Biblical stories often resonate deeply with audiences, but the director of the new Netflix movie Mary says he was overcome with emotion while bringing a particularly poignant scene to life. That scene, filmmaker D.J. Caruso told Crosswalk Headlines, was the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel visits Mary. The movie launches on Netflix Dec. 6.
Caruso, while holding the camera, acknowledges he choked up.
"Mary sits there, and she proclaims, 'Lord, let it be done to me. Let it be me.' And a tear just started coming down my cheek," Caruso said.
"She immediately made the choice to say, 'Yes, I'm all in, God. I'm all in. I'm with You 100 percent. I will follow You.'"
Netflix's Mary (PG-13) follows the story of Mary and Joseph as they navigate their divine calling and flee from a madman, King Herod. It stars Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins as Herod, Noa Cohen as Mary, and Ido Tako as Joseph.
Caruso also directed the 2022 faith-adjacent film Redeeming Love.
"I wanted to tell a story about this extraordinary young woman … from an immersive point where she's the center of the story, and we see and experience everything through her eyes," he said.
"...Oftentimes what gets overlooked is her humanity and the experiences and the apprehensions and fears that she would have in undertaking, delivering this great gift to us," he added.
He wants audiences to "understand the humanity and what she went through, and what she and Joseph went through together, and the sacrifice it took."
The Bible, he said, was the basis for the film. It's a movie both Catholics and Protestants can embrace, he believes.
"You honor the Scriptures, and you use the Scriptures as your narrative and your foundation," he said.
"We want to celebrate her grace, we want to celebrate her courage, we want to celebrate her selflessness, and we want to celebrate the love that she brings to the world," Caruso said. "If that's infused in this, and that's what we're doing, and everyone knows that's the reason to make the movie, then that's going to make it accessible to everybody, and that was really important."
Noa Cohen was the perfect fit for the lead role, he added.
"She has this grace, and she has this beauty, and she carries herself in such a wonderful way, but at the same time, she's completely accessible. She lets you in, and the audience will feel a closeness to her," Caruso said.
He prayed that God would lead him to the right actress.
"Being a man of faith, you get down on your knees, and you pray before you start. 'Dear Lord, please, I need to find the right Mary. I can't just settle on somebody. I need to find her.' And I felt like Noa was a gift.'"
WATCH: MARY | Official Trailer | Netflix
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Netflix
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.