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

User Rating:

8.6/10   

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:

Ancient Text | Prayer | Rabbi | Miracle | Jerusalem

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
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:

Banned in Egypt after religious leaders objected to its content.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jesus visits Jerusalem as a young boy, his family walks past the outer wall and travels past the crucifixion site where Jesus would be killed later in the movie. In this early scene, the crosses and scaffolding have already been set up with the same Roman guards who appear later in the film (set 30 years in the future) already posted by the crucifixion hill.

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 Alan Partridge Presents: The Cream of British Comedy (2005) (V)

An excellent road sign

I recently watched this movie meticulously as I had the job of transcribing most of it to paper for a later production translation. I had seen this movie when it was originally broadcast in the 70's. Being a visually oriented learner, creative type and fundamental but immature in my Christian faith...I was distracted by the handsomeness of Powell and his blue eyes and aforementioned preoccupation of my own perceptions.

That said, I would say that this is the best movie made about the life of Christ that I have seen and I've seen numerous. Robert Powell does make the character of Jesus very human and believable...and also gives the viewer a sense of the divine...Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. In short, a viewer can look forward to meeting this Jesus and not feel condemned...and can walk away forgiven.

But there are people in this world who are fundamental and want to see a Jesus as described in The Bible as accurately as possible for a human to portray. Personally, I believe that God can inspire a man to play the role of Jesus to a certain extent. It's my opinion that Powell was inspired...not totally, but to a certain extent. BTW doesn't God want all of us to act like little Jesus'? Obviously, no man can portray the character of Jesus fully...there is only one Jesus.

I would still like to see a Jesus that matches the biblical description: - he was not handsome according to the prophet Isaiah. - he was so beat up during his passion that he was not able to be recognized to be a man...again the prophet Isaiah. - His beard was torn out...again, I believe that's Isaiah.

In my opinion, "The Passion" surpasses "Jesus of Nazereth" in that part of the story...but it too falls short of the points above.

All in all, Jesus of Nazereth is an excellent road sign to point men to the truth.