Jesus Christ Superstar
|
List Price: Our Price: $11.79 You Save: $8.19 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $6.25 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Jesus Christ Superstar
Movie Review: Stellar Superstar!
Summary: 5 Stars
Thank God for DVD because i would have worn out a video tape in the first three months i had it! If you like this piece of music, you'll love Gale Edwards' modernized and exquisitely refined production. 30-somethings like me, who remember the concept album or 1973 movie from their childhoods will feel right at home in the 21st Century ambiance this film's stage sets, lighting and costume design. It's loaded with unexpected sybolism to satisfy and fuel the hungriest of minds and most active of imaginations, even after several viewings.The casting is brilliant. All of the actors/actresses give outstanding, Oscar-worthy performances filled with intensity and emotion. Their passion for their work is immediately noticeable, giving the impression that they had a ball making this movie, which in turn gives the film itself an extra spark and plenty of energy to drive the story from start to finish.
Glen Carter's pleasingly melodramatic portrayal of Jesus takes a focused viewer on an unforgettable emotional roller coaster ride. The wide range of feeling with which he imbues his character gives Christ a very human and accessible edge without compromising his spirituality. Carter's singing is extraordinary as well, with smooth transition between notes and a tendency to hold a single note unwaveringly. His occasional breaks into a rougher voice add to the intensity of his performance and give it a touch of rawness that compliments Jerome Pradon's Judas.
"Raw" is an excellent word to describe Pradon's Judas, but i mean it in a good way. His Yin is the perfect opposition to Jesus' Yang. From the beginning, he sees the dark side of what is happening by viewing the same journey from an earthly, material perspective rather than the heavenly realm of mind that Jesus struggles to maintain. Pradon's acting and singing are just as heartfelt and bold as Carter's, yet necessarily courser and darker, befitting his character. Instead of holding to solid notes, he usually lets his voice fluctuate and sometimes falls into a hardness that beautifully conveys his emotional pain by inflicting it on the listener's eardrums. The result is delightfully heartwrenching.
Fred Johanson gives Pilate a wonderful blend of cold and cruel with warm and compassionate, restrained with explosive. He sings in the same manner, his soft, moaning voice in "Pilate's Dream" later contrasted to an extreme with strictness and severity in "Pilate and Christ" and "Trial Before Pilate," where he places extra emphasis on thorough pronunciation of hard consonants. His style is fascinating and unique.
Tony Vincent's wild and punkish Simon is the true leader of the apostles at times, including Cavin Cornwall's reserved Peter, while Renee Castle's graceful, loving Mary Magdalene is at others, creating an interestingly obscure power struggle that never evolves into confrontation. One minute, the apostles follow Simon's battle cries for revolution against the Romans, the next they follow Mary's calls for peace. Both eventually exhibit a deeply rooted frustration over Christ's refusal to take either path in their own understood sense. Their lively, energetic performances and singing are flawless.
In contrast are Frederick B. Owens' Caiaphas and Michael Shaeffer's Annas, accompanied by three priests, who are always in agreement, fearful that Jesus is a threat to their politacal power. Annas' skinhead Nazi look and icy, heartless demeanor are matched by Shaeffer's sharp, cutting voice. Annas looks to the more authoritative Caiaphas as a superior and Owens' low, deep vocals help to illustrate his position in the hierarchy. Both portray their characters with a subtle humor that prevents them from being overly dark or evil while maintaining just enough seriousness to avoid being comical.
Rik Mayall's Herod, on the other hand, while explicitly vile, is highly comical, a flashy showman who introduces himself on a stage with a group of line dancers. His smartly odd, mocking voice is sure to elicit a smile from the viewer, even as Jesus watches Herod's stage show in silent, thoughtful disdain. Like Johanson, Mayall has a unique style that is highly entertaining and fun to watch.
Throughout the film, the ingenious use of lighting conveys moods and transforms the simple stage set into a wide variety of settings, from dark, ominous halls to bright, sunlit streets, a back alley and a crowded marketplace. Graffiti scribbled on the walls contains messages that apply to various aspects of the film, adds intriguing angles to the symbolism therein, and, though it may seem strange, actually fits the type of story being told. This movie is deep, thought-provoking and absolutely fantastic.
Now for the negative. Hmmmm... Nope, sorry, i can't come up with anything. Though, it would have been nice if they had included a lyric booklet in the package.
Movie Review: An essential piece of the canon
Summary: 5 Stars
I already know you love Jesus Christ Superstar, you wouldn't be reading otherwise. You want to know if THIS version is worthy, and I say oh HELL yeah! Let me state up front ( so I don't have to keep repeating myself) that I love the 1973 Norman Jewison film, (JC73 from here on) and think it sets an incredibly high bar, that few rock musicals have ever reached. Jesus Christ Superstar 2001 (JC2K1 from here on) not only reaches the bar, but demolishes it. It's not without it's problems, however.
