Movie:
The Body has arrived on DVD quite quickly, considering it was originally released theatrically in a limited run only a few months ago. Based on the novel by Richard Ben Sapir, the film was written for the screen and directed by Jonas McCord. The film stars Antonio Banderas (Father Matt Gutierrez) and Olivia Williams (Sharon Golban).

Sharon Golban, an Israeli archeologist, makes the discovery of the century when she finds a crucified body buried in a rich man's tomb in Jerusalem. Romans only crucified criminals or the poor, and afterwards, their remains were burned or fed to animals. The only known person to have ever been crucified and entombed was Jesus Christ. News of this soon reaches the Vatican and they send Father Matt Gutierrez to investigate and to disprove the theory that the body belongs to Christ. In their investigation, they uncover quite a few facts that prove that the body was Christ's – but how will this affect Father Gutierrez's faith and Christianity as a whole?

Having just viewed the film, I can understand why the film disappeared so quickly from theaters – it is confusing and, more often than not, dull. Banderas and Williams both give decent performances, and in the end, the only real reason to watch the film is to see either of them. The film really bogs the viewer down in quite a bit of the politics that surround Jerusalem, while only providing a relatively thin plot. The main question of the film – What if Jesus Christ was just a man who lived and died? – is an intriguing one, but unfortunately, the movie isn't.

Picture:
The Body is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 full frame, both of which are on opposite sides of the DVD. The transfer, I thought, was rather disappointing, given that the film is only a few months old. Throughout the film, a few specks, some shimmering, and some light grain are visible. However, the biggest flaw is some excessive edge enhancement that distracts in quite a few scenes. On the positive side, colors are well saturated, flesh tones are accurate, and blacks are rich.

Sound:
The Body is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0, both in English. As the film is mainly dialogue driven, the surrounds are used mainly for the film's score and to provide some ambient noise. There is some directionality in the track, though not much. Even the explosions and gunfire near the end of the film are mainly confined to the center channel. Dialogue throughout the film is crisp, though I had trouble understanding some of the characters, due to their accents. Thankfully, English subtitles are included and prove quite helpful in those situations. Optional French subtitles are also present.

Extras:
Extras include a filmography for Antonio Banderas and trailers for Mask of Zorro and Crazy in Alabama.

Summary:
The Body contains some interesting ideas, but unfortunately, the film is overly boring and confusing. Only diehard fans of Banderas or Williams should check this one out, and only as a rental. Skip it.