Jesus of Nazareth
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Movie Reviews of Jesus of Nazareth
Movie Review: UNA SUPERPRODUCCION EPICA
Summary: 5 Stars
Magistralmente dirigida por Franco Zeffirelli y talentosamente interpretada por Robert Powell, esta miniserie para la televisión es uno de los mejores materiales audiovisuales acerca de la vida de Jesús. Filmada como si se hubiera tratado de un largo metraje de elevado presupuesto, esta miniserie épica es una deslumbrante y majestuosa combinación de intensa narración y extraordinaria precisión religiosa e histórica aclamada por la critica y el publico internacionalmente. Lo anterior se refleja en la gran aceptación que esta producción ha tenido mundialmente habiendo sido vista por mas de medio billón de personas desde su estreno.
Cuenta la leyenda que, en una de sus audiencias privadas en el Vaticano, el productor Sir Lew Grade recibió la petición del Papa Pablo VI de filmar un material cinematográfico acerca de la vida de Jesús de Nazareth. Grade dejo gestando la idea durante años pero gracias a su esposa, una Cristiana comprometida, finalmente accedió. Su primer movimiento fue avocarse al director italiano Franco Zeffirelli que ya había logrado reconocimiento internacional al dirigir a Elizabeth Taylor y Richard Burton en la aclamada "The Taming of the Shrew" de 1967, para posteriormente en 1968 dirigir su mejor película, "Romeo y Julieta" cinta con la que obtendría una nominación de la Academia como Mejor Director. El talento de Zeffirelli daría como resultado lo que muchos han llamado "la mejor producción acerca de la vida de Cristo de todos los tiempos" apoyada por un elenco de actores y actrices aclamados, cuya fortaleza era su habilidad de actuación y no su condición de celebridades, y una poderosa banda sonora compuesta por Maurice Jarre, esta miniserie ha dado a conocer detalladamente la historia de El Hijo del Hombre, su nacimiento, su pasión, su bautismo, su vida, sus seguidores, sus enemigos y su legado a la humanidad.
Aunque muchas otras superproducciones acerca de la vida de Cristo tienen grandes momentos, Jesús de Nazareth las supera a todas, ya que presenta un cuadro humano de los personajes asociados al protagonista desarrollándolos con profundidad mediante la inteligente presentación de tramas paralelas que contribuyen a fortalecer la historia y darle credibilidad.
Si aun no ha visto esta producción se la recomiendo, ya que tiene el poder de llegar al corazón y cambiar vidas.
Aun en la actualidad existen personas obsesionadas con negar la existencia de Jesucristo, justifican su opinión diciendo que no hay evidencias históricas ni científicas que apoyen tal afirmación. Mi primer consejo a estas personas es que busquen a Jesús con el corazón, no con la mente, y mi segundo consejo es que investiguen y estudien los escritos de los grandes historiadores de la antigüedad ya que personajes como Josefo y Tácito, ambos historiadores respetados y de gran prestigio del primer siglo de la era cristiana mencionan a Jesús en sus documentos. Vale la pena mencionar que Tácito era un pagano y Josefo un judío. Otros eruditos del primer siglo de nuestra era que mencionan a Jesús son Suetonio y Plinio el Joven, este ultimo gobernador romano durante la primera parte del segundo siglo de nuestra era, también menciona a Jesús en sus cartas.
La evidencia y las pruebas, que junto con la fe, apoyan la existencia de Jesucristo están a la vista y al alcance de todos, no hay peor ciego que aquel que no quiere ver.
Movie Review: Jesus of Nazareth, best of all films. Jesus will return.
Summary: 5 Stars
COMPLETE and UNEDITED VERSION. Running Time: 6 hours, 22 mins.
Yes! The definitive best. As close to and faithful to the King James Holy Bible as can be.
This version begins with Joseph and Mary and the angel, Gabriel, telling her she will give birth to a son. You will see Jesus as a child, as a teenager preaching and his journeys and miracles by God as an adult.
Every home that believes in Jesus should have this movie. They could never make a tv miniseries about the life of Jesus as carefully, dramatic and beautiful like this one again.
The all-star cast makes this film all the more wonderful.
I, too, enjoy the magnificent, gentle, kind and honest performance of Robert Powell as "Jesus". Almost hypnotizing. Robert Powell was the perfect age to play "Jesus" at age 32. Excellent casting of "Joseph", played by Yorgo Voyagis. He plays "Joseph" with emotion and with a kind face. Olivia Hussey as "Mary" (mother of Jesus) is memorable in her role as well.
Also in the cast: Donald Pleasence, James Earl Jones, Valentina Cortese, Christopher Plummer, Michael York, Tony Vogel, Steve Gardner, James Farentino, Keith Washington, Jonathan Muller, Ian McShane, Anne Bancroft, James Mason, Richard Richardson, Simon MacCorkindale, Ian Holm, Stacy Keach, Claudia Cardinale, Ernest Borgnine, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Quinn, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco, Rod Steiger and Peter Ustinov are unforgetible in their roles. Immad Cohen played "Young Jesus".
