Not to hijack this thread, but has there even been a decent Jesus movie?
OK, didn’t at all care for the brutality of The Passion
Last Temptation was just…weird
*
The Greatest Story Ever Told* is ok.
King of Kings put me to sleep.
Hmm…any others?
I thought that Jesus Christ Superstar was quite good.
Then again, a friend of mine knew Carl Anderson on a first-name basis.
Considering that I’m an ardent Catholic Republican, this may sound odd but… the best Jesus movie I’ve seen was made by a gay, Communist agnostic named Pierpaolo Pasolini (yes, the guy Monty Python made fun of in their cricket film, “The Third Test Match”).
Try renting “The Gospel According to St. Matthew.”
I liked the Passion and Last Temptation ok, and I also like Jesus of Montreal, but I guess that’s weirder than L.T.
Chronicles of Narnia is out soon. . .
Haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard great things about that one – just the one I was going to recommend.
Let’s face it, Jesus is just not an easy guy to talk about.
The mini-series *Jesus of Nazareth * was very good, IMNSHO.
Ben Hur, tangentally. And maybe Life of Brian.
But…but…Jesus is just alright with me.
And Jesus was way cool. If he wanted to, he could play guitar better than Hendrix.
I opened this thread to make th same suggestion astorian did. Pier Paolo Pasolini’s film is the straight Gospel According to St. Matthew, with no additions, deletions, explanations, or apologies. Jesus looks like a young dud with a beard that is less grown-out than portraits normally have, and it makes him look like a revolutionary. Pasolini reportedly used his own aged mother to play Mary, and she looks far too old for the part. (In distinction to Michaelangelo, whose Mary in The Pieta looks far too young). Very well-done film.
It’s significant that Pasolini was an atheist. My favorite plays and movies about saints and the like are by theist, agnostics, and similar “unbelievers”, who nevertheless treat their subjects with respect (rather than adulation) and create believable portraits. I love Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons (Sir/St. Thomas More), George Bernard Shaw’s St. Joan (of Arc), and Jean Anouilh’s Becket.
How about Godspell. It got across Jesus’s message in a light and fun way. I get the feeling Jesus might like it.
Jim
I really liked The Last Temptation, except for the scene where he tore his heart out. That was just silly. ;j
I liked Last Temptation and Jesus Christ Superstar(which had some catchy songs and interesting theological ideas).
The animated Miracle Maker was pretty good, I thought.
I kinda liked The Big Lebowski.
Most joyous: Godspell (one of my all-time favorite movies, period).
Most dazzling, in a '70s kind of way: Jesus Christ Superstar.
Most cinematic: The Last Temptation of Christ.
Best standard take: Jesus of Nazareth.
Dreamboat Jesus: King of Kings.
Dead on arrival: The Greatest Story Ever Told.
Worst directed: The Gospel According to Matthew. Passolini can’t edit even the simplest scenes. Only the Sermon on the Mount rises to the overrated reputation given to this movie.
Another vote here for Jesus of Nazareth
Dammit. Beat me to it.
“Lesbians are great. They get so much done in a day.”
Hmmm – I’l disagree with Walloon about Pasolini’s direction. TGAtSM is the one Jesus flick treating him as a character that I’d want to see again. And I’ve liked Pasolini’s other films. De Gustibus… and all.
I, troo, love Godspell, but its “Clowns for Christ” style isn’t at all about Jesus, but about His message – it’s The Parables as Minstrel Show. On Stage it’s great, because it’s an audienxce interactive show with the ability to provide up-to-the-minute commentary and topical jokes. Translating that sort of thing into a movie is damnmed near impossible. The flick substituted clever styles and the nifty trick of filming in Manhattan , with only the cast apparently present (except at the very beginning and end), a result achieved by clever camera placement, filming on Sundays, and , I imagine, a lotta crowd control. Cute flick, but not a portrait of Jesus.
I loved Jesus Christ, Superstar the album. The Broadway show seemed to be an exercise in stretching for weird interpretation. In recent years, the star of Tom O’Horgan’s Broadway show, Jeff Fenholt, has become an evangelical preacher whose schtick is condemning himself at the time, saying that he waas a drug-user and a sinner while playing Jesus, but that he’s now found The Way. I’ve heard one of his taped performances, and I saw him play the role on stage. Interesting. But I don’t recommend the stage show. The movie was, I thought, abysmal.