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

Director:

Franco Zeffirelli

Writers:

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

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
Fernando Rey	...	Gaspar
Ralph Richardson	...	Simeon
Rod Steiger	...	Pontius Pilate
Peter Ustinov	...	Herod the Great
Michael York	...	John the Baptist
Olivia Hussey	...	Virgin Mary
Cyril Cusack	...	Yehuda the Rabbi
Ian Holm	...	Zerah
Yorgo Voyagis	...	Joseph
Ian Bannen	...	Amos
Marina Berti	...	Elizabeth
Regina Bianchi	...	Anne
Maria Carta	...	Martha
Lee Montague	...	Habbukuk
Renato Rascel	...	The Blind Man
Oliver Tobias	...	Joel
Norman Bowler	...	Saturninus
Robert Beatty	...	Proculus
John Phillips	...	Naso
Ken Jones	...	Jotham
Nancy Nevinson	...	Abigail
Renato Terra	...	Abel
Roy Holder	...	Enoch
Jonathan Adams	...	Adam
Christopher Reich	...	Circumcision Priest / Metellus
Lorenzo Monet	...	Jesus at 12 yrs old
Michael Cronin	...	Eliphaz
Forbes Collins	...	Jonas
Tony Vogel	...	Andrew
Murray Salem	...	Simon the Zealot
Steve Gardner	...	Philip
John Duttine	...	John the Evangelist
Michael Haughey	...	Nahum
Keith Skinner	...	Obsessed Boy
Cyril Shaps	...	Obsessed Boy's Father
Jonathan Muller	...	James I
John Tordoff	...	Malachi
Keith Washington	...	Matthew
Sergio Nicolai	...	James II
Isabel Mestres	...	Salome
Renato Montalbano	...	Jairus
Bruce Lidington	...	Thomas
Derek Godfrey	...	Elihu
Mimmo Craig	...	Thaddeus (as Mimmo Crao)
John Eastham	...	Bartholomew
Robert Davey	...	Daniel
Oliver Smith	...	Saul
George Camiller	...	Hosias
Francis De Wolff	...	Simon the Pharisee
Antonello Campodifiori	...	Ircanus
Tim Pearce	...	Rufus
Paul Curran	...	Samuel
Mark Eden	...	Quartus
Bruno Barnabe	...	Ezra
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Lucius
Lionel Guyett	...	Haggai
Martin Benson	...	Pharisee
Peter Harlowe	...	Valerius
Carl Forgione	...	Plotinus
Donald Sumpter	...	Aram
Pino Colizzi	...	Jobab
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harold Bennett	...	Elder (uncredited)
Immad Cohen	...	Young Jesus (uncredited)
Andrew Manson	...	Zealot & Various (uncredited)

Directed by
Franco Zeffirelli

Writing credits
Anthony Burgess		(written by) &
Suso Cecchi d'Amico		(written by) &
Franco Zeffirelli		(written by)
David Butler		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Tarak Ben Ammar	....	deputy producer: Tunisia (as Tarak ben Ammar)
Lew Grade	....	executive producer (as Sir Lew Grade)
Bernard J. Kingham	....	executive producer
Vincenzo Labella	....	producer
Dyson Lovell	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Armando Nannuzzi
David Watkin

Film Editing by
Reginald Mills

Casting by
Dyson Lovell

Production Design by
Gianni Quaranta

Costume Design by
Marcel Escoffier
Enrico Sabbatini

Makeup Department
Ennio Cascioli	....	hair stylist
Otello Fava	....	makeup artist
Stefano Fava	....	makeup artist
Giancarlo Marin	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Abdellatif Ben Ammar	....	production manager
Eros Lafranconi	....	production manager (as Eros La Franconi)
Luciano Piperno	....	production supervisor
Abdelaziz Ramdani	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pippo Pisciotto	....	assistant director (as Guiseppe Pisciotto)
Mohamed Abbazi	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Francesco Fedeli	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound recordist
Simon Kaye	....	sound recordist
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Don Sharpe	....	dubbing editor
Peter Maxwell	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Lionel Strutt	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Cooper	....	camera operator
Nino Cristiani	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giovanni Viti	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Chris Kelly	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor
Frank Barber	....	music assistant (uncredited)

Other crew
Yvonne Axeworthy	....	continuity (as Yvonne Axworthy)
Alberto Testa	....	choreographer (1977)
Stefano Priori	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
• Radiotelevisione Italiana

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Toho-Towa (1980) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Live Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (1998) (Germany) (DVD)
• Carlton Visual Entertainment (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Film Office (2000) (France) (DVD)
• Artisan Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Artisan Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Life Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• History Channel (2007) (USA) (TV)
• Maple Pictures (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Granada International (2008) (worldwide) (TV)
• Independent Television (ITV) (19??) (UK) (TV)
• Top Tape (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) (2008) (USA) (TV)
• Zima Entertainment (2005) (Mexico) (DVD)

Other Companies

• National Philharmonic Orchestra  music played by

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

Color:

Color

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:

Peter O'Toole was cast as Judas, but had to back out of the project due to illness.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The celebration of becoming a Bar Mitzvah, which Jesus is shown participating in, was not developed until medieval times.

Quotes:

Simeon: [seeing the Baby Jesus for the first time] Now I can die contented, Lord, according to Thy will.
[gently, to the Virgin Mary]
Simeon: And a sword shall pierce your heart.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Secret Life of Brian (2007) (TV)

Extraordinarily powerful

I am not ashamed to say that as a man in my mid thirties I cry like a baby every time I watch this epic. Robert Powell's portrayal of Jesus was exquisite, I've said Powell looks more like Jesus than Jesus did. Of course, in this day and age, people say things like "Oh, Jesus didn't have blue eyes". I know many Hebrews, and some have blue eyes. But this isn't important. What is important were his teachings. Love, love, and more love, to each and every man, pagan, enemy, or friend. Jesus even showed love to outright sinners and especially the Romans, which to my mind would have been utterly unthinkable and absolutely an astounding idea at the time. It's this doctrine that is so profound, so original, so revolutionary that convinced me that Jesus was indeed a man sent by God to show us the way how to live in harmony with our fellow man and how not to destroy ourselves.