#Movie about centurion and jesus movie
#Movie about centurion and jesus tv

Some of the most notorious screen portrayals of Christ are ones that perhaps tell us more about the people making them than the Son of God. It’s so easy for us to become distracted by our own expectations of Jesus. Its most interesting decision might be to stage the Last Supper at a Y-shaped table – a reminder, as it departs from Leonardo da Vinci-inspired tradition, of how much culture can shape the way we think of events. But despite Max von Sydow’s authoritative performance, Christ is lost in a sea of Hollywood cameos.īorrowing from all four Gospels, 1961’s King of Kings similarly descends into cliché, while getting bogged down in a rebellion subplot. Based on a book by Fulton Oursler – leaning on John’s Gospel – its Jesus is a more mysterious figure.

#Movie about centurion and jesus movie

That anecdote isn’t true but it’s indicative of the accuracy elsewhere, as Stevens’ bloated biblical epic falls into the trappings of what by that point had become a whole movie genre. Wayne’s response, the legend goes, was to repeat the line with the requested addition: ‘Awww, truly this man was the Son of God.’ ‘Can I get more awe?’ director George Stevens is supposed to have said to John Wayne, as the actor played the Roman centurion who realised who Jesus was. The judicious use of stunning effects helps convey the awe of Jesus’ sacrifice.Īlmost 40 years later, 1965’s The Greatest Story Ever Told gives us a different approach.

Some details are invented or embellished, and DeMille’s taste for the garish occasionally rears its head, but it’s largely a respectful effort, lighting Jesus in a way that recalls William Holman Hunt’s painting The Light of the World. With quotes from the King James Version as title cards, the film strives to be faithful to Scripture. May this portrayal play a reverent part in that spirit of that great command.’ ‘He himself commanded that his message be carried to the utter-most parts of the Earth. ‘This is the story of Jesus of Nazareth,’ proclaims Cecil B DeMille’s 1927 silent film The King of Kings. The journey from cries of ‘hosanna’ to ‘crucify him’ is rich with cinematic potential, even as the ways in which filmmakers have presented it opens up another maze of interpretations. It paved the way for a bittersweet collision of expectations, as this prophesied Messiah would end up liberating his followers in a way they didn’t – and couldn’t – foresee. Jesus’ arrival at Jerusalem was triumphant yet humble. That feels apt in relation to Palm Sunday, a day of conflicting perspectives and perceptions.

#Movie about centurion and jesus tv

Many other biblical films came in between and many more have followed – today, Jesus is one of the most depicted characters in film and TV history. Five years later, a 44-minute silent film depicted the Life and Passion of Christ.

Within a couple of years of moving images being invented, the Lumière brothers in France told the story of The Passion in an 1898 short film. As long as cinema has existed, people have used it as a lens through which to spread the gospel or explore faith. In today’s media-saturated age, many people will be journeying through Easter not just through prayer and devotions but also through film and TV. Ivan Radford explores portrayals of Jesus and the events of Easter on screen.

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