This version adds a few more things from the King James Holy Bible that other films do not.
The mini-series continues the true story beyond the Crucifixion when Mary (mother of Jesus and later James, Joses, Simon, Jude and sisters), Salome and Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to anoint the deceased Jesus. They see the mysterious man in a white robe. They discover the stone has been rolled away, the tomb empty.
No other movie adds the following:
Jesus was "alive" and did appear to his disciples again. According to the Holy Bible, Jesus appeared nearly unrecognizable. He showed them his hands and feet. Then they could see it was him. He spoke to them and even ate a fish. Jesus asked that they do not touch him for he had not ascended to his Father yet. He appeared for 40 days and then ascended into the clouds (from Earth to Heaven).
Allow your children to see the mini-series. Perhaps one hour at a time. Let them see the Crucifixion (with your supervision) and when your child asks "Why?", you will know what to say. Jesus died on the cross so that we could live. He saved our lives. And we are all saved.
This is the full-screen version as it aired on television on NBC, April 3, 1977. This 2-disc DVD collection is not closed-captioned and is only in English.
Beware of other tv prints and VHS copies that show the original edited version at 371 mins. The United Kingdom version runs 360 mins.
This DVD version is the complete, unedited version at 6 hours, 22 minutes.
Jesus promised, he will return (The Second Coming). Could Jesus return 2000 years after his death? It is believed he was born 4 B.C., say the scholars and experts according to the timeline and death of Herod the Great.
Could Jesus return in April 2029, 2030 or 2031? We are not allowed to know the exact date, but we will know the season. Christians will know.
Jesus' return (with angels) to Earth, to judge and reign over all nations in the Kingdom of God, will be visible.
They should restore Jesus of Nazareth (1977).
Buy this DVD today.
Movie Review: A LABOR OF LOVE
Summary: 5 Stars
This is THE Jesus movie to see, if ever there was one!Twenty years ago I had the good fortune to discuss these miniseries with director Franco Zeffirelli, and he told me a few things that may answer some doubts and comments I've read in the reviews:
* Although the film unequivocally asserts the divinity of Jesus, there are no special effects to stress this point: no choir of angels, no beams of light coming out of a body, no spurts of fire, or talking lions or "Presto!-what-have-we-got-here?" kind of miracles. Zeffirelli's Jesus is a man doing extraordinary things in quite ordinary terms. The movie greatly benefits from this.
* This is no Technicolor epic. There are no mammoth sets or parades in full regalia. Jerusalem doesn't look like the Acropolis and Jesus doesn't preach with a mike. Instead, Zeffirelli drenches the movie with a certain Renaissance look: some scenes and shots remaind you of a Raphael or Caravaggio by way of dim focus or intense chiaroscuro. The results are far more spectacular than any other biblical film you've seen.
* For those who complain that Robert Powell doesn't look Jewish at all, Zeffirelli told me that his wasn't an archeollogical quest and that the role of Jesus is one quite impossible to fill, no matter how good an actor you've got. Instead of figuring out how the real Jesus looked like (?), he went to the masters and picked the best Christ he thought was ever portrayed. His choice -mine also- was El Greco's: an elongated living flame in flesh and blood. Powell's countenance does convey this idea and the actor deserves a standing ovation for his bravura performance.
* The fact that this is not a documentary doesn't mean that the movie is ill-researched. Far from it, great care was taken to accurately portray customs, housing, food and garb in Palestine circa 1 A.D. Though nobody knows for sure how life was about in those times, Zeffirelli's recreation is outstandingly believable.
* There are no villains in the story, and one does appreciate that. Pharisees and Romans are not depicted as "bad guys" but as intelligent persons well capable of convincingly argue against what Jesus means and preaches. Anthony Quinn's no-nonsense Caiaphas clearly points out why Christianity is nothing but heresy to Jewish Faith, and even Jesus supporters in the Sanhedrin agree with him in the end. No one (except mobs or torturers, of course) glees over the fate of the Nazaren, but merely carry out the unpleasant task of his disposal. No character, not even Herod, is depicted one-dimensionally and controversial passages such as Matthew 27: 25 are better left out.
* Last but not least, I agree with every other reviewer that this movie excels in its miracle cast (Zeffirelli's words), music and storytelling. Lesser known actors deserve special praise: Ian Holm (not a star then) as the Pharisee clerk, Cyril Cussack as a rabbi, Yorgo Voyagis as Joseph, Keith Washington as Matthew, Bruce Lidington as Thomas and Regina Bianchi as Anne, Mary's mother. Their small parts are tinny gems in a crowning masterpiece.
Movies like this can't be made unless the filmmaker's heart is fully commited well beyond the call of professional duty. They must be labors of love. Zeffirelli, a devout Roman Catholic, made this his most compassionate film. It shows, and if you are looking for the best movie to see this Easter, look no further.
