The Gospel According To St. Matthew (1964)

Has anybody seen the film “Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo” (1964), and what was your reaction to it?

This film’s English title is “The Gospel According to St. Matthew” and it was directed by revolutionary filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. Even though Pasolini was known to be an Atheist, a Marxist, and a homosexual, critics have praised his “Jesus film” for its gritty realism and its faithfulness to the Biblical text. Some have even called it the greatest film ever made on the life of Christ.

Okay, so maybe not quite, but this is still an excellent film, by far the best depiction of the last days of Jesus’s life. By taking the view that Jesus was a revolutionary rather than emphasising the religious aspects the film succeeds in presenting a unique view of the life, and death, of Jesus and the reactions of his followers. There are no mystical halos descending from heaven, no “angelic music” and none of the other cliches that Hollywood’s attempts at presenting the story usually contain. Instead the humanity of those who lived the story comes through, and by doing this the film takes on emotional, even religious intensity totally lacking in other, larger budget depictions of Christ. Possibly the most moving part of all is the moment Peter realises he has disowned Jesus three times. This isn’t portrayed as some great epic biblical act, the denial of the Messiah, but rather as the actions of a man, scared for himself, who, when he realises that he has betrayed his friend runs away in shame sobbing uncontrollably. the scene is given even more dramatic impact through the music, taken from Bach’s St Matthews Passion, which perfectly fits the mood of the moment. Overall this is a brilliant film and anyone remotely interested in either good film making, the relationships between human beings under pressure, or the final days of Christ should see it.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pasolini, 1964)

The Gospel According to St. Matthew [VHS] $14.99 Released in 1964, The Gospel According to St. Matthew marks an important shift away from the gritty urban realism of Pasolini's earlier films towards the visionary imagery of his later work. A committed but far from conformist Marxist, Pasolini took a powerful and immediate approach, with no false piety or sentimentality. Employing a cast drawn largely from the peasantry of Southern Italy, where t...

The Gospel According to St. Matthew $2.25 A totally original filmic version of the story of Jesus. Director Pier Paolo Pasolini combines non-professional actors, magnificent Italian locales, and a stirring classical score for a moving and surprisingly reverent biographical drama. Deluxe, letterboxed print from the Pasolini Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art. Includes both the original black-and-white and the newly colorized versions....

The Gospel According to St. Matthew $14.95 A totally original filmic version of the story of Jesus. Director Pier Paolo Pasolini combines non-professional actors, magnificent Italian locales, and a stirring classical score for a moving and surprisingly reverent biographical drama. Deluxe, letterboxed print from the Pasolini Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art. Includes both the original black-and-white and the newly colorized versions....