Screen Jesus Portrayals of Christ in Television and Film

by Malone, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780810883895
• ISBN10: 0810883899
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-10-12
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Summary

Since the dawn of film in the 1890s, religious themes and biblical subjects have been a staple of cinema. One of the earliest focuses of screen presentations was the Bible, especially the New Testament and the Gospels. In Screen Jesus: Portrayals of Christ in Television and Film, Peter Malone takes a close look at films in which Jesus is depicted. From silent renditions of The Passion Play to 21st-century blockbusters like The Passion of the Christ, Malone examines how the history of Jesus films reflects the changes in artistic styles and experiments in cinematic forms for more than a century. In addition to providing a historical overview of the Jesus films, this book also reveals the changes in piety and in theological understandings of the humanity and divinity of Jesus over the decades.While most of the Jesus films come from the United States and the west, an increasing number of Jesus films come from other cultures, which are also included in this study. Fans and scholars interested in the history of religious cinema will find this an interesting read, as will students and teachers in cinema and religious studies, church pastors, parish groups, and youth ministry.

Author Biography

Peter Malone, of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart order in Australia, has served as president of SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication. He is the author or editor of more than twenty-five books on film studies, including the Lights, Camera, Faith: A Movie Lover's Guide to Scripture series (2001-2006) and Through a Catholic Lens: Religious Perspectives of Nineteen Film Directors from Around the World (Rowman Littlefield, 2007).

