I love movies, especially looking at them from a theological perspective. One genre of film are the Jesus movies. I’m not only fascinated how Jesus is portrayed in these films, but also the way the story is told. Lately I keep stumbling on these films, here’s a couple that have stuck with me recently:

Barabbas (1961)

My friend Rob Simmons, a huge film aficionado and movie critic, gifted me the 1961 film Barabbas, starring Anthony Quinn.  While not a typical Jesus film, the opening scenes begin on Good Friday, when Barabbas is freed by Pontius Pilate. We witness the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and an encounter with the disciples, even a conversation with a ghostly Lazarus, all through the eyes of Barabbas. The rest of the film traces his life from being a slave to a gladiator in Rome. Barabbas is “haunted” by the reality that Jesus of Nazareth gave him his freedom. A film years ahead of its time, Barabbas, is a hidden gem of the Jesus films.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

I have the The Greatest Story Ever Told on DVD, but it was on television this Sunday morning, so my daughter and I watched the last forty-five minutes together. This time around I was struck by literally license of the film, particularly Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin.  The film’s director/writer George Stevens, takes the man who was healed of blindness in John 9, and brings him into the trial as a witness against Jesus. The witness is questioned, similar to the questions by the religious leaders, in John 9, but the final response of the witness is phenomenal:

Sanhedrin: “Let the first witness enter.”

[Old man enters court, stands by Jesus]

Sanhedrin: “Do you know this man, Jesus of Nazareth?”

Old Man: “I do.”

Sanhedrin:“Is he the one then that used his sorcery on you?”

Old Man: “Sorcery? I don’t know about sorcery. All I know is, I was blind and now I see.”

Sanhedrin: “What did he do to you? To give you the use of your eyes?”

Old Man: “If you knew where he came from, you would know how he did it.”

Sanhedrin: “We know where he came from, he came from Galilee. Just answer the question, please.”

Old Man: “I have been blind since the day of my birth. Jesus gave me sight. That’s all I know.”

Sanhedrin: “Why do you answer we do not know where he came from? Are we to assume you believe he was sent by God?”

[Pause]

Old Man: “I believe if God was not in him he would not have been able to make me see.”

Sanhedrin: “But have you considered that it was the evil one in him that made you see?”

Old Man: “But why? Why should the evil one permit me after so many years of darkness, to see the goodness and beauty of God’s world?”

Dallas Willard says, we live in a God-bathed world. For me that last line is what happens when we enter the Kingdom of God—we’re invited to discover the “goodness and beauty of God’s world.” We have eyes to see that God is with us, all around us, there’s beauty every where. The darkness can’t over come it (John 1).

The Resurrection of the Christ (2011?)

One of the weaknesses of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ, is how little of the resurrection is emphasized. The resurrection is just as important to the story, if not more important to Christian faith and practice (I refer you to N.T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God). Well just this week I heard a film is being produced about the resurrection of Jesus—The Resurrection of the Christ. The film is set to release in 2011, and filming is to begin this summer. Writer, Dan Gordan, says “It’s as much about the key players as it is about Jesus … We want to bring in the ‘Gladiator’ dimension of the first century against the political milieu of the time.” Not so sure about the gladiator dimension but the dealing with the political milieu of the time could be interesting. It’s definitely got my curiosity up.