Lenten Blog – Day 29 – Christ on Film - “Greatest Story Ever Told” aka “Dead Christ Walking” (1965)

Finally we get to a film where Christ is the star. Not a glowing arm, not a character way off in the distance and used for a joke. But actually and for true, HE’S THE MAIN CHARACTER! And what a character he is!

“Greatest Story Ever Told” starring Swedish Actor Max Von Sydow as the main character is the one we all grew up watching. Like “The Ten Commandments” or “Ben-Hur” or “Sound of Music” these were once or twice-a-year events where the family would sit around the 19” color RCA and let the beauty of pan-and-scan cropped films awash us in biblical glory while advertisements for Tang or the AMC Gremlin or Ovaltine came at us every 15 minutes or so - making these event evenings go to 11 p.m. and, sometimes, well past which made it all the more fun to stay up late and watch Jesus get crucified.

Chuck Heston from Moses to John the Baptist

 “Greatest Story Ever Told” certainly fit into that category and nothing like a Swedish actor known more for working with Ingmar Bergman (and lately seen in “Star Wars - The Force Awakens”) to play a middle-eastern Jew.

 Did you know Jesus was in "Force Awakens?"

But why do I refer to this film as “Dead Christ Walking?” It’s simply because Max Von Sydow played Jesus as a dour walking death sentence. I don’t even think he smiles once in the film. When talking about Christ in films I remember someone (maybe a priest) say that there was nothing remotely human or even likable about this portrayal of Jesus.

 Is that a smile?  Sort of?

No charisma, no joy, no...nothing. Just. There.

Certainly the film’s 3 hour plus running time and John Wayne’s stunning appearance when he shows up at the end to recite just one line are selling points to the epic-ness of this film, but I left the film wanting. Wanting more passion in the passion.

Probably took him 1000 times longer to get in his costume, than it took him to say his line.

The all star cast included Biblical Epic Icon himself Charlton Heston. Telly Savalas, Roddy McDowell, Angela Lansbury and many others added to the credibility to the production but it was casting Max Von Sydow as Jesus the Christ that was, in my opinion, the weak link in the production.

Sidney Poitier shows up to help.

Still - as Jesus biblical epics go. This was the cream of the crop.

NOW he smiles?