Alfonso’s picks: “10 Best Jesus Christ Films”
One of the writers we follow closely on the Forum is Alfonso Mendiz, author of the book “Jesucristo en el cine“. We feature here his “Top 10 Jesus Christ films”, highly recommended for watching during the Holy Week.
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There have been many film critics that have come out with their “List of Movies” on the life of Jesus Christ. Before I present my own list, allow me to mention some listings that you’d find on the Net.
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A shorter and more manageable listing is that which you find on the Episcopal Conference’s website, section on “JesusChrist on Film”, where you find a list of 15 recommended films, apart from other listings, like films of biblical inspiration, on the history of Christianity, and on the followers of Christ. Although a bit unupdated (the last cited film is 1994), it has the advantage of being brief and containing a pertinent commentary alongside each title and which allows us to analyze and value the content of each one.
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And now for my list (of recommended Jesus films). From a historical-chronological standpoint, these are, to my mind, the 10 films that I’d consider most appropriate for their bringing us closer to Jesus of Nazareth. Beside each one I indicate the Director (D) and the actor who played Jesus (J):
1) Vida y pasión de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo (France, 1907). D: Ferdinand Zecca. J: ?
2) The King of Kings (USA, 1927). D: Cecil B. DeMille. J: Henry Bryan Warner.
3) Golgotha (France, 1935). D: Julián Duvivier. J: Robert Le Vigan.
4) King of Kings (USA, 1961). D: Nicholas Ray. J: Jeffrey Hunter.
5) Il vangelo secondo Matteo (1964). D: Pier Paolo Passolini. J: Enrique Irazoqui.
6) The Greatest Story Ever Told (USA, 1965). D: George Stevens. J: Max von Sydow.
7) Jesus of Nazareth (Italy, 1977). D: Franco Zeffirelli. J: Robert Powell.
8) Jesus (Italy, 1999). D: Roger Young. J: Jeremy Sisto. Miniseries for RAI, which had the most success, above all in the U.S. Presents the most human figure of Jesus Christ: laughs, jokes, loves, suffers… and we see him as a dear friend of the disciples. 231 min.
9) The Miracle Maker: The Story of Jesus (U.K.-Russia, 2000). D: Stanislav Sokolov:
The best animated film, recounted from the point of view of a little girl: the daughter of Jairus, whom Christ raises from the dead at the final scene of the movie. It surprises for the expressiveness of the animated characters. 90 min.
10) THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (USA, 2004). D: Mel Gibson. J: Jim Caviezel. 126 min.
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Have a prayerful Holy Week … and Happy Easter!
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