With all the hoopla surrounding The Passion of the Christ, I thought it might be fun to to take a look at past Jesus flicks. You'd think the Jesus Genre would be a goldmine of cinematic quality --after all, the story basically writes itself. But you would be wrong. Some pictures are mind-numbingly boring (The Greatest Story Ever Told), while others are just plain stupid (Godspell). The Jesus Genre is a hodge-podge of mediocrity with only the occasional gem worthy of a DVD purchase, yet if you were to edit them all together, you'd probably have the Greatest Jesus Movie Ever Made. Unfortunately, Cecil B. DeMille is dead, so we're left with multiple flicks showcasing all the different angles of the Jesus story, instead of having everything rolled-up into one mega-movie, as was the case for Moses. Hey, just like the Bible!
King of Kings (1961) or I Was a Teenage Jesus:
For all the historical inaccuracies and typical melodrama common to CinemaScope pictures of the 60's, I really like this film. Why? I don't really know. Sure, Jeffrey Hunter doesn't resemble a 1st Century Palestinian Jew, but who cares? It's just a movie. I'm a big fan of 50's-60's historical epics, which probably explains the movie's appeal to me. Even though the film is about 3 hours long, the directing and structure of the story is a marvel of economy that maintains a quiet reverence for its subject.
My favorite part of the film is when the Roman guard tells Barabbas that he's free to go and why. Barabbas incredulously asks, "They picked me?" to which the Roman centurion replies, "Your people yelled the loudest!" A perfect line with a perfect delivery. The other scene of note in the film is when Jesus visits the chained Baptist in his dungeon and the two reach out to each other across a chasm. John must climb up a ramp as far as his chains will allow to touch the outstretched hand of Jesus, who is limited by the bars on the window. They barely manage to grasp each others' fingers before John slides back down into his dungeon. That's a beautifully staged and shot scene that I would include in my "Greatest Jesus Movie Ever Made."
Article comments
1 - Chris Kent
I still argue (as I did in my blog earlier this week), that we have been conditioned over the years to see Jesus as this perfect, supremely peaceful, confident, superhuman without faults.
"The Last Temptation of Christ" is far and away the finest film of any you mention in your interesting list. But to call Scorsese/Dafoe's interpretation of Jesus as a "wuss," may be funny, but it is entirely inaccurate. In "Last Temptation," Jesus is insecure, uncertain, and none too happy that he is indeed the chosen one. It is a human Jesus, a Jesus who is one of us, and a Jesus I could truly follow.
But of the other portrayals you mention, I would as soon follow ET the Extraterrestrial......
2 - Paul
I qualified the "wuss" statement, since I didn't mean to say he was a complete wuss, only that he had moments of wuss-ness beyond what you would normally expect of a normal person.
3 - Chris Kent
LOL.....Well, I suppose if I owned the Paul Palubicki Wuss Meter, I could more clearly understand your rankings of Wussness....and, of course, what is considered proper wussness and improper wussness......
4 - Paul
All wuss-ness is relative.
5 - HW Saxton Jr.
And some relatives are wusses as well...
6 - Paul
Rimshot!
7 - Mac Diva
"Jesus Genre." I like that.
8 - Chris Kent
I'm so glad this conversation didn't digress into the realm known as infantile....
9 - Paul
Ah hell, they're just movies. It's not like we're deciding the fates of nations here.
10 - Chris Kent
I'm glad you agree with me.....
11 - Paul
Well, nobody's calling anyone names yet, which from the looks of it, counts for a lot around here.
12 - Chris Kent
lol...good point
13 - Joe
Have you considered integrating Christ-figures from films into your opus (ie. John Connor - Humanity's last hope with the coincidental initials, or The Man with No Name, or Heston's character from the Omega Man, to name a few)? This would certainly alleviate some of the wussitude, which actually is measured along a Machismo Continuum although I'd imagine Paul Palubicki Wuss Meter would work in a pinch.
14 - ClubhouseCancer
John Denver was the finest screen Jesus. George Burns killed as his sardonic, put-upon dad.
15 - Chris Kent
Good God......*sighs*
16 - Shark
Paul, EXCELLENT piece of work! Completely true and very entertaining. Thanks for taking the time and effort.
re: The Greatest Story Ever Told -
Log line: The New Testament meets 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World."
(I'm suprised they didn't have Jonathon Winters as a Roman Centurion who watches JC give up the ghost and says: "He kicked the bucket!")
And don't forget Ben Hur, which I think is probably the best JC movie ever made, although JC did play second fiddle to Heston. ("Yeah, we've got a subplot involving the Son of God.")
And what about "Cool Hand Luke"? *The best 'Christ' movie without Christ.
*see also "Pollyanna"
17 - HW Saxton Jr.
Shark,I refute you in the name of Hayley
Mills!!! Secular heathen!
18 - BB
Don't you mean "rebuke"?
19 - HW Saxton Jr.
Rebuke,Yes.
20 - Eric Olsen
Killer job Paul - always great to have you back! I bow before your cinematic Messiah rodeo. My favorites emphasize the prostitutes and lines like "what's the buzz, tell me what's a-happening"
21 - J.Clark
Christ figures in movies:
Superman
Neo in Matrix
Aslan in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (ok its a book/play but)
Shawshank Redemption
Luke in Star Wars
Frodo in LOTR
Spock in Star Trek
Just a few pop ones.
22 - Jane Thomspon
need more pictures, less talky.