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Film, TV and Streaming

For the love of God, go to the movies

This Easter season can be celebrated with religious films
Willem Dafoe plays Jesus Christ in Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” a film from 1988 that deals with various forms of temptation including fear, doubt, depression, reluctance and lust.

With the holy days of Lent, Easter and Passover here, it has been another season for fasting by giving up something of importance or enjoyment, or alternatively adding on something more challenging.

For Hollywood, it is the time of year to release biblical-themed films. And for those who are also movie fanatics, some are brushing up on such movies, both old and new, to fit the mood of the season. This year already has become one of the most packed years in recent film history of features inspired by the Bible, with “Son of God,” “Noah,” “Heaven is for Real” and “Exodus” to name a few. The first two already are in theaters, and the last two will be coming out soon. It could also be a time to revisit some already popular films from over the decades.

A classic that has been consistently viewed over the years at home (as well as on stage) by Christians and general musical fans is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Adapted into a film by Norman Jewison in 1973 from the Broadway play two years earlier, “Superstar” seems to have had some mixed opinions from viewers for its use of modern music and costumes set along religious symbolism. But one thing that can be universally agreed on is that the soundtrack is pretty catchy, with “What’s the Buzz,” “Everything’s Alright” and “Superstar” – to name a few.

Another musical based on Old Testament times is DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt,” which not only has stellar music, but beautiful animation for the story of Moses and Rameses. Cecil B. DeMille’s MGM Technicolor epic “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner, is another screen interpretation of Moses and Rameses that has been seen for decades since its release.

One of the most controversial films created is Martin Scorsese’s 1988 celluloid version of Nikos Kazantzakis’ “The Last Temptation of Christ.” The film caused a scandal from featuring a fantasy sex scene between Jesus and Mary Magdalene while Jesus is being tempted by the devil. While alarming to devout Christians, “Temptation” is still one of the more fascinating depictions of Christ put to screen, especially when considering Scorsese’s serious Catholic roots.

The most straightforward screen enactments based on the New Testament seem to be Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth”and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” Zeffirelli’s is a six-hour mini-series chronicling Jesus’ life with an A-list cast of actors. “The Passion” is a brutally graphic retelling of the Stations of the Cross. A few other spiritual, though original, films that would be fitting for this weekend are Lasse Hallström’s delightful “Chocolat,” which is set around the Lenten season in a small town in mid-20th century France; Terrence Malick’s genre bending eye-candy “The Tree of Life,” centered around a suburban family in Texas dealing with life and death; and the biopic “The Other Side of Heaven” about Mormon missionary John Groberg in the Tongan islands.

As a way to finish the temptation throughout Lent in a celebratory manor, a movie or two on this weekend leading up to Easter Sunday might be a pleasant distraction.

mbianco@durangoherald.com. Megan Bianco is a movie reviewer and contributes other entertainment-related features and articles.



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