Jesus of Nazareth (1977, TV)

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Felix Oscar - 27 Sep 2004 18:03 GMT

This film skipped the part when Jesus is brought to King Herod and
then returned to Pilate. Although two actors are credited as playing
Herod, Peter Ustinov (the senior herod) and Chris Plummer. Am I
missing something?

The DVD picture quality is poor but perhaps I expect too much. I
remember the film from the old days as looking very realistic.

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Frank R.A.J. Maloney - 27 Sep 2004 19:35 GMT

> This film skipped the part when Jesus is brought to King Herod and
> then returned to Pilate. Although two actors are credited as playing
> Herod, Peter Ustinov (the senior herod) and Chris Plummer. Am I
> missing something?

Ustinov played Herod the Great and Plummer his son Herod Antipas. The
Herodians were a dynasty of Hellenized Idumeneans who ruled all or parts of
Judea as clients of the Romans. Herod the Great is the one who ordered the
slaughter of the innocents; Herod Antipas is the one who ordered the
execution of John the Baptist.

There were other ghastly members of this family, but that's another story.

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Frank in Seattle

___________

Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney

"I leave you now in radiant contentment"
-- "Whistling in the Dark"

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Mute Fan - 28 Sep 2004 01:32 GMT

> The DVD picture quality is poor but perhaps I expect too much. I
> remember the film from the old days as looking very realistic.

I didn't see The Passion of the Christ, and of course that film falls
into a category of its own. But Jesus of Nazareth has to be the best
retelling of Jesus' life ever made.

I often wondered if Zeffirelli chose particularly good-looking actors
for the major roles for any particular reason. Olivia Hussey was at
the time probably the most beautiful dark-haired woman in the world.
The apostles and John the Baptist, and particularly Judas, were
chiselled. And Robert Powell as Jesus was stunning.

But the odd thing was that the level of beauty of the cast didn't
detract from the film. After Powell's performance, no one else could
"play" Jesus, for me. Same with Michael York's. All around, the film
was as heartbreaking as I personally could stand.

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History Forum / General / General Topics / September 2004

Jesus of Nazareth (1977, TV)