Fox Write Up
This major motion picture event — an experience created to be shared among families and communities across the U.S. — brings the story of Jesus’ life to audiences through compelling cinematic storytelling that is both powerful and inspirational. Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar (R)-winner Hans Zimmer. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays the role of Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection (c) Fox
PG-13, 1 hr. 20 min.
Documentary, Drama, Faith & Spirituality
Directed By: Christopher Spencer
Written By: Richard Bedser,Christopher Spencer
In Theaters: Feb 28, 2014 Wide
20th Century Fox – Official Site
How true will it be to what we think we know from the Shroud of Turin?
Too Hollywood, too commonplace, lacking in real insight… but just right for folks over 75 and young ones just learning their “catechism”.
Would be very, very, very suprising if that kind of movie would beat Jesus of Nazareth of Zeffirelli, which remains, in my mind, THE top Jesus movie of all time (by far)…
I agree… Zeffirelli is by far my favourite Jesus movie.I don’t think anyone in the future will rise to that level of writing, acting and production.
And Soundtrack…:-)
I cannot agree more with you Mike (about the music too!). Zeffirelli has set the bar so high that it will take a very huge masterpiece to get close to what he did. In no other movie than this one do we see a Jesus that better show the face of the God of Love and Mercy that he preached all his life… There is truly a mystic side in that movie that we cannot see in any other… One of my favorite scene is the one where Jesus “used” Matthew and Peter to tell the Parable of the Prodigal and the older sons. What an awesome scene!
Isn’t this a reedit from the New Testament section of the History Channel’s series on the Bible from last year?
Yes it is.
I have only two minor qualms with Zeffirelli’s masterpiece. Mary Magdalene was not a harlot. And Robert Powell was much too frail physically. Yes those eyes and cheekbones overcame much, but he simply didn’t project strength to me. I prefer the more robust Caviezel version of Jesus. I’d love to see what Jim might have done with Jesus beyond a few flashbacks during his passion narrative.
What Zeffirelli did, which no one else has yet approached, is provide a rich context for the Truth of the gospel story to shine. As you mentioned, that Prodigal Son scene is pure genius.
Quote: “Mary Magdalene was not a harlot.” Reply: How do you know this for sure? Nobody really know what she was…
Quote : “Robert Powell was much too frail physically.” Maybe a bit but that’s truly minor… His incarnation of the loving and merciful side of Jesus. I agree that Caviezel was good also, but to me, Powell interpretation was a bit closer to the Jesus I imagine.
Modern scholars have suggested that Mary M’s background was embellished by later Church writers. She is not now thought to be the woman who poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet. She was more than likely a prominent woman in the Jewish community, possibly a widow, but also someone who had the means to help support Jesus ministry. I’m just sharing what I’ve read from other sources. This doesn’t impede my enjoyment of Zeffirelli’s work. He was working with the interpretation of the time and it still reveals beautiful truths.
Powell was good, for sure. Perhaps a bit too European for me, but he did bring a level of inner intensity that I’ve never seen any actor who has played Jesus replicate. Zeffirelli’s casting for the project was impeccable.
I understand perfectly your point versus Mary Magdalene David and the most common opinion of modern scholars about her, but I just wanted to underlined the FACT that this is ONLY an hypothesis that should never be taken as solid proof of anything and that cannot exclude the other possibility, which is that she was truly a prostitute who became follower of Jesus. It is totally impossible, in the present state of our knowledge to know the truth of her real condition for sure. That’s why I wanted to underline the fact that Zeffirelli’s vision can be more accurate after all. Who really knows? I note that the Gospels say that Jesus cast out 7 demons out of her, which is surely a symbolical number that express how bad here condition was at the time she meet Jesus… So, taking this into account and knowing how poor prostitutes were considered by the Jewish society of Jesus time, I don’t think we can reject the possibility that she had been, indeed, a real prostitute. This is a true possibility that cannot be exclude by any credible scholar.
Anonymous & David, the prodigal son is my favourite scene too. It brings me to tears every single time. Probably because I can relate to being lost and found, but also the way he fitted the timeless, personal, parable with Matthew being a lost tax collector and Peter being the self righteous zealot was pure genius. Even if its not a situation that happened in the gospels but isn’t that what art is supposed to do. The artist is giving us a part of himself too, more like a visual sermon! I think Robert Powell was awesome, even though Jesus was probably more muscular (being a carpenter by trade).
Quote: “Anonymous & David, the prodigal son is my favourite scene too. It brings me to tears every single time. Probably because I can relate to being lost and found…”
Reply: THAT’S THE CASE FOR ALL OF US MY FRIEND. No matter how some people might appear to bel ost presently around us, don’t worry that one day (here or on the other side, that doesn’t matter) every one will understand how lost they are without God, because outside of him, there’s only darkness… That’s my Christian hope for all my brother and sisters in humanity…
Note: My hope for universal salvation include even Fanti and all of those who have said bad things to me on this blog… ;-)
Well said. If this was facebook, I would’ve liked & shared
Another thing I would like to say about the parable of the Prodigal son and the oldest son is that I react exactly like Mike each time I see it, which proves the spiritual « healing » power that is found in that particular scene.
Another scene that is very powerful is the last one where we see Peter asking the Resurrected Jesus to stay with them because the night is falling and he reply (with a great close-up of his face) : « Don’t be affraid. I am with you each day til the end of time. » Awesome and so true (no matter if we are conscious of this or not).
One last thing I would like to add concerning the scene of the parable of the prodigal son is this : Many (like me and Mike) react with great emotions when we see it but I’m 100% sure this is still nothing beside what we will feel when we’ll see God face to face at the moment of our death! The joy of being save… At that moment, we will fully understand what it means and this eternal joy, no one will be able to take it away from us.
Beautiful…..Amen to that
My favorite scene from JESUS OF NAZARETH is also the telling of the parable of the Prodigal Son. Robert Powell is incredible, as is James Farentino as Peter. A great movie. I also like THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and DeMille’s silent THE KING OF KINGS.
I remember when the movie was in the theatres in Egypt. My parents took me as a young boy to see it. When Robert Powell made his first appearance ( the baptism scene) I remember the audience stood up and were cheering like crazy. Both Muslims and Christians were crying when Jesus was being scourged.