The Chosen
"I Have Called You By Name"
Summarized by Michelle Llewellyn (2020)
Cast
Shahar Isaac
Simon Peter
Jonathan Roumie Jesus
Elizabeth Tabish Mary Magdalene
Paras Patel
Matthew
Noah James Andrew
Janis Dardaris Zohara
Lara
Silva Eden
Shaan
Sharma Shmuel
Nick Shakoour Zebedee
George Xanthis John
Shayan Sobhian James
and Erick Avari Nicodemus
Directed/Produced and Written by Dallas Jenkins
1. I Have Called You By Name
(4/19/2019)
54 min (or so)
The
Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ. Some
locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some
characters or dialogue have been added.
However,
all biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed
to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to
read the gospels.
The
original names, locations and phrases have been transliterated into English for
anything spoken.
Magdala, 2 B.C.
Close up of man humming, fire crackling, the man has a fit
of coughing and camera cuts to wide shot-exterior-night-of the man sitting
outside a tent door from which a little girl maybe five or six clutching a
crude, homemade doll comes out, “Papa?” He gently chides her for not being in
her bed, asleep, but she is scared. Drawing her down next to him in front of
the fire he reminds her-what to do if they are scared? They recite the words of
Isaiah 43:1 but they recite the NIV version not to mention a much more
condensed version. This is what they recite:
“Thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and He
who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you
by name. You are mine.”
Here are the true versions:
Isaiah 43:1.NIV But now, this is what the LORD says-- he
who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I
have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine…verse 2 from KJV
is also here in this verse making it longer!
Isaiah
43:1 KJV But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob,
and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have
called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
City of Capernaum, 28 years later
Grown woman wakes with a small gasp making it obvious this dream
of a little girl and her beloved Papa was from her past and she was the little
girl. We know this as Camera cuts to close up shot of the same crude doll
sitting on a shelf in the room. Camera then cuts wide to the interior of a dwelling;
sunlight filters in through the cloth, partially covering the open window,
which stirs in the breeze.
The woman’s face is dirty and there is dried blood
on her cheek. She sits up, her long dark hair streaming over her shoulders,
disheveled, looks at herself in what passed for a mirror in those days, a
small, shiny metal disk hanging on the wall. Her hands are bloody and she gasps
again in dismay.
Outside, distant shouting of a man calling for help. The young
man with fresh blood streaked across his lower cheek and neck scrambles down
some steps into a busy marketplace still calling for help. “She tried to kill
me!” He stumbles past a Roman soldier who stops him, calling him a dog, seeing
he too now has blood smeared on his hand, demands to know the meaning of this,
but the man is too upset to take offense. “Demons live inside her!” he tells
the Roman as he is dragged away by two other soldiers.
Cut to opening credit
scene and opening theme song which has a decidedly southern/bluesy feel to
it that director Dallas Jenkins wanted in order to convey the idea that this
isn’t your Grandfather’s “Jesus Project” as boring gray animated fish swim in
one direction while one blue fish swims decidedly against that current, drawing
others after it.
Episode Start
In a nice carriage drawn by two horses travels a learned
man, older, with graying hair and short, neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard.
He is perhaps a rabbi or even a Pharisee of some high rank. An older woman
with gray hair (Zohara) is with him. A small Roman legion riding their own
horses are coming down the road, blocking the way and the carriage is forced to
stop.
Their leader dismounts and approaches the carriage,
introducing himself as Praetor (an important Roman magistrate) Quintus (played
by Brandon Potter though he reminded me right off of John de Lancie from Star
Trek TNG!) and no, he’s not here to arrest the famous Jewish teacher,
Nicodemus, only to remind him of his influence among his people and that Rome
hopes he will remember the heavy taxes levied on the Jews could be made easier
if the Jews would only cooperate. Nicodemus reassures him, he is quite aware of
this tinderbox issue among the people who live in Capernaum which is where he
is heading right now at this very moment.
