Jesus

Director

The Overture is heard over images of a troupe preparing their version of the Passion Play. They arrive out inm the Israeli desert in a bus with a cross attached to the roof along with many other props. As the performers unload off of the bus you get a feeling of celebration so often attributed to the late 60s, early 70s. They costume themselves. When the overture  exchos the '39 lashes', they remove the cross from the roof and when the overture breaks into a jubilant "Superstar", we are introduced to Jesus appearing from a pile of people... Could we start?

Judas is alone singing of his concerns for Jesus' meteoric and quick jolt to fame.

At times, the camera shows a 'Judas eye view' of Jesus teaching.This song, like many others in the film is set high upon Israeli desert mountains. Carl Anderson gives an awe-inspiring performance.

Use the phrase "What's the Buzz" around the office water cooler tomorrow and take note of the looks you receive. That also explains the biggest problem with this piece... It's dated. The opening shot of the song shows Jesus bathed in sunlight from a hole in a cave ceiling.The song segues into...

Judas turns a mirror on the situation, turning the jubilant mood to one of conflict. Judas questions Jesus' attentions to Mary Magdelene, a prostitute. Jesus responds:

Throughout the song Jesus seems to always find the light shining brightly down on him. The viewer knows this is a special guy...

The priests Caiaphas and Annas discuss the troublemaker, Jesus and agree that they need him out of the way. The vocal seperation is great for character development. Caiaphas has a very deep voice to Annas' weasel-like screech.

Evening has set in. Mary Magdelene rubs ointment on Jesus' face. The Camera rotates slowly around her as she sings to him until it settles with Judas in the picture.  Once again, Judas draws attention to uncomfortable subjects. Jewison creates a wonderful moment were Jesus firmly grabs Judas by the shoulder and sings:

Without losing eye contact, they turn the shoulder grab into a firm brotherly handshake. Meanwhile, Mary continues singing but the real communication is in the stares between the 2 men... It might be that this is the moment when Judas decides to turn Jesus in and Jesus, who needs that to fulfill his destiny, won't stand in the way... Very strong...

It is Palm Sunday. Jesus and his followers are travelling while the priests watch  from high upon a pipe trellis.

Jesus is being celebrated to the chagrin of the priests. Jesus tells Caiaphas that nothing could stop their celebration. But, when the crowd sings

We see the fear and surprise in his eyes.

Click here to hear a midi file of the song

Dated choreography and costumes and an over-zealous Simon Zealotes make this a difficult viewing experience. However, Jewison visuals once again scores preminition points when Simon sings:

Jesus interprets this that the hatred by the Roman government  will cost him his life on earth. He will ascend to heaven and make life better for everyone else. the celebration continues while Christ lets that thought sink in. The song cuts to...

Jesus responds to that song with  his thoughts in a melancholy number that ends with him singing...

Pilate shares his dream to the sudience in his mountain temple. The entire song is sung in one shot.

The temple has been converted to a sleazy market place. Selling machine guns, postcards, mirrors and clothing. Jesus loses his control and throws everyone out... He goes off to the mountains alone and begins to sing the song that would eventually be "Gethsemene" when vagrants and lepers crowd him asking him for his help... Again, he loses control and yells "Leave me Alone!"

Billboard Top ten time. Mary Magdelene sings of her love for Jesus.

Click here to here a midi file of the song.

Judas is a useless hump in the middle of nowhere minding his own business when 5 army tanks force him to run to the priests. He knows that Jesus can't handle his 'fame' any more, especially after what he saw in the temple. He sells Jesus off to them on one condition, that he won't be damned for all time. We see a very tight close-up of Judas after the deed is done. He is still undure of what he has done... On stage, this would be the last song of ACT ONE.

We return to Jesus and disciples enjoying what would end up being their 'Last Supper' together. And for the first and last time in the film, it is in a grassy region filled with color (The garden of Gethsemane). A word on the disciples... With the exception of Judas, the film disciples border on idiocy. (Of course, Judas and Jesus are the only ones who never break into 'loose' dancing.) They never see what is going on around them and their shallow happiness looks like it is drug induced (Ah, 1973) So, with that said, their abundant screen time hinder the film. The Judas/Jesus conflict scenes are masterful and both performances have great nuance. But, I digress... The Last Supper painting by DaVinci is cleverly recreated in the garden by the disciples as Jesus breaks bread and distributes wine. In a moment of remorse Jesus realizes that without a change, these followers of his will forget him ten minutes after he is dead. An Argument insues culminating in another strong confrontation between Jesus and Judas. Judas turns his back and runs off in the midst of a herd of sheep to 'turn Jesus in.' 

