In our film, story of the Prodigal Son, told at Matthew’s feast, shows us how utterly the righteous, as well as the unrighteous, need the grace of God.
One year I decided to watch religious films during Lent, mostly pretty horrible, but the one that really stood out was the "Gospel of St. Matthew" (1964) by that old reprobate (young then) Pasolini. shot with a cast of ordinary people in Matera, Southern Italy.
Another one I liked was Paul Apostle of Christ, a more recent one, on Paul's captivity in Rome and Luke's writing it all down for his narrative.
I think that Quo Vadis? holds up pretty well -- hard to bet against a film with Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov in it; and I think that Barabbas was underrated because it went against the grain -- it wasn't full of angels and alleluias. The books they're based on are superb -- I've actually taught them both to college students. And you know -- I never have seen Pasolini's film. I've heard about it for 40 years, and still I haven't seen it. Matera, too, is one of the most unusual villages on earth ...
Don't you feel that the well-known actors' faces sort of interfere with the characters? There's a difference between Peter Ustinov playing a character that we have never known before and will never see again, and someone playing Jesus, with whom we have all had a lifetime of knowledge and perhaps have built up in our minds an image of Him. Maybe we should go back to the convention of never showing the face of Jesus, as in, say, DW Griffith's scenes in Intolerance.
Your last point made me think of the powerful scene in Ben Hur when Charlton Heston is given water. We only see Christ from the back and must imagine the authority of His gaze from the reactions of the other characters.
I do -- but Zeffirelli and Powell averted much of the trouble, by portraying Jesus as beyond characterization. The last thing you want is to try to give Jesus your idea of his personality...
A fantastic "film"---aside from the debut, I can remember when one of the Big 3 stations ALWAYS ran the whole 6 hours, over several days, every Holy Week. And it is indeed filled with magnificent scenes......The crucifixion here is still the finest in movie/TV (no offense to Jim Caviziel & Mel Gibson).
A personal favorite scene is Mary Magdalen at the feeding of the multitude---she holds a loaf of bread, weeping, as if to say 'if only I had come to God with my needs rather than what I did to earn a living'.
The scene of Jairus' daughter being raised is also delightful--the little girls' expression seems to say 'Oh, you are the one who brought me back' as she hugs him...
And with respect to the prodigal son.........though he was a rabid anti-Catholic while alive, the singer Keith Green has some wonderful songs, among them one, almost 13minutes long, titled 'The Prodigal Son Suite'--he leaves out the entire scene with the older brother, but still a terrific piece, almost symphonic in structure...
One of the best depictions of the life of Jesus on film, in my opinion. I know that some of the actors who worked with him said that Zeffirelli was...imperfect, to say the least, but boy could he make a movie...
"Eternally youthful" is also the best way to describe Olivia Hussey in the series, since it was filmed almost 10 full years after she played Juliet, and yet she looks exactly the same.
One year I decided to watch religious films during Lent, mostly pretty horrible, but the one that really stood out was the "Gospel of St. Matthew" (1964) by that old reprobate (young then) Pasolini. shot with a cast of ordinary people in Matera, Southern Italy.
Another one I liked was Paul Apostle of Christ, a more recent one, on Paul's captivity in Rome and Luke's writing it all down for his narrative.
I think that Quo Vadis? holds up pretty well -- hard to bet against a film with Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov in it; and I think that Barabbas was underrated because it went against the grain -- it wasn't full of angels and alleluias. The books they're based on are superb -- I've actually taught them both to college students. And you know -- I never have seen Pasolini's film. I've heard about it for 40 years, and still I haven't seen it. Matera, too, is one of the most unusual villages on earth ...
Don't you feel that the well-known actors' faces sort of interfere with the characters? There's a difference between Peter Ustinov playing a character that we have never known before and will never see again, and someone playing Jesus, with whom we have all had a lifetime of knowledge and perhaps have built up in our minds an image of Him. Maybe we should go back to the convention of never showing the face of Jesus, as in, say, DW Griffith's scenes in Intolerance.
Your last point made me think of the powerful scene in Ben Hur when Charlton Heston is given water. We only see Christ from the back and must imagine the authority of His gaze from the reactions of the other characters.
I do -- but Zeffirelli and Powell averted much of the trouble, by portraying Jesus as beyond characterization. The last thing you want is to try to give Jesus your idea of his personality...
I was in college when this premiered. Various groups, religious as well as at least one secular, on campus hosted watch parties.
One of my friends was studying visual media production and the department hosted a group to discuss the technical aspects of the production.
The varying religious denominations’ student unions also offered viewings with discussions from their theological perspectives.
After all these years, I still believe this is the best “Story of Jesus” on any screen. It is a classic!
A fantastic "film"---aside from the debut, I can remember when one of the Big 3 stations ALWAYS ran the whole 6 hours, over several days, every Holy Week. And it is indeed filled with magnificent scenes......The crucifixion here is still the finest in movie/TV (no offense to Jim Caviziel & Mel Gibson).
A personal favorite scene is Mary Magdalen at the feeding of the multitude---she holds a loaf of bread, weeping, as if to say 'if only I had come to God with my needs rather than what I did to earn a living'.
The scene of Jairus' daughter being raised is also delightful--the little girls' expression seems to say 'Oh, you are the one who brought me back' as she hugs him...
And with respect to the prodigal son.........though he was a rabid anti-Catholic while alive, the singer Keith Green has some wonderful songs, among them one, almost 13minutes long, titled 'The Prodigal Son Suite'--he leaves out the entire scene with the older brother, but still a terrific piece, almost symphonic in structure...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUz7AFq-7EI 'The Prodigal Son Suite'
His cover of 'The Easter Song' is also a favorite, better than the original (I think) by the 2nd Chapter of Acts group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG8Tko3BzHk 'The Easter Song'
One of the best depictions of the life of Jesus on film, in my opinion. I know that some of the actors who worked with him said that Zeffirelli was...imperfect, to say the least, but boy could he make a movie...
"Eternally youthful" is also the best way to describe Olivia Hussey in the series, since it was filmed almost 10 full years after she played Juliet, and yet she looks exactly the same.
Yes, a tremendous gathering of actors! I would like to give mention to the players of the magi - Fernando Rey, James Earl Jones, and Donald Pleasence
Who would have thought.......Balthazar and Darth Vader, all in one year......
Oh, that's right - thanks for the reminder! A great talent.