"Jesus of Nazareth" (1977) TV mini-series

Director:

Franco Zeffirelli

Writers:

Anthony Burgess (written by) &
Suso Cecchi d'Amico (written by) ...

Release Date:

3 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

A reverent depiction of the life of Christ using the Gospel accounts.

Plot Keywords:

Tax Collector | Compassion | Rabbi | Cross | Easter

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Robert Powell	...	Jesus Christ
Anne Bancroft	...	Mary Magdalene
Ernest Borgnine	...	The Centurion
Claudia Cardinale	...	The Adulteress
Valentina Cortese	...	Herodias
James Farentino	...	Simon Peter
James Earl Jones	...	Balthazar
Stacy Keach	...	Barabbas
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Quintilius
James Mason	...	Joseph of Arimathea
Ian McShane	...	Judas Iscariot
Laurence Olivier	...	Nicodemus
Donald Pleasence	...	Melchior
Christopher Plummer	...	Herod Antipas
Anthony Quinn	...	Caiaphas

Also Known As:

Gesù di Nazareth (Italy)

Runtime:

382 min | UK:180 min (2 episodes) | Italy:237 min (2 parts) (theatrical version)

Country:

Italy | UK

Language:

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:G (cut version) | Australia:M (original uncut version) | Egypt:(Banned) | South Korea:All | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Rarely during the movie do any of the actors portraying Jesus blink their eyes. Director 'Franco Zeffirelli' decided on this as a means of creating a subconscious visual mystique about the character that not only differentiated him from all other characters, and is eerily effective. The boy Jesus in the Temple blinks twice in the Temple, and the adult Jesus blinks only once on film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just after Jesus is baptized by John, in one scene it shows him walking up the hill with the lower 1/4 of his clothes still wet from him bowing down in the water. The camera shifts to view John watching Jesus walking away and then comes back to Jesus, but this time his clothes are completely dry!

Quotes:

Jesus Christ: What are the greatest commandments?
Joseph of Arimathea: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with the whole soul and with thy whole mind"... And the second is like it; "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" .
Jesus Christ: You have said well. You are not far from the Kingdom of God, Joseph of Arimathea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tékás (2001)

Not to be missed

Was Jesus the Divine Son of God or simply a daring revolutionary? There have always been questions concerning Jesus and who He really was, and therefore, there will probably always be films about Him and His ministry on Earth. Whether or not Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Savior of the world, one thing is certain: He is alive in the hearts of millions, and this film helped capture the spirit of the Christian beliefs, making Jesus not so much an icon but a living, breathing Son of God, perfect in every way, Who loved us enough to die for our sins.

There have been many versions of the life of Christ, and many actors who have brought their own personalities to the part. William Defoe was a fearless leader in "The Last Temptation of Christ." Brian Deacon was friendly and cheerful in "Jesus." Max Von Sydow spoke with authority and passion in "The Greatest Story Ever Told." Jurgen Prochnow was cold and mysterious in "The Seventh Sign." Jeffrey Hunter was untouchable and almost with little personality except to complete the mission assigned to him in "King of Kings." All of these men have contributed, but I would have to say that none of them were truly convincing, just because there are so many aspects to Jesus, and, being human, they were unable to really portray the Son of God affectively.

Enter Robert Powell. This man looks as if he were born to play Jesus, from the physical features to the very heart and soul of the Son of Man. He manages to combine the elements of his peers who attempted the role, and you don't see the actor....you see Jesus Christ. You can sence the love and the passion flowing through Him, and at the same time, you can see His authority and discipline. For the first time, we have a Jesus who is "one hundred percent man and one hundred percent God."

This is also possibly the longest movie I've ever sat through, but it held my attention, nevertheless. Zeffirelli manages to keep it captivating, with a powerful soundtract and a cast of famous actors that are jam-packed but never overused. Not only do you see an affective Jesus, but you also see a wonderful group of people who were affected by Him. If the real Jesus was anything like the way Robert Powell portrayed Him, then I don't have any problem wondering how Christianity has managed to grow and be spread, impacting countless lives....including mine.

"Jesus of Nazareth"....you do your title-name proud. Truly this Man WAS the Son of God.