With the all the funny little apostles asleep, Jesus gets some unwanted time alone. He goes off to climb the mountains and pray in a powerful song well delivered and realized by Neeley. A Small footnote: Although the songs in the film are all lip-synched to a pre-recorded soundtrack, Neeley and Anderson sang along at full strength to get into the mood they wanted to express. In numbers like this one, crew members actually carried large speakers up the mountains so the music could be properly heard by the performer.

The soldiers come to take Jesus away and in the process awaken the cluless disciples who wants again break into "Whats the Buzz?" The music from "Hosanna" and "The Temple" are resung and mimicked here as Jesus is escorted past angry people.

At a turnpike rest stop (for its time) Peter is confronted about his relationship with 'that man they took away.' Peter, as per Jesus' prediction denies him and Mary (sliding up to every note) comments on how Jesus knew that would happen.

For the rest of the story Jesus is pushed around from person to person and challenged on his divinity. Christ, under strong scrutiny, remains basically silent. Here, he is brought to Pontious Pilate   who sends Jesus on to King Herod:

This song is blatantly a comic number. Although many of Tim Rice's lyrics are clever throughout, this number is the only one that Lloyd Webber attached 'fun' music to it. We see King Herod floating on a raft surrounded by an 'orgy' of men in women in various stages of dress and costume. Back in 1970, the costuming (actually throughout the film) and this type of situation was happening in society. So then, it was actually 'modern.' Today, however, it is such a distant recollection that it actually gets fused with Christ's time. Was it really like that back then? Future generations will have a hard time discerning that. Josh Mostel (son of Broadway legend Zero Mostel) In a terribly weak singing voice brings great humor to the number.

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That is basically what seems to happen here. The action that now propels the story (Jesus being shuffled from government official to government official) is interrupted by one lady, Mary Magdelene, standing and singing. She is joined by one man, Peter, who stands at her side and joins her singing. They are then joined by several others. the song is pleasant enough, even pretty, but it really comes across like that Coke commercial. (Don't get me wrong, that was a good commercial... I bought a couple of Cokes because of that) The song was added by Lloyd Webber and Rice after the initial concept album, so when, this film appeared in their country, England, it was a new number...

And now, back to our show... Judas runs to the temple (a combination of Styrofoam and a real temple ruin) to seek out Annas and Caiaphas to protest the treatment Christ has been receiving since Judas turned him in. defeated, he leaves them runs atop a mountain and hangs himself from a tree.

Tha camera pans from Judas hanging from a tree down to Christ once again before Pilate. Responding to the crowds call for Christ's crucifixion offers in counter to flog him. He proceeds to have Jesus whipped 39 times. Physically exhausted, Jesus still refuses to offer any power to Pilate. So, Pilate agrees to have him crucified.

Judas, seen for the first time out of his sweaty red outfit (good thing this film wasn't shot in smell-a-vision) sings the title song with heavily costumed (see King Herod's song) performers. This is the last 'song' in the show.

Click here to hear a midi file of the song.

The presentation of the crucifixion is, although brief, very well done.

And so, we return to the bus as the performers load back onto the bus. A curtain call of sorts, we see the major performers back in their modern (1973) clothes. The exception is Neeley who, we must presume, was really Christ and remains with the cross...

Stage to
Screen

The show had such a meteoric start that even in its infancy, it was already being prepared for the screen. Norman Jewison had just finished "Fiddler on the Roof" and was picked to direct this musical. Partially because of the respect for the jewish faith in Fiddler, Jewison was able to secure filming rights in Israel. Lloyd Webber and Rice did some minor tweaking (Some of which Jewison threw out, the suggestions were on a large "King of Kings" scale) Some of the performers (Bingham, Anderson, Elliman) were selected from the Broadway productions and Ian Gillen of The rock band Deep Purple was selected to portray Jesus but declined when he realised he'd make more money by not doing the fim. They brought in Ted Neeley who was popular in his own right on the West Coast. The shoot took several months and was often in 110 degree heat. Upon release, the film received varied reception (similar to the show) and, of course was chastised by some extreme religious groups.

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Piano Score of Jesus Christ Superstar by clicking on the image.

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