Mary Movie On Netflix : Netflix’s latest film Mary has stirred controversy drawing severe criticism from both Palestinian supporters as well as conservative Christians on social media.
Directed by DJ Caruso, the biopic is based on the life of Mary, mother of Lord Jesus. It narrates her journey from her childhood to motherhood, detailing the various challenges she faced.
Mary Movie On Netflix
The title role in the film has been played by a 22-year-old Israeli actress and model, Noa Cohen. However, many on social media have criticised the makers and expressed concerns over the Israeli actress being roped in for the role, particularly at a time when the Middle East is witnessing major conflicts.
Mary Movie On Netflix, Mary Movie 2024
Defending Cohen, the film’s director said her nationality was integral to her casting.
“It was important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity,” The Telegraph quoted DJ Caruso as saying.
Caruso is known for thrillers like ‘Disturbia’ and ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’.
However, many users on social media platforms are not happy with Cohen playing the title role in the film.
“Jesus, Mary and everyone in this show should be Palestinian,” one user wrote on X.
Another comment read, “There is something profoundly offensive about having an Israeli actor play Mary while Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, killing some of the oldest Christian communities in the world and erasing their heritage sites.”
A user even accused the writers of the movie of not reading the holy Bible before preparing the script of the movie.
Mary Movie On Netflix
“It is evident that the scriptwriters, producers, and directors of the movie Mary did not consult the Bible before putting it out on Netflix,” read the comment.
However, this is not the first time that Cohen has been embroiled in a controversy. She earlier appeared in the 2022 Israeli-Azerbaijani film Silent Game and was later accused of participating in “whitewashing Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of 1,20,000 Christians in Artsakh”.
Meanwhile, Caruso said that he wanted to give the world “a portrayal of the real, human Mary”.
Amid the controversy, Cohen said, “She (Mary) was a young woman, likely filled with her own fears and uncertainties, suddenly asked to carry an immense responsibility… (we) wanted to convey that transformation, the emotional weight she must have carried, and the inner strength that allowed her to move forward.”
The movie portraying the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Mary of Nazareth, was released on Netflix on December 6. The film also features Ido Tako as Joseph and Anthony Hopkins as King Herod.