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?