Film Comment: Ancient Relic

The general consensus of the internet discussion about Ancient Relic (original title: Das Jesus Video), a German language made for television movie, is that it is rather lackluster and mundane.  The film will nevr win any awards.  It is a competent but obviously low-budget production.

Basically, the plot of Ancient Relic is this: an archeological crew in Israel discovers a previously unknown 2000 year old burial chamber containing a skeleton.  Nothing unusual there.  Then they notice that some of the skeleton’s teeth have modern amalgam fillings.  Then they notice the titanium rod and screws in the leg.  Then they notice the camcorder instruction manual.  Things really heat up when they find the word “Jesus” handwritten on the manual.  This would indicate that a time traveler may have made a videotape of Jesus.

Nefarious types suddenly appear and everyone begins trying to capture the young graduate student who discovered the tomb.  Everyone is convinced that he knows more than he actually does. Bullets fly, chases ensue, people are murdered, and the movie becomes a violent political chase thriller.  The persons pursuing the student are revealed to be associated with the Roman Catholic Church.

In case you think you might actually want to view this film, be aware that this next section contains SPOILERS.

A company owned by the ruthless man who has financed all the mayhem just happens to have also financed time travel research.  When the camcorder itself is actually found, the recording reveals that the graduate student is the time traveler.  The recording also reveals the dessicated corpse of a bearded man, presumed to be Jesus.

The film portrays the Roman Catholic Church as a giant political organization willing to use any means, even murder, to get what it wants.  The film is also a direct denial of the truth of the Resurrection.

On a simple story level, there are numerous plot holes present in this film.  The most glaring question: would a person not be expected to recognize his own handwriting?