When I saw the score for this film I went into it expecting another poor excuse for a biblical adaptation. However I was presently surprised by the depth that 40 Nights brings to a story that is alluded to in only one chapter in all the gospels and in some cases only a few verses. It is an exceptional Biblical story with a lot of passion poured into it.
The story of Jesus being tempted in the desert is something that has always interested me. However, very few Jesus adaptations have actually shown this in great detail. The Bible tv series had a small scene of a physical Satan coming after Jesus, most other adaptations have either a snake as a representation of Satan or just his voice in Jesus' head. Having an entire film dedicated to Jesus' suffering was an excellent idea. Similar to the Passion of the Christ dedicating the entire film to the gruesome detail of Christ's last day, 40 Nights has more opportunity to show the detail of Christ's suffering through his temptation. It adds to more sympathy to Christ knowing that he not only suffered on the cross but he also suffered in the desert as a sort of pre-atonement.
DJ Perry does an excellent Jesus and, although his role is minimised in the Christ Slayer, he is given the full reign of his acting ability here, especially in the scenes where he quarrels with Satan. Having Satan appear as a boy, then a man, then an elder shows the manipulation of the devil in a very thematic way. Jesus remains the same in all their encounters but Satan has to change every time in order to try and win Jesus' favour. It also shows the depths the Father of Lies will go to achieve victory. All three actors who play Satan's various forms do a phenomenal job, with none superseding the other's. Although they are consistent, Taymour Ghazi gets the spotlight the most with his scenes of temptation and he owns it all. The writing compliments all three of the actors but I feel like Taymour had the most fun doing it. You can just see in his eyes.
There are moments that raise a few eyebrows. Like when Gabriel teleports in front of Satan to protect Jesus and the effects look like something from Powerpoint mixed with a weird jump cut. However, given that it is likely not a large budget film, I can forgive the effects. It's just the actor who plays Gabriel is a bit off in his delivery of lines. Especially when he's coupled against Taymour Ghazi's madman portrayal of Satan, he falls slightly short.
I vehemently disagree with the idea that this is the worst of the quest trilogy. Some shoddy effects here and there, some cheesy lines occasionally. But what does that take away from the experience of the story? Really not that much. 40 Nights is well worth the watch for anyone interested in the stories of the Bible, Christian or otherwise.
