Posted on 02/26/2014 11:48:13 AM PST by SoConPubbie
The bible saga “Son of God” will be “the antidote to the poison that ‘Passion of the Christ’ became,” Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman told TheWrap Tuesday.
“It’s almost a disservice to ‘Son of God’ to compare the two,” he said. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s pared-down version of the History channel miniseries “The Bible” opens nationwide Friday on roughly 3,000 screens Friday.
It’s been 10 years to the day since “Passion of the Christ” debuted, and it’s still the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever. But it’s remembered as much for the charges of anti-Semitism, excessive violence and prerelease controversy as it is for its $370 million box-office haul.
Also read: Jesus Is Back on the Big Screen in ‘Son of God’ Trailer (Video)
“Gibson bloodied the Jews by portraying them as such villains,” said Foxman. He was among the Jewish leaders who a decade ago spoke out bitterly against Gibson’s brutal recounting of Christ’s crucifixion, saying its depiction of sadistic Pharisees and stereotypical characters fanned the flames of hatred against Jews.
But he has no problem with “Son of God.”
“The story of the crucifixion and the way it has been used through the centuries has never been good for the Jews,” he said.
“Having said that, ‘Son of God’ is the most sensitive, caring depiction of the story of Jesus that I have ever seen. The producers have done everything possible to put the events into historical, political and psychological context.”
Foxman (photo left) said that he thought “Son of God” could replace “Passion of the Christ” as the go-to movie for films about the life and death of Christ.
Also read: ‘Son of God’ Cuts Satan Scenes Featuring Obama Lookalike
. . .
Foxman said that his organization met with Downey and Burnett and provided each other with “mutual guidance.”
(Excerpt) Read more at movies.yahoo.com ...
If Foxman’s ok with “Son of God”, that’s all I need to know. Pass.
Want to know what has Foxman so steamed? Here it is:
Matthew 3:10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Luke 20:14ff But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
I wish he wasn’t called a Jewish leader.
Me too. Plus the guy they cast as Jesus in this one looks like a Eurotrash male model in an orthodontia commercial.
Plus, the jews were not satisfied with killing Him. They are also responsible for the deaths of his disciples.
It’s time for the so called” leaders of the Jews” to back off.
I have NEVER heard anyone in my circle say that Jesus was killed by “the Jews”. Most good Christians understand two things: Jesus was killed to atone for the sins of mankind; and the Jews just happened to be the people he lived with, so they represented all of us. And, there were a lot of good Jews in the New Testament too.
[ Plus, the jews were not satisfied with killing Him. They are also responsible for the deaths of his disciples. ]
Well one of your ancestor’s tribe once killed one of my ancestors and I am going to hold that grudge over you and make my children hold that grudge as well.
How mature is that?
When does it end, blaming a tribe for the past actions of SOME of it’s members seems a LOT like Al Sharpton blaming all the whotes for slavery and demanding reparations from all the whites because they are white.
I wish he wasn’t called a Jewish leader.
The Jews have a leader like the Tea party has a Leader...
There is no singular leader of the Jewish people or the Tea Party.
The Catholics have a leader his title is the Pope.
However some of the other Christian Sects don’t have a singular leader and some do.
I love (sarc) how the media picks a person as a “leader” of a group of people, like they pick Jessie Jackson as King of the African-Americans, or how Rush Limbaugh supposedly is the “Leader” of all of talk radio...
Saying the pope is the leader of Catholics is technically correct, but naming some random Jewish dude the leader of all the Jews is deceptive on the media’s part...
What’s with this idea that the POTC stirring up anti-Semitism? It is ludicrous because the anti-Semites in the USA are all in the intelligentia at universities, etc. They were not the people who went to see the Passion of the Christ. In fact, they are mostly part of the ‘hate Christians’ crowd, and are the rabble rousers trying their darndest to destroy Israel.
This is a movie created from the miniseries. They cut the devil scene to avoid upsetting Democrats (devil resembled an older Obama). Some reviews were good, some bad. Nothing spectacular, but still might be a good movie since the miniseries drew a lot of praise.
It's about the lack of manners & respect you displayed.
Try to take this message and grow from it.
[ It’s about the lack of manners & respect you displayed.
Try to take this message and grow from it. ]
What lack of respect? Lack or respect towards you? Lack of Manners?
Please tell me what bur I done stuck under your saddle.
“The Passion of the Christ” was marketed well and so racked up a lot of profit. But in my opinion it was “awful”.