Where JC73 is broad and cinematic, JC2K1 is tight, small, and theatrical, sometimes to the point of being claustrophobic. The problem with a theatrical production brought to film, is that when you have to pitch to the "back of the house", it can look melodramatic in close-up. JC2K1 crosses that line a number of times. OTOH, there are times when the closeness and intimacy of this production are mesmerizing.
Let's get to the actor smack-down, shall we?
JESUS: Glenn Carter is good, but I think Ted Neely owns this role. Carter arguably has the stronger voice, but his performance stays stuck on "angry and frustrated". Neely gives a much more subtle, restrained performance, that I
think more accurately depicts how Jesus must have felt in the final week. TED NEELY. (JC73)
JUDAS: I don't want to say a word against Carl Anderson from JC73, he is amazing. But Jerome Pradon absolutely sold me on his performance. Pradon definitely has the weaker voice, but his performance is so damned (literally) amazing that he now is Judas for me, forever. JEROME PRADON. (JC2K1)
MARY MAGDALENE: No question at all. Renee Castle is the best Mary I've ever seen, live or film. You can hear her heart bleed, with pitch-perfect passion. I don't think anyone has done this crucial and difficult role better. RENEE CASTLE (JC2K1)
PONTIUS PILATE: My biggest dissapointment, by far, in this production. Fred Johanson comes across as a melodramiatic "Snydley Whiplash" rather than the multi-layered, anguished mess that Barry Dennen portrayed so brilliantly. BARRY DENNEN (JC73)
HEROD: My toughest call. Josh Mostel is delicious in JC73, portraying the grossness, decadence, and fun of evil. Rik Mayall does an equally delicious job in JC2K1, but puts a very different spin on it, highlighting the scariness of decadence. CAN'T CALL, I LOVE THEM BOTH.
THE APOSTLES: Another no-brainer. In JC73 the apostles were fairly anonymous bit parts, necessary to move the story and songs along, but otherwise forgettable. In JC2K1, Simon, Peter, and James POP! They take relatively minor parts, and breathe new life into them, without distracting from the main story. JC2K1.
CONCLUSION: I love Jesus Christ Superstar. It's one of my favorite musicals (and I'm a musical buff) I've listened to the Broadway and London recordings hundreds of times, seen it on stage 5 times (twice in San Francisco), and watched both film versions at least 20 times each. JC2K1,Jesus Christ Superstar is the version that consistently takes my breath away. Despite a few individual performances where I would argue that I've seen better, and a few times where the filming seems both melodramatic and claustrophobic, overall, this version works at a level that few movie musicals have touched.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is quoted as saying "This is the version I've waited 30 years to see".
If you care for the musical at all, you simply have to give this a chance. Most highly recommended.
Movie Review: Top of the Pole
Summary: 5 Stars
I agree with an earlier reviewer that this version is different than the 73 film. It takes a bit of time to get used to it. For me it was hard not to see some of the actors / singers from the earlier film, particularly Carl Anderson. Once I got over the adjustment, I found this production to be simply wonderful. Because it is shot on a set rather than outdoors, and because of the advances in cameras etc. the viewer is transported into the action. You see all the subtle facial expressions and interactions between the characters that is simply missing from the technically challenged Jewison film. There is for example, no "day for night" film that leaves one barely able to make out Jesus singing the climactic song in the Garden of Gethsemane. Glen Carter is refreshing as Jesus though I, unlike many others, always liked Ted Neeley's performance. Jerome Pradon presents an engaging Judas. Chiaphas and Annas are perhaps a bit over the top, yet they are entertaining, as is Pilot. I still am debating the appropriatness of giving the Romans/Pilot's uniforms a Nazi look, and I think Pilot's Characterization is over stated, but it is very intense, captivating and powerful. Mary is beautiful and has the greatest voice of any of the Marys to date. Her presentation of "I Don't Know Hot to Love Him," in my opinion the most important song in the musical, is breath taking. In my estimation, I think this version, with modern look and feel, will help make the entire piece more approachable to younger viewers. It will better communicate the emotions of fear and pain that Christ experienced. The strength of Superstar has always been the ability to make Jesus more than just an historical figure. He is someone who was real, as was his sacrifice. Another valuable perspective is that of Judas. He is more complex than is traditionally presented. This Judas is someone who has faults, but they are similar to the everyday faults we all share. Superstar portrays Judas as committed to the ministry, but not fully committed to Jesus. He is competitive with Christ to the point that he thinks he can force his hand if Christ is arrested. The motivations for Judas's betrayal are akin to subtle self centeredness that most of us battle on a regular basis, and they stem from his ego rather than his greed. This production best conveys to youth today some sense of what these real people actually felt and how they experienced life. A few years ago, I showed the 73 film to a youth group. They were so turned off by the very obvious 70's characterizations, costumes and choreography, that they laughed at some of the most powerful and intense moments. No one does that with this version. The 39 lashes is most powerful as is the "Could We Start Again" seqence. Again the voices from top to bottom are top notch without sounding too theatrical/formal which I have found to be distracting in other recent recordings. Alas, I simply find this production to be, in the words of one of the Pharisees, "top of the pole."Movie Review: This is not a review...but a speech about this great movie..
