The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)

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 7 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Enrique Irazoqui	...	Cristo
Margherita Caruso	...	Maria (giovane)
Susanna Pasolini	...	Maria (vecchia)
Marcello Morante	...	Giuseppe
Mario Socrate	...	Giovanni Battista
Settimio Di Porto	...	Pietro
Alfonso Gatto	...	Andrea
Luigi Barbini	...	Giacomo
Giacomo Morante	...	Giovanni
Giorgio Agamben	...	Filippo
Guido Cerretani	...	Bartolomeo
Rosario Migale	...	Tommaso
Ferruccio Nuzzo	...	Matteo
Marcello Galdini	...	Giacomo figlio di Alfeo
Elio Spaziani	...	Taddeo

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:

jesus christ | palestine | judea | galilee | divine conception | 

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Taglines:

A Motion Picture which will be seen by the entire world - up to the end of the world!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marcello Morante, who played Giuseppe (St. Joseph), and Giacomo Morante who played Giovanni (St. John), were real life father and son. None of them were a professional actor. Elsa Morante, a close friend of Pasolini, who worked as an uncredited assistant director in the movie, was Marcello's sister and Giacomo's aunt.

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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

Christ: Many are called, but few are chosen.

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Alternate Versions

The 2007 DVD release features a colorized, English-dubbed version with a run time of 91 minutes and an Italian-language black and white version running 136 minutes.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: European New Wave (2011)

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Soundtracks

Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground
Written and Performed by Blind Willie Johnson
Courtesy of Columbia Records

User Reviews

Pasolini's "Cinema of Poetry"

After "La Ricotta", Pasolini was indicted by the church for blasphemy. The film apparently contained references to Homosexuality (it does). He was convicted and given a suspended sentence. So when it was announced that his next feature was "The Gospel According to St. Matthew," you can guess what the church's response was. Pasolini made the film anyway. The result is one of the most exciting examples of Pasolini's "Cinema of Poetry". I have read many comments about this film that criticize it for its elipses, bad acting and apparent lack of visual prowness. I will attest to you, though, that this film not only creates an honest 20th century portrait of Jesus but also dives deeply into Pasolini's masterful art of filmmaking. Pasolini was way ahead of his time like many other Italian filmmakers of the sixites. The supposed bad acting, elipses and visuals in the film were all done on purpose. They aren't bad. In fact, thay force a patient viewer to look deeply into the minds and thoughts of the characters surrounding Jesus. The Gospel has been told many ways, but no one ever dared to tell the story on a personal level. Pasolini invites the viewer to experience the Gospel in a differnt way. With a wonderful mix of religious music (American, Brazilian, etc.), the film reaches out to the entire Christian world. I can go on and on about the other wonders this film has to offer, but instead I'll just recommend you watch it. When you do, don't pay attention to what's missing, but to what is there on screen. The film will make a lot more sense. Even for non-believers (myself included), this is an exciting film.

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 March 1965 (France)

Also Known As:

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Filming Locations:

Apulia, Italy

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,041

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