The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) 6.4
The life of Jesus Christ. Director:George Stevens |
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The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) 6.4
The life of Jesus Christ. Director:George Stevens |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Max von Sydow | ... | ||
| Michael Anderson Jr. | ... | ||
| Carroll Baker | ... | ||
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Ina Balin | ... | |
| Victor Buono | ... | ||
| Richard Conte | ... | ||
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Joanna Dunham | ... | |
| José Ferrer | ... | ||
| Van Heflin | ... | ||
| Charlton Heston | ... | ||
| Martin Landau | ... | ||
| Angela Lansbury | ... | ||
| Pat Boone | ... | ||
| Janet Margolin | ... | ||
| David McCallum | ... | ||
George Stevens' epic production. "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" It is towards this climactic crossroads that the story of Jesus of Nazareth leads, and to which, at the final moment, it again looks back in triumphant retrospect. It is the anguishing crossroads where the eternal questions of faith and doubt become resolved. Star-studded cast includes Max Von Sydow (as Jesus), Dorothy McGuire (as Mary), Robert Loggia (as Joseph), Charlton Heston (as John the Baptist), Michael Anderson, Jr., Robert Blake, Jamie Farr, David McCallum, Roddy McDowall, Ina Balin, Janet Margolin, Sidney Poitier, Carroll Baker, Pat Boone, Van Heflin, Sal Mineo, Shelley Winters, Ed Wynn, John Wayne, Telly Savalas, Angela Lansbury, Paul Stewart, Harold J. Stone, Martin Landau, Joseph Schildkraut, Victor Buono, Jose Ferrer, Claude Rains, Donald Pleasence, Richard Conte and Cyril Delevanti. Written by alfiehitchie
The reasons for the sacrificial well in the city's temple have to do with the archaeological research of the time the movie was made. Not much, then or now, is really known about the Temple, except that Herod the Great (played by Claude Rains) built it to largely to appease the Roman conquerors. The Temple had Grecian (not Hebraic) architecture and supposedly had a well for animal sacrifices. The Hebrews were a very sophisticated ancient people who mostly, by that time, considered themselves above animal sacrifices--however much had been written about such practices in their earlier times, like the days of Genesis, Exodus, etc. While it may have appeased Romans, it probably did not please Herod's own subjects.
This is a carefully made motion picture. If one finds it too subdued, at least it doesn't suffer from the highflown melodramatics that other Christ movies have. Speaking as someone who is not a Christian, I find it deeply moving.