Top 3 Jesus Films
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Greatest Story ever Told
The Passion of Christ
Jesus is a man in history. The central figure in Biblical teachings. The new testament features the man, both human / flesh and blood and deity, God and the son of God. Although most of us think that the old testament and the new testament are separate they are not, they both emphasize the love and grace of God and the promise of salvation.
Jesus is featured prominently in them both, Savior promised and Savior manifested in the flesh. Jesus himself declared that He fulfilled the law and the prophets, that covers everything in the old testament. So the crucifixion of Jesus, the work of the cross is a completed work, even Jesus declared this before dying, "It is finished".
Mankind from the beginning has been fascinated by the man. Whether they are followers or not, men have been instrumental in showing the Savior in every form of media known to man, films are no different.
My top favorite portrayals are mentioned above, and although i love them, they all have shortcomings but then they all are man made, correct? Edited, clipped, cropped and printed by man, species not gender. But i feel each one was inspired. Of course in their own way we can grasp truths that are irrefutable and inspirational.
I love the fact that even though many dispute who Jesus is, none can refute the man existed.
Films & my opinion,
Jesus Christ Superstar: probably my most favorite if not the most unorthodox version - a musical of all things. But i love this film, beyond soul altering music and lyrics, the conflicts make one envision some of the biblical story and think.
likes:
- truth in catchy lyrics, put to memorable music
- diverse ethnic races represented
dislikes,
- healing scene, made it seem Jesus incapable of healing all the diseased and sick, not true, 'He went about doing good and healing all that were sick', according to the new testament.
- blond hair and light eyes
The Greatest Story Ever Told, several versions:
likes:
- baptism of Jesus, God's approval and influence
- multiple miracles
dislikes:
- made Jesus weak looking, almost unapproachable
- blond hair and blue eyes
The Passion of Christ, Mel Gibson:
This maybe the closest version to visualizing the humanity of Jesus the man, son, teacher, leader and human being.
likes:
- humanity of Jesus, interacting with his mother
- Jesus brutalized, although not disfigured enough brings to life some of His intense agony
dislikes:
- not enough people of color, even in biblical times Israel, Jerusalem was a melting pot of races or ethic groups
- the unknown man helping Jesus carry the cross, was a man of color
- his androgynous depiction of Satan / Lucifer / the devil when the bible refers to him as an angel, usually those that walked among humans were shown as male
All are one man's interpretation and a group of collaborator's coming from different backgrounds and experiences when it comes to Christianity, from an industry that loves embroidering for emotional impact.
There is nothing wrong with that because the story told anyway, is a story of love and reconciliation and no matter who tells the story that has to be the under current of the telling of the story in any version.
Which means that we see what aspect of the Jesus that has impacted the writer, director, producer and editor.
It is how we see Christ Jesus, that gives us the ability to relate and talk about His influence on our own lives. We glimpse this in the films as well.