The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
"Il vangelo secondo Matteo" (original title)

The life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew. Pasolini shows Christ as a marxist avant-la-lettre and therefore uses half of the text of Matthew.

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writer:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Stars:

Enrique Irazoqui, Margherita Caruso, Susanna Pasolini

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Enrique Irazoqui	...	Christ
Margherita Caruso	...	Mary (younger)
Susanna Pasolini	...	Mary (older)
Marcello Morante	...	Joseph
Mario Socrate	...	John the Baptist
Settimio Di Porto	...	Peter
Alfonso Gatto	...	Andrew
Luigi Barbini	...	James
Giacomo Morante	...	John
Giorgio Agamben	...	Philip
Guido Cerretani	...	Bartholomew
Rosario Migale	...	Thomas
Ferruccio Nuzzo	...	Matthew
Marcello Galdini	...	James son of Alphus
Elio Spaziani	...	Thaddeus

Storyline

Along a rocky, barren coastline, Jesus begins teaching, primarily using parables. He attracts disciples; he's stern, brusque, and demanding. He comes to bring a sword, not peace, he says. He's in a hurry, moving from place to place near the Sea of Galilee, sometimes attracting a multitude, sometimes being driven away. His parables often take on the powers that be, so he and his teachings come to the attention of the Pharisees, the chief priests, and elders. They conspire to have him arrested, beaten, tried, and crucified, just as he prophesied to his followers. After he dies, he appears to his disciples and gives them final instructions.

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Plot Keywords:

disciple | marxism | miracle | countryside | child murder | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

2 October 1964 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Filming Locations:

Apulia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arco Film, Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min 91 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In keeping with his idea of Jesus Christ as the greatest revolutionary of all time, Pier Paolo Pasolini considered casting Jack Kerouac or Allen Ginsberg in the role. He changed his mind when he met Enrique Irazoqui, a Spanish student of literature, who has written a thesis about Pasolini's novel "Ragazzi di vita" and was very curious to meet him.

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Goofs

When they are taking Christ down from the cross, in the distance you can see a car driving around a corner.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Christ: All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy ghost teaching them to obey all the commandments I have given you. Behold, I am with you always, unto the end of the world.

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Connections

Featured in Wie de Waarheid Zegt Moet Dood (1981)

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Soundtracks

"Cantate 'Alexander Newski' nr 1"
Sergej Prokofiev

User Reviews

The most realistic and believable portrayal of Jesus I have ever seen

After reading all of the reviews listed prior to my entry I find it hard to agree with how Pier Paolo Pasolini's sexuality or political views are even worth mentioning. What is worth mentioning is the wonderfully dramatic portrayal of the story of Jesus by amateur actors. The lack of so-called special effects is not something that even crossed my mind when viewing this movie. The artistic mixture of poetic verse from the New Testament combined with beautiful vistas and believable characters bring the story of Jesus to life on a personal level.

Pasolini's Biblical adaptation of the Gospel of Matthew far surpasses present day movies of this genre in its overall effect on the viewer. The real substance of the film, the story of Jesus, is not glossed over with big budget extras, professional actors, and special effects which only seem to overshadow the awe inspiring wisdom of the words spoken by Jesus in the New Testament.

The fact that the actors are of Mediterranean decent only serves to make the film more believable. The costumes and settings appear to be more realistic than the Hollywood versions that I have seen in other Biblical films. The Jewish Church leaders with their alien looking hats show how detached and imposing these figures must have appeared to the common people of the time of Jesus. When Jesus threatens their positions of power by bringing God directly to the people without need of a temple or an interpreter it sheds light on how these leaders felt threatened by a "poor son of a carpenter".

Most films of this genre focus more on the Romans oppression of Jesus without showing the betrayal by the Jewish leaders that led to the unjust crucifixion of Jesus.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who has become bored with seeing the story of Jesus on film. If you think that you have seen it all and do not want to sit through yet another trumped up version of the story of Jesus then I suggest that you view this movie, for it succeeds where all others have failed.