Netflix’s latest movie ‘Mary’ courts controversy for these reasons

The latest Netflix original ‘Mary’, which deals with the life of Mother Mary from her childhood is drawing flak ever since its release last week. While many Pro-Palestinian supporters have criticised the film’s casting, more conservative Christians are unhappy with the historical inaccuracy of the film, primarily disagreeing on how the makers have portrayed Mary’s relationship with Joseph.

Pro-Palestinian activists have opined that the makers should not have picked an Israeli actor Noa Cohen for the role, given the tensions in the West Asian region. According to them, it is insensitive to give Mary an Israeli identity, overlooking the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and complex history of the region. The film, according to netizens, also takes too much freedom with the source material. In one scene, Joseph is shown to be unsure of what to name the child Jesus, though the Bible specifically depicts how he was named. There is also a scene where both Joseph and Mary meet, which is ‘overly cute’ and does not align with the expectations and understanding of a conservative believer. Others also took objection to how the angel Gabriel calls the devil ‘Brother’. However, a section of people have appreciated the movie for its novel take on Mother Mary as told from her perspective. The film, which premiered on Netflix on December 6, is directed D J Caruso.