Compare three cinematic figures of Jesus Christ - Essay Example

Order No. 167469 Word Count: 1729 Three Cinematic Figures of Jesus Christ Jesus The Greatest Story of All Time Television Miniseries/1999 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Mark10:15/Luke 18:17 This version presents a playful almost childish Jesus in everything he does, shy in a way, unaware of his divine birth, working as a carpenter with Joseph, his father. His body thou, is taller and stronger than any other Jesus figures. The movie starts with both sleeping on the field, where Jesus is having a dream about people being burned on his name and a battle field where a soldier dies crying His name, he wakes up puzzled, but he doesnt give it much thought. This Jesus is in love with Mary of Bethany, and although she obviously has the look of love in her eyes and he reciprocates the looks, there is something that prevents him to ask her to marry him, but he does not know what it is, when he asks his father about it, Joseph only answers; "Im just a carpenter, but you Jesus, you are not just a carpenter." Before dying, his earthly father lets him know that he is expected to do something to deliver the people of Israel from the Roman tyranny, yet he does not understand what or why him. "You want me to step out but you leave alone" he tells his father in the grave, he begs God to raise him, he demands Him, and finally, he accepts Gods will. It is Mary his mother who tells him about his divine conception and encourages him to follow his heart. Thats when he leaves for forty days and forty nights to the desert to fast and meditate about his future. His innocence and great faith are evident in his encounter with Satan, when he tempts him to turn the stones into bread to feed the people of Israel so they wont die he answers: "They die because of the hearts of stone of other men, not because of the will of God." When told by Satan that in order to make people listen he should throw himself from the Temple, and have Gods angels come rescue him, "that would get the peoples attention." Jesus seems to understand Satans point of view and he is about to jump, then stops and turns to tell him: "If God wanted to test natures laws, he wouldnt have sent me." It is through the third temptation that he realizes He is "The lamb of God." He returns home only to find two followers who call him Rabi, yet he does not understand why they call him in such manner. He is thrilled to know he is going to the wedding of his cousin and so he invites the two "strangers." He dances, he smiles, and when there is no more wine in the wedding, it is his mother who persuades him in doing something about it. His capture, trial, crucifixion and death are depicted in the traditional painful way of the Bible, without going into much detail. Upon resurrection, his childish smile is back. This figure of Jesus emphasizes love in very simple and direct words, without the use of parables, the message shown and taught thru the movie is: "You will be free when you learn to love, you want mercy, give mercy, you want love, give love. To be free of the tyranny of sin" ^j^ Jesus Christ Superstar 1973 In the history of filmmaking Jesus Christ is by far the figure who has inspired more movies with different versions, in almost every language than any other. The first ones were all cut under the same traditional line of story and directing, however as society changed, the view of directors and scriptwriters did too, Jesus Christ Superstar was the first one to depict a more modern version; an opera rock were Jesus, still within the traditional figure of the Bible was portrayed singing his message to the crowds. Ted Neely reveals a mature Jesus who bears a great physical resemblance to that portrayed in many paintings made about Jesus, particularly his face. The strong yet soft features, the hair, the deep look in his eyes, the movement of his hands, and the lean body under the rope. A somehow unorthodox Jesus, in the account of the last six days of the life of Jesus through the troubled eyes of Judas Iscariot, Throughout the movie, his smile is warm, and the voice although modulated, has a high pitch one would not have expected Jesus to be, nevertheless it delivers the message loud and clear. The scene at the Temple, where he gets enraged because of the crowds selling goods during Passover is well delivered; "…but you have made it a cave of thieves" shows the strong personality required for the moment and you understand why the son of God lost his temper when we expect Jesus to be calm and understanding at all times, yet because it is the house of his father he needs to remind the crowd, the temple is for prayer and sacrifice and not a place for merchants. "Surely youre not saying we have the resources to save the poor from their