly.
Line upon line is taken from scripture as both Job and Eliphaz share a lot of dialogue. We see onscreen what caused this testing of Job’s faith as we see and hear the evil Satan, who suggests to God that Job only serves him because he’s been so blessed. He encourages God to let him test Job, and states that Job will quit serving him. This happens twice, with Job not yielding to sin after the first testing. He does not accuse God. In fact, he comes up with the insightful line that God gives and God takes away, so “blessed be the name of the Lord.” As the devil strikes Job even more after receiving “permission” from God to do so, Job turns into a philosopher of sorts, speaking of the mystery of suffering and pouring out his misery in several lines of speech.
Many viewers will know the ending of the book of Job, and the movie is the same. God asks Job where he was when he laid the foundations of the Earth. Job earlier showed some wisdom when he commented that God hangs the Earth upon nothing. And, as photos would show hundreds of years later, the Earth isn’t held up by strings but only space surrounds it and is below it.
God makes it clear that He is the ultimate expression of wisdom. As God says, He stretches out the heavens and treads on the wave of the seas. Job declares his soul is weary of his life and he speaks of the bitterness of his soul. Job, in his wisdom, declared that long after his flesh is decayed by death, he would stand one day in his flesh before God and see Him. Job speaks of the many wonderful things of God he didn’t know and he says, “Now my eyes see you. Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in the dust and the ashes.” God has Job pray for his “comforters” and then Job’s testing ends. He regains his health, and after a period of time he gains new wealth and new sons and daughters, and he has twice as much in the end as in the beginning.
Content Analysis: The film does, as in the book of Job, explore man’s suffering and how good, upright people’s faith can be tested. And it speaks of a real devil that hates God and God’s people. It is clearly Christian in its outlook, and it explores the difficulties of suffering when we are not always sure as to why. Are these consequences of sins or a test of faith?
Think About It: Discussion questions abound such as what we do in serving God when we experience great tests of our faith. Do we remain faithful? Do we question God? And does God bless when we “pass the test” of our faith?
The Dove Take: Due to the long lines of dialogue, featuring ancient phrases, which will be difficult for kids to understand, we are awarding this movie our Dove Seal for Ages 12+ and recommend it as a faithful telling of the story of Job and of the testing of our faith.
