What's the best movie ever about Jesus?

[hatrack]

Here's your chance, considering the ongoing debate, to make your cinematic pick.

[hlthe2b]

1. Ignore post....

I was confused over another Heston pic....never mind.

[MichaelHarris]

2. What about....

Dogma? Alanis Morissette played a pretty good God. I know its Jesus's dad and all....

[southpaw]

3. Life of Brian

[CanuckAmok]

34. Hold on, that was about Jesus? Ooooh, NOW I get it.

n/t

[ironflange]

35. Another vote for Brian!

Maybe two. I know a minister whose favorite movie is Life of Brian. He's a pretty cool old guy.

[Fenris]

4. Godspell

Kidding. There are no good movies about Jesus.:)

[skjpm]

17. Godspell. Not kidding.

I realize this is a love it or hate it thing, but I really love this movie. I like the idea of a friendly, funny Jesus telling stories on the streets of New York. And I love the music. And I was in the play once. So, mock if you must, but it's much more fun than The Last Tempatation.

[absyntheNsugar]

21. YES GODSPELL ROCKED!

Took the Jesus from the paintings and made him a modern day hippie in NYC....Love the music, love the movie...and I hate musicals!

[mac56]

30. count me in on "Godspell"

Loved the music, loved the play, loved the movie.

[Faygo Kid]

5. Easily, "Jesus of Nazareth" - Zefferilli

A brilliant cast; a moving experience. Unlike "The Passion," it focused on Christ's message. I do not denigrate His sacrifice, but isn't it also important to focus on His message? (Check out The Beatitudes. You can Google it, folks). The Right will never accept Christ's message; it is definitely not Enron-friendly. For shame that we have allowed them to hijack it.

[gula]

6. Jesus of Montreal

How could you forget that one. The best ever

[hatrack]

9. Got your suggestion and fixed it! nt

.

[gula]

19. Thanks, it's much appreciated

:toast:

[Loonman]

7. Willem Dafoe as Jesus was awesome

He's great.

Plus a score by Peter Gabriel, you cant go wrong!

[ohiosmith]

8. The Ruling Class.

[Westegg]

25. ---"His Lordship is a paranoid schizophrenic."

---"But... we've always been Church of England!"

[trogdor]

10. The Great Lebowski!

Nobody messes with the Jesus!

[tridim]

15. It's "the BIG Lebowski" :)

I might be the only one who thinks this, but that movie had lots of other biblical references besides "The Jesus", who was a false prophet BTW. The Dude was God, Maude Lebowski was Mary and their baby was Jesus. The "stranger" spells it all out in the last scene.

[mobuto]

27. I'm rereading my copy of the King James, and

I see no reference anywhere to Donny, nor to a missing toe.

I demand satisfaction!

[Palacsinta]

11. The Nun's Story

Audrey Hepburn marries Jesus!

[xcentrik]

12. J.C. Superstar?????!!

The one where all of the Pharisees had big honkers and curly red or black hair, but all of Jesus' followers were waspy looking whites or blacks, and the Pharisees were, through the tanks and jets association, linked to Israel? No f***in' thanks.

[tridim]

16. I just liked it for the music

I actually own the LP. :)

[Semi_subversive]

13. Cottonpatch Gospel

Not a film, but if you ever have a chance to see a stage performance, go for it. It's called the greatest story ever retold. The story of Jesus in more modern day Alabama. Really throws it at televangelist hypocrite types. The music and lyrics are by the late, great Harry Chapin. For those of you in the Sacramento area, it's an annual Easter time tradition at the Broadway Playhouse on El Camino Ave. between Watt and Eastern.

[Whitacre D_WI]

14. "The Divine Mr. J."

Starring Bette Midler as Mary (a virgin).

[hatrack]

18. Anyone familiar with John Wayne at the foot of the Cross?

If you saw "The Greatest Story Ever Told", you'll remember his concluding line. Wayne, in Roman centurion garb, exclaims in his broadest possible Wayne-speak, "Surely this man was the son of God!"

The story goes that during the filming, director George Stevens told Wayne to "put a little more awe into it."

John Wayne swiftly responded with "Aww, surely this man was the son of God!"

[Faygo Kid]

20. Well, this has gone into silliness.

And maybe it reflects just how bad the movies have done with such a big subject. I will take Zefferelli, but I understand how absurd this has all been. "The Passion of the Christ" reflects a cultural war that is coming now, more than a religious statement. And it is ten years too early, according to the book "Generations." The last time that happened in American history, we fought the Civil War. Read it, and weep.

[hatrack]

22. This is something that movies, on the whole, haven't done well with

Although for what it's worth, I'll take Zefferelli's and Scorsese's versions as the best of a mixed lot.

And I think your comments on "The Passion" as reflective of its time are spot-on. For an even more depressing conflation, check out the graphic at the top of this link:

[Faygo Kid]

23. Thank you. Always appreciate a helpful response.

This is getting out of hand. Have you checked out the book, "Generations?" I am a highly cynical 50+ baby boomer, but the analysis of generations rings true. Thanks, and hope to hear from you again.

[hatrack]

24. No, but it sounds interesting - do you have an author?

I googled it and all I got was DVDs with William Shatner and Malcolm McDowell! ;-)

[Faygo Kid]

29. Good heavens! Try Amazon.com; Strauss & Howe

And be sure to come back and let me know what you think. Perfect? No, of course not, but intriguing and a great analysis of American history. Thanks for asking, and don't forget to fill me in. I think you will enjoy it.

[mitchum]

26. Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St Matthew"...

is excellent. All other Jesus movies are pretty wretched, but that doesn't mean some of them aren't "enjoyable"

[terrya]

28. I second Pasolini's film.

Terry

[hatrack]

31. Interesting - I've never even heard of this version

Not that I'm a Biblical film buff or anything like that. Recent? Older film?

[MrSlayer]

32. The Last Temptation was brilliant.

My favorite Jesus movie by far.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

33. Greaser's Palace 1970 - Robert Downey Sr.

Jesus wears a zoot suit, spats and lemon-yellow gloves...God the Father is an old cowboy dressed in black who picks off people with a rifle....and the Holy Ghost is a guy in a sheet who walks around complaining that nobody knows who he is.