lot, there will be poor always pathetically struggling…" Jesus response to Judas Iscariot over the expensive perfume Mary Magdalene is using to wash his feet is rather crude and totally different from any other version or from the Bible, yet credible coming from his soft voice, but then his voice raises and the muscles of his face tighten when he basically tells the apostles to "look at the good things youve got, think while you still have me, move while you still see me, youll be lost and youll be sorry, when Im gone," telling Judas and the other to be concerned about more important things to come, and not about a bottle of perfume and its cost. Gethsemane brings us the praying before the capture, and the emotional roller coaster he is experiencing: Then I was inspired, now Im sad and tired…" Then fear shows in his eyes when he asks himself: "Why then am I scared to finish what I started…" to immediately go to the human side within his divinity by rebelling against the will of God; "What YOU started, I didnt started" finally accepting Gods will, which is one of the many things he came to show us with his example: "God, thy will is hard, but you hold every card, I will drink your cup of poison, nail me to your cross and break me, bleed me, beat me, kill me, take me now! Before I change my mind." His capture, trial, condemnation and crucifixion are endured per the Bible writings, he endures, he forgives and he resurrects on the third day. Within a surrealistic version, the characterization of Jesus delivers the traditional image we all have from Jesus. ^j^ The Passion of The Christ "By His Wounds We Were Healed" 2004 Far from the usual Hollywood style, the language spoken through the entire film is the original Aramaic, taking us back in time and adding realism to the already very real scenery and events. The Passion of the Christ focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth. This film reveals the greatness of Jesus from the beginning, when in Gethsemane he puts back the sliced off ear of the Roman guard wounded in the struggle, his enemy, who is there to apprehend him. The look in Jesus eyes glow with love and compassion. While the dramatic events unfold, the story of Jesus is told by the memories of those who knew him; we even see his playful personality while interacting with Mary, his mother. And Jesus as a toddler falling down and injuring himself with a panicked Mary running to his rescue. We also see the sermon of the mountain where he is teaching the crowd about his power of "Lay down my life and take it back up again." Jesus is taken to Caiaphas, where he is scorned, spit and struck in his face, slapped and humiliated, nevertheless he remains humble, and when the high priest demands to know if He is the Messiah, the son of God, Jesus answers in perfect Aramaic, "But I say to all of you; In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven." He is then taken to Pilate, and even thou he wants nothing to do with Jesus, he has him flogged and hands him back to the guards who take him to the Praetorium where he is stripped, placed a crown of thorns in his head, beaten over and over, his eye beaten shut, his face, head and body dripping in blood by the submitted torture. On his way to the Golgotha, his eye gouging, flesh ripped and his body relentlessly destroyed he carries the cross, he falls, he rises, falls again, rises and falls again and rises one more time. He is a walking pulp of blood as he continues his way. not once cursing those who torture him in front of his mother, followers and a frenzied crowd hurling insults at him. At the moment of his crucifixion, darkness came over the land, he stayed alive in agony and at the very end he cried out in a loud voice saying: "Eloi, Eloi lama sabachtani?" Why have you forsaken me? And "Forgive them father, for they dont know what they are doing." He asks God to take his spirit and at the moment of his death, nature overturns in the form of an earthquake and heavy rain. It is by far the most violent account of the final hours of Jesus in his human form and perhaps the intention of writer/director Mel Gibson was to make visible the extend of the corporal punishment inflicted upon Jesus, and his silent nevertheless immense agony in an attempt to make people aware of the real meaning of such sacrifice; Obedience, Love and the purest form of trust in Gods will. The choice of James Caviezel as the figure of Jesus couldnt have been more assertive, his face is the personification of The Lamb, vulnerable yet confident, helpless still impregnable, exposed, nevertheless invincible. References Weber, T. Rice L., Jesus Christ Superstar., blockbuster dvd. 1973 Couture, S. Jesus, the Greatest Story of All Time, blockbuster dvd. 2003 Gibson, M. The Passion of the Christ, blockbuster dvd. 2004 Read More