The Jesus Film (1979)

Jesus of Nazareth,the son of God raised by a Jewish carpenter. Based on the gospel of Luke in the New Testament,here is the life of Jesus from the miraculous virgin birth to the calling of ... See full summary »

Directors:

John Krish, Peter Sykes

Writer:

Barnet Bain (screenplay) (as Barnet Fishbein)

Stars:

Brian Deacon, Rivka Neuman, Alexander Scourby

Cast

Credited cast:
Brian Deacon	...	Jesus
Rivka Neuman	...	Mary
Alexander Scourby	...	Luke (voice)
Niko Nitai	...	Simon Peter
Joseph Shiloach	...	Joseph
Ori Levy	...	Caiaphas
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mosko Alkalai	...	Matthew
Kobi Assaf	...	Philip
Moti Baharav	...	Simon of Cyrene
Ya'ackov Ben-Sira	...	Zacchaeus
Zeev Berlinsky	...	Blind Begger (as Ze'ev Berlinski)
Eli Cohen	...	John the Baptist
Eli Danker	...	Judas Iscariot
Dina Doron	...	Elizabeth
Shoshana Duer	...	Hunchback Woman in the Temple

Storyline

Jesus of Nazareth,the son of God raised by a Jewish carpenter. Based on the gospel of Luke in the New Testament,here is the life of Jesus from the miraculous virgin birth to the calling of his disciples, public miracles and ministry, ending with his death by crucifixion at the hands of the Roman empire and resurrection on the third day.

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Plot Keywords:

gospel of luke | miracle | jesus christ | crucifixion of jesus | loincloth | 

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Taglines:

The man you thought you knew

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Family | History

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Jesus Film Project Jesus Video

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Jesus Film

Filming Locations:

Israel

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Inspirational Films, The Genesis Project

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mosko Alkalai (Matthew) and Yitzhak Ne'eman (James) both appear as extras in the crowd in the TV movie "Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith" and their voices in that film are dubbed over as well.

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Goofs

After laying the body in the tomb, the actor under the burial shroud can clearly be seen breathing.

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Quotes

Jesus: Forgive them father, for they don't know what they do.

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Connections

Version of El mártir del Calvario (1952)

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Soundtracks

Concerto brandeburghese No. 1, BWV 1046 : 2° movimento
by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

"I am with you always, even unto the end of the age..."

Here in the Bible belt of the United States, particularly in our Southern Baptist churches, when you say the name "Jesus Christ," most of us envision such a person as Brian Deacon, who stars as the title character of "Jesus" (1979). The plot of "Jesus" is generally well-known even by non-believers. The opening scene displays John 3:16-17 from the King James Version. Though the film claims to be entirely from The Gospel of St. Luke, it also mixes elements from Matthew's Gospel (i.e.: a more complete Lord's Prayer said by Christ and the use of the trinitarian baptismal formula).

Sadly, the acting in "Jesus" is almost as wooden as the oil-painted icons of the Eastern Church. Brian Deacon delivers a sort of solemn, meek interpretation of Jesus of Nazareth--making the scene in which he casts out the money-changers from the temple--look as if he is only frustrated, and not righteously angry. However, in the film's defense, the acting in "Jesus" is much more a product of its time in that this was generally accepted as to how Jesus acted.

"Jesus" is perhaps one of the greatest films ever made, not because of its production values or acting, but because of its content. This 80-minute film, translated into God knows how many languages, has communicated the Gospel to millions all across the globe. "Jesus," the forerunner of such films as "The Gospel of John" (2003) and "The Passion of the Christ" (2004), is one of the finest examples of evangelical film-making. Recommended for everyone.