When it comes to films that reflect or fit this season, one way or another, many of us often think of biblical epics. The first examples you might be thinking of are Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 classic The Ten Commandments (which he had made before in the 1920s), and William Wyler's 1959 Oscar-winner Ben-Hur (which celebrates 60 years this year). And I'm sure a lot of you are already picturing legendary actor Charlton Heston, commanding and enduring, as Moses and Judah Ben-Hur in each respective film. (He's practically synonymous with biblical epics of yesteryear. Plus, both films also happen to be the sixth and fourteenth highest-grossing in history, adjusted for inflation.) Or how about some more recent examples like DreamWorks Animation's 1998 feature The Prince of Egypt, or Mel Gibson's controversial but powerfully-moving 2004 film The Passion of the Christ?
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| Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments |
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| Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur |
The American Film Institute defines the "epic" feature as "a genre of large-scale film set in a cinematic interpretation of the past. Their scope defies and demands—either in the mode in which they are presented or their range across time." In addition, "With sweeping interpretations of turbulent times, epics depict characters that, whether nobly heroic or shamefully depraved, are living life on the grandest of scales."
The Bible remains the most widely-read and number-one selling book of all-time. And it's no surprise that it has influenced countless media and texts as well.
While researching various films that fall under this category in more ways than one, I've discovered that there may primarily be three sub-categories of biblical features--that is, films that revolve around characters or events as found in (or inspired by/based off of) the Bible. There are the historical epics, as previously mentioned from DeMille and Wyler, as well as the 1979 Jesus film starring Brian Deacon.
A second kind involves more controversial picks, specifically those that take a radical (or, rather, secular) turn, or significant dramatic license, from the original source material. One of the most famous examples is Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (based on author Nikos Kazantzakis's equally controversial novel), which secularizes the life of Christ (played by Willem Dafoe) and his duel nature. Critics have, er, praised the 1988 feature as a more human view of Jesus Christ, while others have called it out for being "blasphemous". Ditto 2006's The DaVinci Code (adapted from Dan Brown's 2003 novel), which suggests that Jesus married instead of died on the Cross. Or how about the 1979 satire Life of Brian, from British comedy troupe Monty Python? To be fair, this latter film centered on a character (played by late troupe member Graham Chapman) who is mistaken for the Messiah, supposedly satirizing religious zealousy in the process. Scorsese's feature, meanwhile, did have an opening disclaimer stating, "This film is not based on the Gospels, but upon the fictional exploration of the eternal spiritual conflict." Other examples in recent years include Darren Aronovsky's 2014 film Noah starring Russell Crowe, and Garth Davis's just-released Mary Magdalene starring Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix.
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| Jim Caviezel (center) in The Passion of the Christ |
And, of course, we have to mention Gibson's film, which was criticized primarily for supposed anti-Semetism (which, arguably, really isn't an issue), and for its graphic violence (such as the flogging and crucifixion sequences) in depicting the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus (played by Jim Caviezel). True, the film is divisive, but it is also perhaps the most powerful and intimate interpretation of those final hours and more reverent and realistic to the Holy Scriptures than any film made prior (despite also nodding to other Catholic resources, of which church Gibson himself is a follower of). It also happens to be the most commercially-successful of any religious or Biblical film in history (unadjusted for inflation).
Gibson is no stranger to epic filmmaking, having also directed 1995's Braveheart (about William Wallace's quest to lead Scotland to liberation from English tyranny), 2006's Apocalypto (about the graphic decline of the Mayan civilization), and 2016's Hacksaw Ridge (about Desmond Doss' conscientious role in what was the bloodiest battle in World War II). But The Passion also qualifies in a third subcategory of biblical film, consisting of smaller, intimate stories. Other examples include 2016's Risen (about a Roman guard who investigates the disappearance of Christ's body from the tomb after his crucifixion) and 2016's The Young Messiah (based on Anne Rice's novel of the same name, centered on Jesus as a boy).
As with any film adaptation of a text (regardless of that adaptation's success or lack thereof, for whatever reason), the ones that hold up the most are those that are the most reverent and faithful to their source material, whether on Easter, Christmas, or any other (accordingly) significant holiday of the year.
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