Your Favorite Movie Jesus

[Taverner]

Better late than never...as for me I like the Godspell Jesus....this Jesus coulda been a DU'er - and the stories he told were way cool!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Gotta love the Jesus of Nazareth one! Spooky blue eyes that

never once blink!

Truly bizarre look. Like something God would do.

[elperromagico]

8. I believe the actor (Robert Powell) originally auditioned for Judas,

but when the director Franco Zefferelli saw those piercing blue eyes, he realized that he'd never find an actor to play Christ with more striking eyes. So, he gave Powell the lead role. Powell was great, of course.

All in all, Jesus of Nazareth is my favorite version of the Christ story.

[DivinBreuvage]

15. My favorite too!

I haven't seen it in years but I still remember a few great scenes:

His complete cool nonchalance, even an extremely subtle contempt, when the self-righteous mob drags the adultress out to stone her;

The moment when Peter, who has just been acting all high and mighty about entering Matthew's house, sees Jesus go in and talk so courteously to the people there, and comes up so shyly and tearfully asks for forgiveness;

When Jesus raises the little girl from the dead and she sits up and hugs him;

Or the tone of his voice when he tells the multitude during the Sermon on the Mount to rejoice and be glad when they are persecuted and reviled for his sake. He really did make it sound like something to be happy about.

Or when Caiaphas explains what the word "Christ" means to Pilate, who then sniffs "Thank you. I too know some Greek."

And, ewwwwww, Christopher Plummer's creepy behavior around Salome! I sort of liked Josh Mostel's portrayal in the film version of J.C. Superstar though.

As I've been writing this it seems to me that the Franco Zefferelli/Robert Powell Jesus focuses heavily on the redemptive aspects of Jesus, i.e. that God's love is still open to you no matter how low you may have sunk or how despised you are by other people.

Incidentally, our Pastor mentioned a while back that a study showed that the more fundamentalist a church is, the less likely they are to quote Christ and the more likely they are to quote Paul. He also frequently criticizes the Bush administration.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

23. Yes, that is true. and the guy who played Judas, who was

orignially supposed to be the Christ is Ian McShane, who can now be seen on HBO's Deadwood, as the main bad guy.

[mitchum]

2. Jeffery Hunter in "King Of Kings" AKA "I Was A Teenage Jesus"

shaved armpits and all

[Fridays Child]

6. I'll second that. In fact...

I'd vote for Jeffey Hunter in anything. Or in nothing. The man was hot!

[mykpart]

21. Jeffrey Hunter fer shure!

Talk about blue eyes!

[SayitAintSo]

3. Life of Brian .... Best Jesus movie to date

Blessed are the cheese makers...:)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

24. Follow the shoe!

[kodi]

27. No! Follow the Gourd. it is the True Way!

accept no substitutions!

[Kurt Remarque]

4. do i really need to have a favorite one?

[Taverner]

5. Yes! You Must!

Choose or be forced to eat at Hot Dog on a Stick!

[elperromagico]

7. I like the idea of a Swedish messiah,

so I picked Max Von Sydow's interpretation of the Big J in The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Max also earns the Versatility Prize; some thirty years later, he played Satan in the film version of Stephen King's Needful Things.

[AntiCoup2K4]

26. He was also Father Merrin in "The Exorcist"

Which brings up the old biblical question, "Can Satan cast out Satan??" :evilgrin:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

32. Or can Jesus and Satan be one in the same? And then cast

out Satan?

[Ruby Romaine]

9. wasn't Jesus in Mel Brooks History of the World?

i think John Hurt played Jesus?

[elperromagico]

12. Yes, played by John Hurt

of The Elephant Man and King Ralph fame.

[ZenLefty]

10. History of the World Part 1 Jesus

Jesus!
Yes?
What?
What?
What?
Yes?
Jesus!
Yes?
What?
Yes.
Jesus!

[Delano]

11. You forgot "Dogma" Jesus!

That was my favorite one! I also liked "God" in that movie!

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. Dogma Jesus for me, too!

Though I have to say there was a British version of Jesus that was EXCELLENT! It might have been an Italian director, but it was something the Brits did just a couple years ago, in whch jesus was not the weak-speaking non-passionate person we see in "the robe" and "the greatest story ever told" and a lot of other Jesus movies, but was a passionate man who was actually angry during the cleansing of the money-changers in the temple and a lot of other times.

I wish I could remember the damn name, but it was an excellent, biblically-sound, theologically honest movie version of what Jesus was most likely like. Can't recommend it enough.

[mouse7]

28. Definitely Buddy Jesus

:thumbsup:

[Zomby Woof]

13. Jesus of Montreal

http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/moviereview/item_5011.html

Great little Canadian film from the late 80's.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

33. I completely forgot that one. Great movie. I loved it too.

Wonderful modern adaptation.

[SarahB]

14. Godspell, cause I'm a sucker for the music

I went to a very progressive, tiny, urban Catholic school off and on (long story) until 7th grade and we used to frequently do lots of music from Godspell. Brings back memories. Music good enough to keep the tips of my toes still dipped in the waters of Christianity (but that's an even longer story).