Movie Review: A Crucial Study
Summary: 5 Stars
I was only 12 when I saw this the first time, and my father had to actully push me to watch it. Well, now I know more about the cross that parents are forced to carry for the sake of their children. As in his "Romeo and Juliet," "Taming of the Shrew," "Hamlet," and "Tea With Mussolini," Director Franco Zeffirelli's work is nothing short of phenomenal. In my opinion, one's study of the Bible is not complete until he or she has seen this movie. As in his other movies, Director Franco Zeffirelli gives us fascinating scenery and great background music. He also has actors who become the characters they are suppose to. (Some previous reviewers pointed out that as Jesus, Robert Powell never even blinks!) Interestingly, the movie starts a little before even the Gospels. (Mary and Joseph haven't made the formal arrangements yet.) The arguably best thing about this movie is that not only does it harmoniously combine the 4 Gospels, it actually adds a lot of educated speculation and turns briefly mentioned characters from the Gospels into fully 3d human beings. As Christians of today, we have hindsight, so we can easily fall into the trap of simply labeling characters weak, bad, etc. What this movie does is it removes hindsight and helps us understand the characters in the Bible more. Jesus was in fact bringing changes to established order, and naturally, despite his wonderful deeds, people could have divided feelings about him. Isaac Asimov said that the Jewish authorities had been taught that their religion placed emphasis on a strict adherence to the letter of the law, while Jesus' view was that it was alright to deviate from the written law if it meant doing a greater good. We often think of Caiaphas as the man who handed Jesus over to the Romans. But even the Anglican Bishop Richard Holloway said that Jesus called himself the son of God, and as the high priest, Caiaphas had to react to that. (We also tend to forget that Caiaphas had a job to keep order. And if he let things get out of hand, the Romans would take matters into their hands no matter how bloody things had to get.) We often just see Judas as the one who betrayed Christ. Well, was this out of malice? The Gospels say he hung himself afterwards. Certainly he wasn't happy about what he had done. As the movie suggests, he could very well have been tricked by Jesus' enemies into doing so: "If he really is the Messiah, God will not abandon him. And if he isn't, you will have saved Israel from another false prophet." Judas may very well have thought that he was bringing Jesus to a meeting where he could explain himself before the religious authorities. (King Richard III actually eliminated some of his enemies by putting them under the impression that they were just coming to a meeting and of course when they arrived, they were imprisoned and executed.) All in all, this is a phenomenal movie that not only harmoniously combines the 4 Gospels, but it also offers a lot of educated speculation that helps things make more sense. It also helps us to understand people we may have only seen through limited vision. Whether you are Roman Catholic, Anglo Catholic, Methodist, or any other Christian, this movie is an essential study.Movie Review: A brilliant depiction of the Gospels...
Summary: 5 Stars
Since Thomas Edison's invention of the modern cinema, countless filmmakers have endeavored to produce a moving picture that accurately chronicles the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. Aside from Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which chronicled only a part of the life and crucifixion of Jesus, Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth is the greatest of all. Originally aired as a television mini-series (it's over six hours in length), the film closely adheres to the word-for-word accounts found in the Gospels.
The story begins with Joseph (Yorgo Voyagis) and Mary's (Olivia Hussey) reception of God's angels. Each is told of the child that Mary will bear and what his name will be. The scene where Mary receives her message is an especially powerful piece of cinematic artistry with no dialogue - only a warm light surrounding Mary as she bows in prayer. The film holds true to every utterance in the Gospels, recounting the census, Herod's decree, and the travels of Joseph and Mary.
As Jesus (Robert Powell) develops into adulthood, we witness the beginning of his ministry. He calls on his disciples, teaches through use of parables, and displays many miracles. Zeffirelli makes powerful use of the camera by having his star, Powell, never be caught blinking in any scene. At first, it's barely noticeable, and it takes some time to figure out what is so different. But this absence of the uniformly common trait of blinking creates a divine aura around the character of Jesus. It draws in the audience by creating an emotional sense of peace that lends credibility to the onscreen portrayal of Jesus.
From beginning to end, Jesus of Nazareth offers a plethora of memorable scenes and exchanges which are more attributable to the Gospels and the actual life of Jesus rather than brilliant direction and acting ability. But the subject matter is aptly handled by a great production team and an endless array of first-rate actors and actresses, among them are - Mary Magdalene (Anne Bancroft), the Centurion (Ernest Borgnine), Simon Peter (James Farentino), Balthazar (James Earl Jones), Joseph of Arimathea (James Mason), Nicodemus (Laurence Olivier), Caiaphas (Anthony Quinn), and many others... Overall, the individual performances come together to form a rich tapestry of wisdom and intrigue that will leave its audience with much upon which to reflect and ponder. If you believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah (which this author does), then Jesus of Nazareth serves as a form of meditation and renewal of one's spiritual connection to God. But if you don't view Jesus in this way, no other film will leave you in such awe of the profound influence promulgated by a humble, sandal-clan man from a province on the outskirts of mighty Rome - an influence that has completely dominated the world for almost two thousand years to the present day.
For spiritual, philosophical, and cinematic reasons, Jesus of Nazareth is a definite must-see film for the ages...
The DVD Report