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Introducing the Theme	p. xv
The Jesus-Figure	p. 1
The Face: Jesus in Art	p. 3
Biblical Portraits of Jesus	p. 6
Jesus Redeemer	p. 6
Jesus Savior	p. 8
Jesus Liberator	p. 11
Jesus Priest, Prophet, and King	p. 11
Jesus "Holy Fool"	p. 12
The Jesus Films: The Early Twentieth Century	p. 14
Civilization	p. 17
Intolerance	p. 18
I.N.R.I. (Crown of Thorns)	p. 20
Leaves from Satan's Book	p. 20
The Jesus Films: The 1920s and Cecil B. DeMille	p. 22
Ben-Hur	p. 22
The King of Kings	p. 23
Le berceau de Dieu	p. 26
Chizome no jujika	p. 26
Jesus of Nazareth	p. 26
The Jesus Films: The 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s-Jesus' Absence from the Mainstream and Evangelical Jesus-Figures	p. 27
The Wandering Jew	p. 27
Golgotha	p. 29
The End of the World, La vie miraculeuse de Therese Martin, The Last Days of Pompeii, and Barabbas	p. 33
The Great Commandment	p. 33
The Lawton Story, The Prince of Peace, and The Pilgrimage Play	p. 34
I Beheld His Glory	p. 36
The Living Christ Series and The Living Bible Series	p. 36
Day of Triumph	p. 38
Himlaspelet	p. 38
The Power of The Resurrection	p. 38
The Blood of Jesus and Go Down, Death	p. 39
Notes on Other Tides	p. 41
The Jesus Films: The 1950s and 1960s-Mainstream Images	p. 43
Maria Magdalena, pecadora de Magdala	p. 44
El martir del Calvario	p. 46
Ben-Hur and Jesus' Reappearance	p. 49
Ponzio Pilato and Barabbas	p. 50
The Sin of Jesus	p. 54
The Jesus Films: The 1960s	p. 55
King of Kings	p. 55
The Greatest Story Ever Told	p. 57
Ado de primavera	p. 61
Il Vangelo secondo Matteo	p. 62
El proceso de Jesus	p. 66
La lit de la vierge	p. 67
Son of Man	p. 67
The Jesus Films: The 1970s	p. 69
Jesus Christ Superstar	p. 69
Jesus Christ Superstar (2000)	p. 74
Godspell	p. 76
Jesus Christus Erloser	p. 79
Processo a Gesu/The Trial of Jesus	p. 82
The Messiah	p. 82
A vida de Jesus Cristo	p. 85
The Gospel Road	p. 85
The Passover Plot	p. 86
Jesus of Nazareth	p. 86
Jesus/The Jesus Project	p. 91
Jesus, el niño Dios; Jesus, Maria y José; Jesus, nuestro señor	p. 93
Proceso a Jesus	p. 99
Telemovies	p. 99
Life of Brian	p. 100
Other Tides	p. 102
The Jesus Films: The 1980s	p. 104
The Fourth Wise Man	p. 104
L'inchiesta	p. 106
The Cotton Patch Gospel	p. 108
AD	p. 108
Jesus-Der Film	p. 108
St. John in Exile	p. 109
Un bambino di nome Gesu	p. 109
The Master and Margarita and Incident in Judaea	p. 109
The Seventh Sign	p. 112
The Last Temptation of Christ	p. 113
Jesus of Montreal	p. 119
Jezus Krisztus Horoszkopja	p. 123
The Jesus Films: Cinema Freedom and Images of Jesus	p. 125
Jesus-Figures Inserted into Commercial Films	p. 125
Johnny Got His Gun	p. 125
A Clockwork Orange	p. 126
The Ruling Class	p. 126
The Devils	p. 126
The Milky Way	p. 127
Cammina, cammina	p. 127
From a Far Country	p. 127
History of the World: Part I	p. 128
Bad Lieutenant	p. 128
Cercasi Gesu	p. 129
The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish	p. 130
Leon the Pig Farmer	p. 131
The Jesus Films: The 1990s	p. 132
La belle histoire	p. 132
The Visual Bible: Matthew, Acts	p. 132
The Gospel according to Jesus	p. 136
The Revolutionary: Parts I and II	p. 136
Mary, Mother of Jesus	p. 136
Other Mary Films	p. 138
Jesus (United States, 1999)	p. 139
Jesus (France, 1999)	p. 143
I giardini dell' Eden	p. 143
The Miracle Maker	p. 144
Gli amici di Gesu	p. 147
Kristo	p. 148
The Jesus Films: The Twenty-First Century	p. 151
The Body	p. 151
Judas	p. 152
Saint Mary	p. 154
Maria, Mae do filho de Deus	p. 155
The Apocalypse	p. 155
The Gospel of John	p. 156
The Passion of the Christ	p. 160
San Pietro	p. 170
Color of the Cross and Color of the Cross 2: The Resurrection	p. 171
The Cross: The Last Hour of Jesus	p. 173
La sacra famiglia	p. 174
The Passion	p. 174
Mormon Jesus Films	p. 180
The Jesus Films: Jesus in Our World Today	p. 182
The Book of Life	p. 182
Las aventuras di Dios	p. 185
Joshua	p. 185
Soupernatural	p. 187
Man Dancin'	p. 187
Son of Man	p. 189
Mary	p. 196
We Are All Christs	p. 197
Tutta colpa di Giuda	p. 198
Almanya: Willkommen in Deutschland	p. 199
NEDS	p. 200
The Jesus Films: Verbal Jesus-Figures	p. 201
Lilies of the Field	p. 202
Wise Blood	p. 202
At Close Range	p. 203
The Name of the Rose	p. 203
Matewan	p. 204
The Dark Side of the Heart	p. 204
Alive	p. 204
The Big Kahuna	p. 205
Dogma and Red Store	p. 205
Deliver Us from Eva	p. 206
Saved!	p. 206
The Da Vinci Code	p. 207
The Oxford Murders	p. 208
Choke	p. 209
The Wrestler	p. 209
Tales from the Madhouse	p. 209
Interest in Jesus and Film beyond Christianity	p. 213
Au nom du Christ-Cote dÆIvoire	p. 213
Jesus, the Spirit of God/The Messiah-Iran	p. 214
Robin-Iran	p. 219
Karunamayudu-India	p. 221
Jesus Comes to India-India	p. 222
The Untold Stories of Jesus-India	p. 229
The Aquarian Gospel-India	p. 230
Ekattorer Jishu-Bangladesh	p. 232
The Reverent/Serious	p. 236
Going to Glory … Come to Jesus	p. 236
Whistle Down the Wind	p. 236
Seduto alla sua destra	p. 236
Le martyre de Saint Sebastien	p. 237
Seoul Jesus	p. 237
The Magic Boy's Easter	p. 238
The Garden	p. 238
La vie de Jesus	p. 238
Les demons de Jesus	p. 239
Stephen's Test of Faith and Resurrection	p. 239
Jesus 2000	p. 239
Jesus' Son	p. 239
Da jeg traff Jesus … med sprettert	p. 240
In Jesus' Name, Jesus Wept, and Baby Jesus	p. 240
Das Jesus video	p. 240
Superstar	p. 240
Dracula 2000	p. 240
Secondo Giovanni	p. 241
The Cross	p. 241
What Wouldn't Jesus Do?	p. 242
The Boy Who Saw Christ	p. 242
Jesus, du Weisst	p. 242
Screen Door Jesus	p. 242
De arm van Jezus	p. 242
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus	p. 243
Jesus Camp	p. 243
Gas Station Jesus	p. 243
World Trade Center	p. 243
What Would Jesus Buy?	p. 244
The Priestess	p. 244
The Perfect Stranger and Another Perfect Stranger	p. 244
Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo	p. 245
The Bizarre	p. 246
Plastic Jesus	p. 246
The Jesus Trip	p. 246
Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man	p. 246
The Thorn	p. 246
Jeg sa Jesus do	p. 247
El eligido	p. 247
Stridulum	p. 247
Deux heures moins un quart avant Jesus-Christ	p. 247
Das gespenst	p. 247
Ail en cielo como en la tierra	p. 248
South Park	p. 248
Who Killed Baby Jesus?	p. 249
Jesus Vender Tilbage	p. 249
Jesus of Judson	p. 250
Stripping for Jesus	p. 250
Hyakunen no Zessho	p. 250
Mensch Jesus	p. 251
Super Jesus	p. 251
Jesus Is a Palestinian	p. 251
Jesus and Hutch	p. 251
CanÆt Drag Race with Jesus	p. 251
Terrorama	p. 251
This Filthy Earth	p. 252
The Terminator (Jesus Parody)	p. 252
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter	p. 252
Ultrachrist	p. 253
Jesus Henry Christ	p. 253
Jesus Christ Supercop	p. 253
Jesus Christ Serial Rapist	p. 254
Jesus Christ the Musical	p. 254
Jerry Springer: The Opera	p. 254
The Ten	p. 255
Jesus on YouTube	p. 255
After The Passion of the Christ	p. 259
Documentaries	p. 260
Television Series	p. 261
Horror	p. 261
Satire and Spoof	p. 262
Serious Films	p. 263
Afterword: More Than a Hundred Years of Jesus Films	p. 267
The Major Jesus Films	p. 271
Jesus and the Crucifix	p. 275
The Issue of Films on Jesus and Sexuality	p. 281
Interview with the Director of Jesus, the Spirit of God	p. 293
Selected Background Reading	p. 297
Index	p. 299
About the Author	p. 317
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