Summary: 5 Stars
...and also about the actor who played Judas. Hey everyone! It's me again, the girl who the review entitled "Perfect" don't worry I will always believe that. I, was eight years old when I saw the 1973 version of the movie, I had no choice cause the musical "Tommy" was coming on shortly after. Although due to misfortunes, I only got to hear two songs "Herod's Song" and "Peter's Denial". Let's move forward, about 5 or 6 years. I was becoming an ALW buff, after seeing both "CATS and "Joseph" well I already told you how skeptic I was about this one and where I got it, so let's skip to the day I watched it. Shall we? My mind was racing, my heart was thumping the moment I saw graffti on the walls, I automatically knew I could get use to this. So I did, now I am 14 and a big JCS fan I love watching it as does my twin who is also a big ALW fan. On Easter, I felt miserable pratically dragging my feet around my house. I asked mom, if in church I could write down notes about Pas. Chris's sermon and JCS, and she said it was okay. That's what changed my mind about going to the chapel that very morning. One movie, one little movie!! Funny Moment: In church, we were singing a hymn and all the sudden when they started talking about the crucifixion Krystle (my twin) looked at me, and we both started laughing or giggling (I think it was laughter). I'm sorry, I got a little bit off track. Now, Jerome Pradon who is said to be about in his early 30's during this filming process, well I have a little crush on him. He seems to have some kind of charm, my sister Krystle who was at her "time" (ladies, we all know what I mean by that) was cramping and was grumpy all day long. So, I thought the movie would cheer her up, so after I watched "American Idol" I putted the tape in. She kept saying that she wanted to stop it before "The Temple (She's scared of it). Well, during "Heaven On Their Minds" the second Judas smiled Krystle began grinning ear to ear. Then, I told her when we had to stop it again, she then changed her mind and said after the song "I Don't Know How To Love Him" just cause she wanted to see the semi blooper. SHARP EYE WARNING: Look when Mary leans over Jesus's body, he then opens his eyes and raises his eyebrows, her dress is too big! Meaning, he can her (coughing) developers. Me and Krystle argued, then when the song ended she saw Judas smiling and blew a kiss to him, I knew she wanted to watch it just a little bit longer so after the song "Blood Money" (Sorry, I can't curse when I'm typing), we stopped the tape. When people ask me why I like Judas, I say this much: I like him, cause he is drop-dead gorgeous, terrific singer, and is not afraid to show his emotions. Now, I have to talk about one scene that I liked. Shortly after the song "Superstar" Judas letted out a scream of pain, then we realized Jesus at the paticular moment was screaming. Awww, they felt each other's presence. In a word to sum up the casting of Judas and the movie itself: Perfect! Toodles.Movie Review: Loved but still mixed
Summary: 5 Stars
I have now watched this version of JCS 10 times. I've heard the music many times and recall seeing the first movie version. This updated version spoke to me much more. Not sure that it's because I'm now in my late 30's and have more insight to draw from. I love the Palm Sunday scene...kudos to Glenn Carter and the successful affect of the stage lighting to make it an inspiring segment. The joy and boundless unconditional love of Carter's Jesus is breathtaking.
I really took in the concept of those characters who did the "will of God", some whole heartedly and others did it although they did so kicking and screaming. (both Pilot and Judas realize they are being drugged into a situation they don't want to be in...the persecution of an innocent man). It brings up a point that so many have missed over the centuries...the Jews, Judas, Pilot and Herrod were all carrying out God's will whether they realized it or not. There is really no one to be angry at for Christ's death.
This seems so basic yet in these times where white supremists still are trying to indoctrinate others to hate (all in the name of how Christ died) it is a good message to drive home.
And when Christ does die on the cross, it is very moving and brings it all to life in a way that can't help but put a lump in the throat the most callous view
I DO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THIS PRODUCTION:
I realize that they were trying to show the human side of Jesus and thus there are lots of anger and tears shown by Carter;s Jesus. I could appreciate it all except for when Pilot hands down the order for Jesus to die. Carter's Jesus kneels down and cries like a baby. It is way over the top, especially considering that he is angry or crying or both through 65% or more of the movie.
Also, I could understand why his mother, Mary was not part of the movie. Afterall, the movie focus's on other characters. I found myself feeling angered though at the end when Christ was dying on the cross and he cries out..."Where is my mother?" What was Gale Edwards trying to accomplish by this? If they are going to tell the story of it all, the fact is that his mother was there when he died.
I'm going to assume that it was all for a theatrical statement that he felt abandoned by his mother because she couldn't protect him from this.
And last...I know that not showing the ressurrection had thematic reasons behind it. However, it was an empty experience to not see his ressurection. I think that it would have brought great closure. Jesus would finally be seen not suffering and thus it would answer the question of whether all the aganony witnessed most of the movie was worth it or not. And it would have brought resolution to what he was trying to explain to his followers of what true glory is.
I'm not a bible thumper...but I am spiritual and I think although it's all thought provoking and the music is wonderful, it is lacking in some areas.