AllMovie

In keeping with its ongoing policy of dramatizing the lives of Biblical figures heretofore bypassed in "traditional" filmed biographies, America's PAX TV network served up a newly dubbed and re-edited version of the 1999 Italian TV movie Giuseppe di Nazareth. The focus is on Joseph (Tobias Moretti), the carpenter husband of the Virgin Mary (Stefania Rivi). Having already accepted the notion that his wife has given birth to the Son of God, Joseph continues to cope with events beyond his control as 11-year-old Jesus (Jurij Gasparini) becomes aware of His purpose in life. Joseph is also shown struggling to survive under the harsh administration of King Herod (Ennio Fantastichini), who of course is no friend to the Nazarenes. Under the title Joseph of Nazareth, the film made its PAX debut on April 29, 2001, just after the network's presentation of Jeremiah and not long before the telecast of Mary Magdalene.