This film by Franco Zeffirelli is a masterpiece, as moving as it is profound, as well documented as inspired. It is a perfect illustration of the life and teaching of Christ, in a Palestine occupied by the Romans, with all possible political games in this situation. Christ's message of love and non-violence is largely misunderstood, yet he is the only one who can overcome the political deadlock in order to allow men and women of good will to live together and in peace. (And it remains so current!) But this film is first of all a meditation on the human condition with its weaknesses that deprives it and its greatness that elevates it to God. The characters of the Gospels are very rightly interpreted by actors who are truly inhabited by the texts. The scenery and landscapes reconstitute the country that Christ has never ceased to travel. Maurice Jarre's unforgettable music brings us through this drama and returns to us long after seeing the film. In past centuries, painting (by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Rembrandt and many others) helped to enter the depth of the Gospels, in all their psychological, existential and spiritual implications. This is what Zeffirelli film does, which illuminates the face of Christ with the same light. A must be seen in these weeks that prepare us for the feast of Easter, commemorating the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection that delivers us all from death.
Review of Jesus of Nazareth