I just looked at the trailer for “The Son of God” and it also looks awful. It attempts to portray Jesus by yet another “Hollywood Cool” standard, not with the script but with the attitude and spirit of the speech. It’s just awful. But unfortunately it will likely be profitable because of its marketing and because people hunger to know about Jesus.
People always hunger for a glimpse of what the real Jesus is like. So many films and documentaries have been done in the recent age. And they are all, every one, awful, except for one that was not marketed globally because it was a miniseries (I give view-for-free links on Vimeo.com below; no popups, no annoying registrations, etc.).
This exceptional miniseries is one depiction of the life of Christ where nearly every scene, every word, look, glance, effect seems to be divinely assisted. It is a miniseries directed by Franco Zefferelli who obviously put his life and soul into it. It was released in 1977 and is timeless to this day. It was followed and advised by the Roman Catholic Church. Whatever sect of Christianity thinks about the Catholic Church, one thing is clear, some of their scholars have an abiding and faithful view of the real Jesus.
“Jesus of Nazareth” was a British-Italian miniseries released in 1977 in many many parts, more than 7 hours in length. This explains why it never amassed the profits of Gibson’s ‘Passion’ or the likely profits of the one coming. But it’s available and I suggest you all and your families gather on some day off for the entire day or two half-days to witness a gift given to us by Zeffirelli and all the cast and supporters of this film.
The cast is a virtual Who’s Who of Hollywood and International film stars but their egos are missing, their ‘personal brand’ attributes are nowhere to be found. It’s as if Zeffirelli’s camera and his crew hypnotized them or mesmerized them into the spirit of Jesus.
The star-studded cast do such as awesome acting performance, and I would say the big named ones (and there are so many) were not paid highly for this, certainly not according to what they could command from a Hollywood film studio. Therefore, this was a labor of love.
The best actor is one who can make you feel you’re transported to another reality where you forget you are watching a film. All of the actors in this film make sensitive people feel that way. For example Anne Bancroft of “The Graduate” plays so well as the consummate New York Jewess in so many films but in Zeffirelli’s work she is the perfect Mary Magdalene, the predatory promiscuity of Mrs. Robinson is converted before our eyes and ears into a woman who is clean, pure, forever transformed and it makes sense; it’s real. It’s nothing like the classical paintings of Mary Magdalene depicting her as something of an angel. No, this film depicts her as a miserable gutter whore in agony who weeps for something better in life and finally hears of Jesus from one of her ‘clients’ who demeans her status, laughs at her sin but smirks that she may have a friend in the new sensation of the territory who accepts sinners, Jesus.
And then there is Mary played by Olivia Hussey who had previously starred in the film ‘Romeo and Juliette’ which was also directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Gone is the sexiness, the tempting voluptuousness of Olivia’s curves, lips, and overall screen presence, and although these attributes of young Olivia are still present, what supersedes them is a beauty of purity and cleanliness.
The big name actors and actresses are as follows:
Anne Bancroft as Mary Magdalene
Ernest Borgnine as the Roman Centurion
Claudia Cardinale as the Adulteress
James Earl Jones as Balthazar
Stacy Keach as Barabbas
Tony Lo Bianco as Quintillius
James Mason as Joseph of Arimathea
Laurence Olivier as Nicodemus
Donald Pleasence as Melchior
Christopher Plummer as Herod Antipas
Anthony Quinn as Caiaphas
Ralph Richardson as Simeon
Rod Steiger as Pontius Pilate
Peter Ustinov as Herod the Great
Michael York as John the Baptist
Again, these Oscar winning actors and their expected branded personas are absent from the film and do not compete for attention. Their expected screen appearances are replaced by raw but subdued talent that appears under the spell of a divine presence.
Some of the actors lesser known at the time of the film made even more lasting impressions with their performances.
Robert Powell who plays Jesus has blue eyes perhaps unfortunately but that is the only detail in the film that might seem out of place but does not detract. His appearance and manner is inspirational. His pace and look can make one feel they have found the true spirit of Christ. He is an English aristocrat in life and his personality is not bad nor is it wonderful, but in this film it seems that Zeffirelli’s camera possesses him to be so Christ-like, something so much more than what he is like in real life.
But my favorite lesser known actor for that time and my favorite of the whole film is James Farentino as Simon Peter, a strong aggressive but terribly flawed man who wants to lash out at everyone in anger and who is initially disrespectful of Jesus but later folds like a small child in front of Him. He is simply magnificent in this film.
