The time for Jesus's persecution is approaching as Judas Iscariot (Ian McShane) goes from trusted apostle to the man who sets in motion his crucifixion. A memorable moment has Mary Magdalene (Anne Bancroft) approaching Jesus in tears, rejected by the men surrounding him but allowed to wash his feet with her hair and anoint them in oil. Going from tough prostitute to vulnerable repentee gives Bancroft some great material to work with in her limited time on screen, and there is no trace of Annie Sullivan or Mrs Robinson in her performance which prevents her part from being unintentionally funny. Olivia Hussey returns as Mary, given praise by Jesus's followers for being the mother of the Messiah.
When the disciples realize who they are following, this leads to a pledge by them to keep his identity secret as he has no interest in political power and being a king on earth which is the reason why he is sought for crucifixion. The constant line of miracles is presented most sincerely with Robert Powell keeping his performance consistent and never so saintly that it becomes cloying. Even when he attacks people selling their goods in the temple, he keeps his performance from going into places that diminishes his performance. The use of ancient Hebrew rituals in sacrifice and worship is another interesting element that makes this very enlightening. The depiction of Palm Sunday is also very lavish, just as memorable as Cleopatra's entrance into Rome in that 1963 epic.
The film gets much more profound as it reaches it's penultimate moments dealing with the crucifixion, becoming upsetting even as the viewer knows where it is going. More recent depictions of the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection haven't been nearly as good, going more for shock value rather than revelance. When Jesus sits with a group of children to give them a parable, it's another wonderful moment filled with sweetness and joy. I can't imagine this ever being done as well because of the care that director Franco Zefferelli takes with it. For that, the TV miniseries surpasses such classics as "King of Kings" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told", and it's not just because of the length.
When the disciples realize who they are following, this leads to a pledge by them to keep his identity secret as he has no interest in political power and being a king on earth which is the reason why he is sought for crucifixion. The constant line of miracles is presented most sincerely with Robert Powell keeping his performance consistent and never so saintly that it becomes cloying. Even when he attacks people selling their goods in the temple, he keeps his performance from going into places that diminishes his performance. The use of ancient Hebrew rituals in sacrifice and worship is another interesting element that makes this very enlightening. The depiction of Palm Sunday is also very lavish, just as memorable as Cleopatra's entrance into Rome in that 1963 epic.
The film gets much more profound as it reaches it's penultimate moments dealing with the crucifixion, becoming upsetting even as the viewer knows where it is going. More recent depictions of the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection haven't been nearly as good, going more for shock value rather than revelance. When Jesus sits with a group of children to give them a parable, it's another wonderful moment filled with sweetness and joy. I can't imagine this ever being done as well because of the care that director Franco Zefferelli takes with it. For that, the TV miniseries surpasses such classics as "King of Kings" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told", and it's not just because of the length.
