AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Matt Otter I have a hard time choosing between this film and "King of Kings" as far as which is my favorite, but they are both definitely 10-star. I was only 2 when this came out and while my parents did watch this when it originally aired I can't say I recalled much of that, likely slept most the time. It was run in later years through the 80's and it was a big family event each time. It was so exciting to wait for the next night to see more of the story. There are so many great lessons here, my favorite is probably when Jesus goes to Matthew's house and we see him won over and he turns from his former ways.Another wonderful thing about watching this is seeing the "who's who" as far as the cast. Nearly every role is played by someone you'll no doubt recognize, tho I imagine many of them weren't such huge stars at the time. The soundtrack to this is also amazing, the main theme in particular, really captures the majesty of Jesus story, not to mention all the wonderful holidays we've created around it in the years following. I highly recommend this film to anyone, you don't have to be Christian to enjoy it, the messages are universal.NOTE: I do have to agree with 1 of the big complaints I hear about this film which is the scene in which Jesus starts yelling wildly and proclaims "The Father and I are one and the same", I realize most films take some artistic license here and there, but this was not just some small talk, this was a very serious statement to make which never appears in the Bible, this line should never have been in the film.

tomsview This two-part mini-series covers the life of Jesus even before the beginning. It's long, but holds your interest to the end, and some passages are absolutely riveting, although there is no way that such a telling could avoid controversy.It shows how powerful the story can be in the hands of gifted writers, Anthony Burgess among others, and an inspired director, Franco Zeffirelli.With that said though, this is probably the least spectacular of the three big productions that tell the traditional life of Jesus; the others being Nicholas Ray's epic "King of Kings" and George Steven's measured "The Greatest Story Ever Told". "Jesus of Nazareth" is photographed in a no frills manner, and avoids conventional depictions of many of the events, especially the crucifixion.Maurice Jarre's effective score has a crisp sound, halfway between the symphonic scores for "King of Kings" and "Greatest Story", and Peter Gabriel's new-age opus for "The Last Temptation of Christ". The film has major stars in many of the roles big and small, as did Steven's "Greatest Story". Zeffirelli's film seems more successful in fitting the big names into their characters although Peter Ustinov was such a distinctive personality that his Herod seems rather tongue-in-cheek, even when he is ordering something as horrendous as the slaughter of the innocents. However, Robert Powell's performance is fascinating. How does any actor interpret Jesus? There are no acknowledged physical descriptions of the historical Jesus so who is to say that he didn't have auburn hair and blue eyes? Unlikely of course, but beyond appearance, Powell and Zeffirelli saw him as an ethereal being, as though he is constantly aware of the fate that awaits him. Most portrayals of Jesus tend to do that, and you could argue that it is too obvious an approach, but it probably captures the way his disciples and followers must have seen him - a unique man seemingly existing on a higher plane. Otherwise, why would they have followed him when it was so dangerous to do so? Although some characters were invented for the purposes of the drama, I think the series as a whole presented the story of the Gospels in an honest and accessible way, but obviously made by a director with a deep faith.Of course, it's such a powerful story with a massive influence on the history of mankind, that the door is always open for another interpretation.

acheapmom Wow. a great collection of fine actors...in this several hour miniseries. Get an entertaining film which is also a pretty accurate overview of Jesusmlife and work...from this movie.Right now, I'm seeing Sir Laurence Olivier, James Mason, Anthony Quinn, and several other A-list actors of their time all in one room...ARGUING!(portraying the Jewish leaders...debating whether or not Jesus should be handed over to the Romans for conviction). WOW!!!If you don't know who Jesus is, if you want a fairly quick overview of who He is, why He came, and what He did for us with His teachings, His death and resurrection on the Cross, this movie will do! And...this great award winning miniseries was shown on national TV. Its production value is high quality and the script is reverent and INtERESTING.

agonzalezep I do not understand why Lionsgate is delaying for so long a Blue Ray edition for this magnificent production. A high definition treatment for this miniseries is expected worldwide because it is the best movie ever filmed about Jesus of Nazareth. Most of the cast are still alive and it will be great if they were interviewed. After 36 years from the television success, this miniseries is still touching the hearts (for good) of everyone who see it. There is also a lost extended version of 8 hours aired in 1979 that contains important key scenes that will improve the current 6 hours cut. People who see this edition speak in the forums about scenes of the temptations in the desert, Jesus washing the feet and extended last supper scenes, a shot of the head of John the Baptist, the transfiguration and an alternate resurrection deleted scenes. Franco Zeffirelli let know in an interview that he need to cut several scenes to his original version. Please, Lionsgate, do this miniseries the justice it needs and bring us a Blue Ray extended version of Jesus of Nazareth for the old and new generations enjoyment of this great cinema masterpiece.