In the year 16 BCE, the people of Jerusalem are awaiting the birth of the son of Imran. Instead of the much-anticipated "Messiah", a girl is born to Imran and Anna. The latter names her Mary, which means "Servant of God". At the age of six, Mary is presented at the Temple, and remains there under the protection of the priest Zechariah until she turns sixteen.
The animated version tells the same story as the 1959 film, with some differences. The story begins with Balthazar waiting in the desert for the two other wise men for a journey to Bethlehem. The story of Ben-Hur begins 30 years after the birth of Christ.
Shortly before the crucifixion of Christ, Pontius Pilate offers to release either Jesus Christ or Barabbas in keeping with the local custom. As the Bible story goes, Barabbas is the one the crowd chooses.
The film comprises four separate stories, all of which show Jesus through the viewpoint of a different woman. Each woman was impacted by Jesus in different ways. It begins with Jesus's birth as told through the perspective of the Virgin Mary, and then shifts to biblical figures of Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist), the Samaritan woman at the well, and Mary Magdalene.
The plot begins with the portrayal of the Massacre of the Innocents in the Nativity. The remainder of the movie portrays the annunciation (conception) and birth of Jesus Christ to explain why King Herod the Great (Ciarán Hinds) ordered the murder.
The film is a parody of the historical spectacular film genre anthology, including the sword and sandal epic and the period costume drama subgenres. The four main segments consist of stories set during the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution. Other intermediate skits include reenactments of the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Last Supper.
À chaque obscurité survenue, Mel, le prêtre-astronome, et Rupo, son disciple, observent le ciel depuis les ruines d'une colline. Or, une nuit précisément, les voici fortement troublés par la présence d'une étoile filante dont l'éclat et l'intensité offrent un caractère inaccoutumé. Mel l'interprète comme l'accomplissement de la Prophétie, celle de la venue du Messie. Ils se mettent donc en route, suivis par de nombreux habitants, issus de toutes conditions sociales : notables, marchands, paysans, artisans, mendiants, voleurs ou prostituées, tous désirent célébrer l'événement et accomplir offrande au Sauveur futur. Au cours de ce long chemin, parsemé de risques et d'obstacles, et, au cours duquel hélas tous ne reviendront pas, deux caravanes s'unissent à eux. Ils découvrent enfin le Rédempteur dans un village retiré et sous les traits d'un nouveau-né. Ils lui rendent témoignage de piété et d'infini respect. Toutefois, il leur faut se méfier d'une ville-garnison voisine, soumise à un monarque despotique et envieux. Les pèlerins, craignant une éventuelle agression, se dispersent en effaçant toute trace de leur passage.
The theme is "the story of Jesus reclaimed as an African fable: a simple concept becomes a remarkable cinematic experience in Son of Man." The director dramatised the story of the life of Jesus in the situation of contemporary Africa and asks what would happen today, if someone in Africa came forward with the same message as Jesus:
Starting with the birth of the Jesus child, the film deviates wildly from the New Testament template, with the Virgin Mary now giving birth to twins, likely to give credence to the idea that Gnostic The Gospel of Thomas was actually written by the twin brother of Jesus. However, in keeping with tradition, only the life and suffering of the One is portrayed. Throughout the entire film, Jesus is shadowed by dark agents (the Four Evangelists) who seem to be the puppet masters of the story. But this preordained life spins out of control at the Last Supper, where Jesus develops a fondness for drinking blood. On his way to Calvary, he meets Saint Veronica and surrenders to this thirst, thereby acquiring immortality as a vampire. Jesus lives.