With Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of The Christ" hoarding center stage in the religious film department these days, this Canadian take on the Jesus story will probably quietly slip under the radar unnoticed. And that would be a shame.

Based solely on the Good News Bible’s gospel of John, this film is unique in that it speaks only from the point of view of that well-known apostle. The story, therefore, does not include some familiar elements from other gospels ¾ such as the Nativity or Jesus’ confrontation with the Devil ¾ but its advantage is its single-minded approach to this extraordinary man’s stay on earth, resulting in a clearer characterization of Christ in human terms. The film also succeeds in presenting the familiar stories of Christ’s miracles — the loaves and the fishes, Lazarus’s return from the dead, the curing of the blind man — in a fresh, almost matter-of-fact manner, giving them an unexpected immediacy that packs a powerful punch.

Henry Ian Cusick, a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is magnetic as Jesus Christ and the film’s strongest asset. His muscular good looks (hinted at by his open shirt) and white toothy smile give credence to the charisma he must have exuded to captivate so many followers, and to the human side of this Son of God. Indeed, this portrait of Jesus reveals a man exasperated by the need to perform miracles as Messiah proof, angered to the point of violence when he visits the temple that has become a marketplace, and almost impatient when his apostles don’t "get" his mumbo-jumbo metaphors punctuated by his repetitive, " I am telling you the truth."

"The Gospel of John" also manages to put this oft-told religious epic into a historical context, showing Jesus as both the compelling prophet that attracted a legion of "fans" and as a threatening fanatic to the status quo Jewish community of his day. Exploring the political repercussions of Jesus’ popularity puts an interesting reality twist on this tale, which is nicely fleshed out by Christopher Plummer’s narration.

At three hours, it is surprising that the film doesn’t lag or come off as preachy. The cast of thousands, however, would have been more believable with better makeup, better costuming and a few acting lessons. The eye makeup on John the Baptist, for one, is amateurish and the costumes smack of too much variety in fabrics and colors for the times. The sounds of the crowd talking seem artificial and the expressions on the faces of various extras suffer from overacting.

These are minor quibbles. "The Gospel of John" is epic and intimate. It is a fascinating film that requires neither a "born again" nor a religious zealot’s eyes to appreciate it.