Outdoors, in the seat of honor in some kind of courtyard/garden
of this renowned Hebrew school, sits Nicodemus surrounded by a small group of
pupils, rabbis-in-training, listening in rapt attention to his lecture on the
evils of working on Shabbat for the leaders in Jerusalem have heard the men of
Capernaum frequently earn their living in the fishing trade by working on the
Sabbath and it must be stopped.
The subject comes up again as Nicodemus is inspecting the
Torah Room/Library of the school and is pleased. We like Nicodemus, he is a
good man, who only wants to see his fellow scholars and his fellow Jews succeed
and live productive lives. This is made obvious when a Roman solider enters the
room, sent from the Red Quarter here in Capernaum. A woman possessed, in danger
of disturbing the peace, needs a holy man to perform an exorcism ritual and he
was sent to fetch Nicodemus to perform the task. This is not a common task for
a Pharisee to do but Nicodemus will oblige both to appease Rome so as not to
appear insubordinate but also for the sake of the poor woman.
Nicodemus enters the dwelling of the woman we saw earlier
while his fellow rabbis, including Shmuel, watch from outside the door. She is
called “Lilith” but the viewer suspects this HAS to be Mary of Magdala. We also
know this good rabbi will not succeed in drawing out the evil spirits despite
his swinging a metal incense censer holder thing and calling upon the names of
every single Patriarch in the scriptures ending with “The all-powerful El
Shaddai!” But it is no use. In a demon possessed voice, Lillith tells him “We
are not afraid of you, you have no power here.” Rabbi Nicodemus fairly runs out of
the room. He did his best.
We meet Simon (soon-to-be-named Peter) who is getting
pounded in a “prizefight” for money by his brother-in-law who never liked him
much but Simon is very much in love with his wife, Eden, and she with him as we
will see in a later scene. Simon is a down-on-his-luck fisherman, a bit of a
rakish rascal as shown in this introduction scene but we can’t help but like
him as he jokes with the crowd, throws a punch and is about to be declared the
winner until another, much bigger, brother-in-law takes him from behind by
surprise. No purse winnings for Simon or his brother Andrew who rolls his eyes heavenward
and sighs in annoyance.
Eden and Simon have that nice scene together after the
exorcism segment. He went out on Shabbat but didn’t catch anything. He
reassures his wife they will be alright, he has some encouraging prospects.
They will go to synagogue now. If they have any children they are not shown.
(Nevertheless, they should have
children for Jesus most likely singled out one of Peter’s own to place before
them in Matthew 18:3. Well, Eden COULD conceive and bear a child soon but they
better get started-they only have three years!)
Lilith has obviously had another “episode” as she wakes,
lying in her own open doorway in the middle of the day. She stumbles inside,
attempts to wash her face and hands with water in the basin, but recalls her
past again. A flashback is shown: Her dying papa leaving her all alone at such a young age. She
clutches her doll and weeps while someone standing behind her comforts her as
best they can.
Back to the present, removing the doll’s head, she unrolls a
scrap of parchment and, kneeling on the floor, reads again the words her father
taught her. That is, she tries to
read the words but can barely get past “fear not” as more memories assault her.
That Roman who stopped in the street one day to talk to her, entering a dwelling
with her, pushing her onto a bed implying she was sexually assaulted or raped
yet she may have given consent. There is no dialogue here.
Cut back to Lilith
openly sobbing now, trying to read the words aloud again but it is no use. She
is too upset as her fist hits her bent forehead. She rips up the parchment and
collapses, doubling over herself in tears, still kneeling on the floor. (I’ve
been there)
We next see Lilith approach a solitary door in an alley
perhaps an ancient Jewish form of a speakeasy as she gives a secret word in
order to enter “Chaverim Maqqaba.” (Hebrew translation is “Friend” and
“Hammer,” later revealed to be the name of this establishment) The eunuch serving drinks at the bar hugs her in
greeting, knows all about her troubles with her demonic possessions and is her
friend. She sits and he gives her a cup of something that might help remedy her
illness. His name is Sol. Lilith thanks him for the drink (awful tasting as it
is) but there is something she needs to do. She hands over the doll; perhaps
one of his nephews might like it. He thanks her, but she is starting to scare
him.
