Bible stories make for varying cinema.
Here are the best Bible movies about Jesus Christ himself…
The Biblical epic keeps reappearing as ifits always on the cusp of a resurrection.
He appears as narrator and his songs provide the soundtrack.
Ad content continues below
Director Robert Elfstrom also doubled up as the lead.
Based on a 1965 bestseller, the plot centers on a drug which can simulate the appearance of death.
(And better casting John the Baptist is weirdly elderly.)
(Sorry, Zalman King.)
The Messiah (2007)
Even Iranian Muslim Jesus cant escape being blonde.
Played by Ahmad Soleimani Nia, this is Jesus story told from the Islamic perspective.
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
AKA the longest story ever told.
This is your bona fide old school, all-star Biblical epic.
Jesus is a bit awkward.
Blessed with a spectacularly nerdy (or perhaps hipster?)
Unfortunately, the whole effect is rather monotone and lifeless.
The rest of the cast has more spark.
My favorite moment is Herods inadvertently modern response of Get out!
when told of miracles.
Visually, its bright and fresh.
Despite being almost 40 years old it looks as if it could have been shot yesterday.
Its also one of the more culturally accurate films.
(Unfortunately for her, it was ingeniously re-named after herDivine Miss Malbum.)
And who could forget the Catholic churchs new icon, Buddy Christ inDogma(1999)?
His Judas is portrayed not as a miserly backstabber, but as the best friend a chap could have.
In this slightly far-fetched take on the story, the maligned disciple is the victim of a vengeful scribe.
Shot in black and white, its made up of 35 parts, with contributions from 22 different filmmakers.
Each director was given only the details of the shot immediately preceding his segment.
Its a fairly loose, quirky interpretation.
For instance, we start by learning Jesus is a twin.
(Joseph to the wise men: You take the little one and well keep the big one.)
Pontius Pilate struggles with his conscience during the trial of Jesus.
In Russia, Margarita is determined to save her lover (a frustrated writer) from his own despair.
With me so far?
The violence lets up occasionally for creepy visions of an androgynous Satan.
Who wants to watch that?
Er… lots of people, apparently.
(To date, its the highest grossing R-rated film in the US.)
Of course, Jesus and his mother both make frequent appearances, providing absurdly hilarious moments.
The Pythons insisted they were lampooning organized religion, not Jesus himself.
Idle explained, What hes saying isnt mockable, its very decent stuff.
The sermon on the mount may be subject to mishearings (Blessed are the cheesemakers?)
as well as forcing Brian to correct the Latin grammar in his graffiti.
Director Franco Zeffirelli wanted a mystical stare, so Powell followed the non-blinking trend set by Max von Sydow.
Needless to say, it doesnt go to plan.
The action has been transplanted to present-day South Africa, which works uncannily well.
Its a unique film worth watching purely for the GLORIOUS soundtrack of traditional African singing.
Refreshingly, shes simply a follower of Jesus, just like the guys.
Rooney Mara is luminous as a young woman whose kindness and strength is apparent from the start.
Godspell (1973)
John-Michael Tebelak wroteGodspellas his thesis in 1970.
It was discovered by producers who hired Stephen Schwartz to compose a new score and the rest is history.
But this 1993 version of Matthew is MADE by the performance of Bruce Marchiano as Jesus.
He beams while exorcising demons, he chuckles while preaching, he guffaws while standing under a waterfall.
The theatre doubles as their place of worship.
For my money, the original, with its striking desert location, is the best.
Ted Neely makes a sympathetic Jesus, but its Carl Anderson as Judas who steals the show.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
What would have happened if Jesus had bottled it?
Apparently, depicting Jesus tempted by the thought of marriage was unforgivable.
Perhaps its the more insidious temptation.
For a childrens film, theres an astonishing amount of intelligent insight into characters feelings and motivations.
Its also beautifully made, moving, and funny.