My favorite song from Godspell:

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

You are the light of the world!
You are the light of the world!
But if that light is under a bushel,
It's lost something kind of crucial
You've got to stay bright to be the light of the world

You are the salt of the earth
You are the salt of the earth
But if that salt has lost it's flavor
It ain't got much in its favor
You can't have that fault and be the salt of the earth!

(chorus):
So let your light so shine before men
Let your light so shine
So that they might know some kindness again
We all need help to feel fine (let's have some wine!)

You are the city of God
You are the city of God
But if that city's on a hill
It's kinda hard to hide it well
You've got to stay pretty in the city of God

(chorus):
So let your light so shine before men
Let your light so shine
So that they might know some kindness again
We all need help to feel fine (let's have some wine!)

You are the light of the world
You are the light of the world
But the tallest candlestick
Ain't much good without a wick
You've got to live right to be the light of the world

[Shoedogg]

19. Godspell does have great songs...

...but nobody rocks it like JC Superstar.

[Gildor Inglorion]

25. Amen!

I love the music and lyrics. What a revelation it was when that album was first released!

CROWD: Hosanna Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna
Hey Sanna Hosanna
Hey JC, JC won't you smile at me?
Sanna Hosanna Hey Superstar
CAIAPHAS: Tell the rabble to be quiet, we anticipate a riot.
This common crowd, is much too loud.
Tell the mob who sing your song that they are fools and they are wrong.
They are a curse. They should disperse.
CROWD: Hosanna Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna
Hey Sanna Hosanna
Hey JC, JC you're alright by me
Sanna Hosanna Hey Superstar
JESUS: Why waste your breath moaning at the crowd?
Nothing can be done to stop the shouting.
If every tongue were still the noise would still continue.
The rocks and stones themselves would start to sing:
CROWD and JESUS: Hosanna Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna
Hey Sanna Hosanna
Hey JC, JC won't you fight for me?
Sanna Hosanna Hey Superstar
JESUS: Sing me your songs,
But not for me alone.
Sing them for yourselves,
For you are blessed.
There is not one of you who can not win the kingdom.
The slow the suffering,
The quick the dead.
CROWD and JESUS: Hosanna Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna
Hey Sanna Hosanna
CROWD (alone)Hey JC, JC won't you die for me?
Sanna Hosanna Hey Superstar

[Zinfandel]

16. Star Wars....

and This is Spinal Tap!

[jobycom]

17. John Torturro

Don't fu.. with the Jesus!

[bubba_fett]

20. I would have to say life of brian

but Steve Buscemi would make an awesome Jesus! That's a movie I hope to see some day....

[K8-EEE]

22. JC Superstar Ted Neely....One Foxy JC!!

Yeow!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

29. Godspell Jesus

He's the coolest.

[acmavm]

30. Robert Powell is my favorite. His calmness in the face of what was to

come (except for the scene in Gethsemane)is exactly how I picture the real Jesus. The scene around the campfire when he asks the deciples (sp) who they thought he really was, and as mentioned, the words spoken to the adulteress who was about to be stone, all very moving.

A&E had it on again last week. I watch it every year. The entire cast was amazing.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

31. Definately a who's who of 70's actors

Robert Powell .... Jesus Christ
Anne Bancroft .... Mary Magdalene
Ernest Borgnine .... The Centurion
Claudia Cardinale .... The Adulteress
Valentina Cortese .... Herodias
James Farentino .... Simon Peter
James Earl Jones .... Balthazar
Stacy Keach .... Barabbas
Tony Lo Bianco .... Quintilius
James Mason .... Joseph of Arimathea
Ian McShane .... Judas Iscariot
Laurence Olivier .... Nicodemus
Donald Pleasence .... Melchior
Christopher Plummer .... Herod Antipas
Anthony Quinn .... Caiaphas

[gorrister]

34. also Ian Holm...

as "Zerah"

(I voted for "Jesus Of Nazareth")

[Whitacre D_WI]

35. John Bassberger, from "The Divine Mr. J" (aka "The Thorn")

[LynneSin]

36. Where's Dogma?

My vote is for that movie!!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

39. The Buddy Christ was here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x995854#995896

[Viking12]

37. Jesus Shuttlesworth

Played by Ray Allen in "He Got Game"

[NewHampster]

38. Can't remember the name. I think he's killed at the end

n/t:hi:

[mykpart]

40. Anybody remember Phil Hartman playing Jesus on SNL?

[mark0rama]

42. Phil Hartman

I only remember seeing him as Jesus once, in a non-speaking part on that freakin' hilarious Passover Seder sketch with Jerry Seinfeld as Elijah. Did he have other good bits as Jesus?

[jdsmith]

43. He was JC a couple of time

His lines went something like, "Hey, who brought the wine?" It was funny and actually very endearing--a Jesus you'd like to have come to your house.

[mark0rama]

41. Jesus Quintana in The Big Lebowski!

As played by John Turturro. Does he count?