Again, all of the cast could not be so incredibly spiritual were it not for some direction or mood setting which I ascribe to Zeffirelli and a mystical divine presence.
Now I will comment on how the film treats the Jews. The film treats them perfectly, as a holy, loving and respectful people who are flawed just as is the rest of humanity. They set an exemplary example in the characters of Joseph of Arimathea (James Mason) and Nicodemus (Laurence Olivier), and they can also frustrate both Jews and non-Jews to the point of disgust as in the characters of Caiaphas (Anthony Quinn), Zerah (Ian Holm; non-biblical scribe of the Temple), and many of the Pharisees. But if you are new to the person of Jesus and are interested in learning about Him, then you will come to know especially through this film that the Jews acted exactly as Jesus wanted them to. In short, the Jews are all too human.
The film is available for free on Vimeo in 2 parts. The quality is bearable. Here are the links:
Part I
http://vimeo.com/23374158
Part II
http://vimeo.com/23405442
A better quality version is available for purchase on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Nazareth-Robert-Powell/dp/B0000633QW
If you don’t want to support Bezo’s Amazon company you can find an even higher quality digitally remastered version for sale here:
http://www.manna.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10156314
Zeffirelli’s ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ is an ageless masterpiece.
If you have any sensitivities to God and you thirst to know what God is like in the person of Jesus, invest your time in seeing this film. I have personally watched it over the last more than 30 years about 5 times and each time I learn something new that pertains to my life as I grow older.
And it’s not just me. Look at these Amazon comments from decades ago:
“After more than two decades, JESUS OF NAZARETH remains the greatest motion picture on the life of Jesus Christ -unsurpassed and second-to-none. Beautifully directed by Franco Zeffirelli (best known for his 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet) and featuring a constellation of the greatest international actors: Sir Lawrence Olivier, Rod Steiger, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, James Earl Jones, Anthony Quinn (among others, oh my!), this six-hour magnum opus has given flesh and humanity to the people and events of the Gospel narratives like no other movie before or since.”
And here’s another:
“The greatest version of the greatest story ever told”
“Prior to its debut on NBC in April 1977, “Jesus of Nazareth” was the subject of considerable controversy after director Franco Zeffirelli suggested his interpretation of Jesus would veer wildly from previous screen versions of the Gospels. Suspecting Zeffirelli, to say nothing of co-screenwriter Anthony Burgess of “Clockwork Orange” fame, had downplayed or even denied Jesus’ divinity, some prominent religious leaders condemned the film, sight unseen, for its alleged blasphemy. One sponsor (General Motors) bowed out, and another stepped in (Proctor and Gamble, years before the company fought off unsubstantiated charges that its logo was Satanic). “Jesus of Nazareth” aired as scheduled, in two parts on two successive Sunday evenings, earning high ratings and praise from critics of all faiths.”
“”Jesus of Nazareth” is, hands down, the finest dramatic retelling of the life of Jesus to date. As George Stevens did with his 1965 fiasco, “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” Zeffirelli recruited an all-star cast, but whereas Stevens could only have hired John Wayne to play a Roman Centurion because the Duke’s name would look nice on the posters, Zeffirelli chose his stars because they were gifted actors perfect for their roles.”
“One doesn’t ooh and aah at the sight of Rod Steiger, Anthony Quinn, or Laurence Olivier, but rather marvel at how well they believably bring Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, and Nicodemus to respective life. As good as they are, the most impressive performance may come from a less illustrious “name,” James Farentino, who makes for a very commanding Peter.”
And one more (but there are hundreds if not thousands more):
” The best Jesus movie ever made”
“To date, “Jesus of Nazareth” is most certainly the best Jesus movie ever made. Director Franco Zeffirelli presents the story of Jesus Christ in a very authentic manner. This film sticks pretty much to the script, the Holy Bible. This historical account of Jesus starts before the birth of Christ and runs through His life, His substitutionary death for all our sins on the cross, and His reappearance afterward. Much time is spent on our Lord’s three-year long mission preaching and performing miracles as an adult on earth, and many scenes are genuinely touching, leaving not a dry eye in the audience. We’ve first seen this movie when it was released back in the late 70s, and since then we’ve watched it a few dozen times. The nearly six and a half hours running time are not a bother for those interested in the life of Christ. This picture comes across as a very well funded production and much care has been given to detail. We’re certain that most viewers will be touched, aided by Robert Powell’s realistic performance and portrayal of our Savior Jesus Christ. This movie will make you think about your personal relationship with God, while you’ll enjoy an exceptionally well-made motion picture.”
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