Having seen 100’s of biblical movies over a half-century, The most powerful performance of a biblical character that impressed me the most would be Michael York’s portrayal of John the Baptist in, Jesus of Nazereth. I did not see, “The Last Temptation” but I read that Jim Caviezel performance was so realistic that many of the extra’s treated him as if he were Jesus.
Well, I think Graham Chapman got his biblical character absolutely right.
As far as I am concerned, Charlton Heston *is *Moses.
Caviezel was Jesus in Passion of the Christ, Willem Dafoe was Jesus in Last Temptation of Christ.
Not sure if this is quite the OPs question…but I thought Robert DeNiro played a wonderful Satan in Angel Heart.
Since the OP only mentioned “biblical characters”, my vote goes to Christopher Walken as Gabriel in The Prophecy .
Among the worst biblical portrayals of all time would be the entire cast of John Huston’s THE BIBLE.
Among the best, Burt Lancaster as Moses in a TV miniseries. And Yul Brenner as the pharoah of the Exodus, in the DeMille epic.
Oh, if we’re going to talk about the worst, my vote is for Edward G. Robinson as Dathan in The Ten Commandments.
I don’t know if Dathan is actually biblical or not, but apparently he was a 1930’s gangster.
Best, I agree with … Himself … in choosing Yul Brynner from The Ten Commandments, especially the scene where he prays to Osiris to save his son. Heston is good, but Brynner is far more essential to the drama of the movie.
Worst, Robert Powell as Jesus in Zeferelli’s Jesus Of Nazareth.
Then again, I liked Carl Anderson as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.
I’ve always found Max Von Sydow’s portrayal of Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told to be highly affecting.
Reality…What was the movie?