Simon and Andrew get in line to pay their taxes to Matthew
the tax collector (We met him earlier as he dressed and perfumed himself for
his day before leaving his wealthy dwelling. He is young and single and lives alone.) Matthew works out of a small hut behind a gated
counter (for his own protection) with a Roman soldier posted nearby in case of
any trouble. Simon smugly informs Matthew, and the Roman, that the reason he will not be making any payments today is because he made a deal with
none other than Quintus. He and his brother’s debts are temporarily forgiven.
Matthew is skeptical. Informs these two men he intends to go see the prominent
man himself to find out if they are telling the truth. If not, the consequences
will not be good, for ANY of them.
In the same tavern Lilith likes to frequent, Simon confesses
to his brother he did meet Quintus and everything he told Matthew is true.
Simon made an agreement to report on his fellow Jewish fishermen who work on
the Sabbath bringing in the extra fish that Rome never knew about. He will turn
them in and all their debt will be forgiven. Andrew is appalled at the idea.
This will not end well, he predicts, yet what else can they do?
That night, Nicodemus talks to his wife about what happened-his
failure to perform the exorcism. He is only searching for deeper truth and
meaning but keeps hitting a wall. His wife encourages and comforts him. He is
not God and shouldn’t stress about this. Now, they must finish getting ready
for they have an important dinner to attend.
Lilith stands on a fairly high rock cliff overlooking the
famous Sea of Galilee; (all shot around Benbrook Lake in Texas just west of
Dallas/Ft Worth) it would appear, after tossing the parchment scraps into the
water, that she is about to follow. Just then a bird flies overhead and she
follows it as if in a trance, led back to the tavern where men play games of
chance and call out for more drinks. It is now late evening as she knocks again
at the door.
Her eunuch friend behind the counter urges her to find another way
to solve her problems instead of drowning herself in drink. A man leans on the
wooden counter next to her, soliciting her, “Scratch me too?” he taunts her. Lilith
tells him to bug off before turning back to quietly demand that entire vessel
of bad drink. She has truly hit rock bottom. Sol pours her a cup and sets it in
front of her. Lilith wipes away a tear from her red rimmed eyes, lank dark hair
framing her thin face but before she can lift her hand on the counter to take
the cup, a larger hand appears, seemingly out of nowhere, clamps down on hers,
covering it entirely.
IT IS HIM!!!!
The bearded stranger with rather scruffy nut brown hair
looks at her intently. Thinking that rude solicitor has returned she mutters, “Leave
me alone” only to look up and realize a strange man is touching her.
“That’s
not for you,” he tells her. She pulls away and buries her face in her hands as
if in pain. Sol asks if she is okay? Lilith stands up, time to go. Tells the
strange man again to leave her alone and not to touch her.
Cut to Lilith exiting the tavern and the small
courtyard/entrance. Still clutching her clay cup she takes a drink. She walks
in slow motion while a female vocalizes-this is the big payoff we’ve been
waiting for the entire episode. The man who can only be Jesus has followed her
outside. He calls out, “Mary,” and she stops in shock, her back still towards
him. “Mary of Magdala” he names her and the cup shatters silently on the ground
as she turns slowly to face him. How does he know her name?
Jesus begins reciting the same words from Isaiah 43 leaving
out the “Jacob and Israel” parts and we come full circle as he takes slow step after
step toward her while she can only stare, still frozen in place. With the
words, “You are mine,” Jesus takes her face between his hands and she begins to
sob in relief as the music swells and female vocalist reaches her peak. Slowly
her head is urged to his chest and she weeps while he embraces her. She is
healed.
END CREDITS
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