Brad Pitt Playing Pontius Pilate?

Empire Magazine ^ | January 8, 2013 | Owen Williams

[2ndDivisionVet]

As revealed last autumn, Warners are planning to add to the recent spate of proposed Biblical epics with its own yarn based around Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. Deadline now reveals that Brad Pitt is circling the lead role. Reports that it's because he wants to wash his hands of World War Z remain unverified.

The familiar version of Pilate is more or less the one played - rather well - by Hristo Shopov in Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ, and by David Bowie in Scorsese's The Last Temptation Of Christ - although perhaps you prefer Telly Savalas in The Greatest Story Ever Told or Michael Palin's portrayal in Life Of Brian. He's the politician who orders Jesus' crucifixion, securing himself a role as one of history's greatest villains.

There is plenty more to his story than that, however, and the idea of showing the character's younger years as a ferocious military badass under the rule of Emperor Tiberius might perhaps explain the attraction to the historically, epically-inclined Brad Pitt of Wolfgang Petersen's Troy...

[doorgunner69]

So there will be a scene where PPshouts out: “Dude! Like, you know, Dude!”

[madison10]

I don’t think that the scene of Christ and PP in Mel Gibson’s movie can ever be equaled or exceeded.

So true. The scene was so realistic. Pitt would make a very good Pontius Pilate. Hope they don't make the guy into a hero of some sort.

The scenes that made me sob, though, were the ones where Mary was seeing Jesus as a child. Now that I think about it I sobbed through much of the latter part of the film. Not a movie that is easy to be seen more than once.

[vbmoneyspender]

When Pilate is questioning Christ, Christ effortlessly shifts his responses to Pilate from Aramaic to Latin. The look on Pilate's face morphs instantly from a supreme position of power and confidence to one of awe and fear as he realizes he is not dealing with a mere heretic or insurrectionist, but something completely different and unknown.

To a certain extent this reflects what actually happened to Paul. It always puts a smile on my face when I read Acts 23:22 and it shows how different the Romans were from other people. I can imagine the Roman Commander getting ashen-faced when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen

They listened to [Paul] until he said this, but then they raised their voices and shouted, “Take such a one as this away from the earth. It is not right that he should live.” And as they were yelling and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the [Roman] cohort commander ordered him to be brought into the compound and gave instruction that he be interrogated under the lash to determine the reason why they were making such an outcry against him. But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion on duty, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and has not been tried?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the cohort commander and reported it, saying, “What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen.” Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. The commander replied, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” Paul said, “But I was born one.” At once those who were going to interrogate him backed away from him, and the commander became alarmed when he realized that he was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound.

[ColdOne]

I will give you Moneyball, didn’t see buttons.

[353FMG]

Any movie about the last physical day in the life of Christ on earth other than depicted by Mel Gibson would be a disappointment. Mel said and showed it all.

Sheesh, I wish the guy would start directing again.

[Hootowl]

The world used to feel a little like that about American citizens. Wonder what happened?

[Fiji Hill]

When Pilate is questioning Christ, Christ effortlessly shifts his responses to Pilate from Aramaic to Latin. The look on Pilate's face morphs instantly from a supreme position of power and confidence to one of awe and fear as he realizes he is not dealing with a mere heretic or insurrectionist, but something completely different and unknown.

Interestingly, the Latin they were speaking in the film was liturgical Latin, which I'm pretty sure was developed hundreds of years after the first centyry.

[Joe 6-pack]

YES! I've long appreciated that very passage and its profound implications re citizenship. IMHO, Acts has the potential to be an incredible movie...or even serial a la Lord of the Rings.

[SunkenCiv]

I’m sure we’ll see a whole new side to Punches Pilot. [cough cough]

Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks 2ndDivisionVet. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Argus]

I thought Basil Rathbone made an effectively dastardly, aristocratic Pilate in THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII.

[vladimir998]

here’s the trailer for World War Z: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwTxRuq-uk

[vladimir998]

That’s because Pilate effortlessly shifted from Latin to Aramaic. Most people in the audience miss the point because they can’t tell one language from another.

I always said Hristo Shopov should have received an Oscar just for how he managed to look surprised (that Jesus could speak Latin) while trying to not look too surprised. It’s all in his face. It’s beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsSb2VFRbyo

It always reminds me of the face of centurion in Ben Hur who wanted to stop Christ from giving water to Ben Hur. The look on his face when He looks at Christ is priceless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVlf7OiiTJE

[napscoordinator]

Never saw it.....hell, never heard of it. What’s it about? Really that bad? Pitt’s usually very good.

lol. Of course you haven’t. It does not come out until at the earliest Summer 2013.

[napscoordinator]

Nothing will save Brad Pitt from how badly he screwed up World War Z.

Are you in it? Did you get a sneak peak? How did you see it when it does not come out for at least six months? Are you exaggerating or trying to bash something that was impossible for you to see???? Has to be one of those explanations.

[napscoordinator]

Nothing will save Brad Pitt from how badly he screwed up World War Z.

I did your research for you. Amazing that you claim to know all about a movie yet to release. Not only are you incredibly amazing at finding out the future but your bashing movie is not released until June 21, 2013! If you are not aware, today is January 8, 2013.....We are a LONG way away from World War Z release.

[Chipper]

Read the book, then watch the trailer and tell me any scene in that trailer that is in the book. I apologize for bunching your panties.

[Revolting cat!]

Tom Cruise as Jesus? Or is it time for a black actor? A retired NFL thug (before he murders) would be best!

[Sans-Culotte]

The scenes that made me sob, though, were the ones where Mary was seeing Jesus as a child. Now that I think about it I sobbed through much of the latter part of the film. Not a movie that is easy to be seen more than once.

A lot of people say that scene moved them the most. It did not have quite the effect on me that it did on some because I had seen it done memorably in King Vidor's silent WWI epic The Big Parade. There is a scene in which John Gilbert returns home after having lost a leg in the war. As his mother sees him take halting steps with crutches and one leg, she has a flashback of her son as a baby taking his first steps. Very powerful.

But, the scene in Passion of the Christ is still moving, regardless. What really gets me is the end of the scene, where Jim Caviezel as Christ says "See, mother, I make all things new". Hearing his voice break with the pain of the agony that is occurring is truly overwhelming.

[a fool in paradise]

Will Smith will be playing Jesus. Or else Tom Hanks. Baby needs a new Oscar.