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Talk: Future of Classic: March 16, 2008 - March 22, 2008

The Best Depictions of Jesus

It's Easter time, and while that may mean egg hunts and chocolate for some, for others it's a time to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's a topic filmmakers have been tackling for years with varying degrees of success -- I'm not sure anyone was prepared for how well The Passion of the Christ did, both critically and at the box office.

But Mel Gibson's Passion follows in a long line of stories from some of the industry's top filmmakers: Martin Scorsese crowned Willem Defoe in The Last Temptation of Christ; Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth is considered by many to be the best there ever has been and ever will be; then of course there's Godspell, a trippy '70s musical more concerned with Jesus' parables than his tale.

Each film, and each portrayal of Jesus, speaks to different people in different ways. As an agnostic, I appreciate Zeffirelli's version for its appreciation of the minutiae of each of the Biblical stories. But I have to say that Mel Gibson's attention to historical accuracy is commendable. So I guess if I had to pick a Jesus, it would be James Caviezel's for me.

What do you think? What actor portrayed Jesus the best? Which Jesus movie is your favorite?

Clayton Neuman
March 21, 2008 9:57am

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Filed under: Favorite Films
Tags: jesus

The Best War Movie?

War movies are one of the best tools of historical reflection we have. They give us perspective on periods of history steeped in emotion and oftentimes controversy, they entertain us, and they usually reflect the climate of the period in which they were made.

Is there any form of entertainment that so closely defines for us the meaning of heroism, leadership, and teamwork; is there any form that so readily reminds us of where we've been, and where we're headed?

For my money, the title of "Best War Movie" is between Glory, Schindler's List, and Apocalypse Now. Out of those three, I think Glory embodies the most classic sense of the war movie, illustrating perfectly all the values I listed above. Schindler's List I think is one of the most well-made movies of the century. And Apocalypse Now perfectly illustrates the ability to take a classic tale, Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and use the metaphor of a "modern" war to make it relevant.