It’s springtime and you know what that means… Bible movie epics!
I love the Old Hollywood epic film in general. Bloated production schedules, enough money sunk into costumes and set pieces to create a new economy, tempestuous stars… all for a movie that runs about half a day with at least two intermissions to get blood circulating in your legs again. But why would I, a mere heathen, spend my spring season with pale Jesus and white Moses? Well, these movies make me nostalgic. The earnest bombast and dramatic storytelling stapled together from the pages of the Old Testament were church in my house, for better or for worse. But like all kids, I eventually rebelled against Charlton Heston and safe re-enactments of the life of Jesus and was introduced to a groovy flick called Jesus Christ Superstar.
Where do I begin? I have several copies of Superstar around my home: DVD, digital, and a couple of bootlegged VHS from when that was a thing. Even had the original soundtrack on CD once upon a time. I will wiggle quotes from the songs into real life conversation. In short, I’m the very fanatic that Jesus warns about. My love for this movie goes beyond the kitschy ’70s stylings, although that’s a big part of it. I stay for the highly emotional plot and fantastic musical numbers full of psychedelic guitar and sweeping strings.
Looking back, Superstar made some interesting production choices that I think have kept it floating around in pop culture consciousness for so long. It’s such a small, short movie that does a lot to bring untouchable Bible characters down to Earth. This was the first movie I saw that portrayed Jesus as a regular human being and not this barely mortal being that floated off the ground. That made me want to know more and seek out more interpretations. Didn’t bring me back to church from the wild, but, well, at least I was better equipped with knowledge.
Carl Anderson portrays an oddly optimistic Judas in contract to Ted Neely’s incredibly cynical and self-aware Jesus, which turns their usual dynamic of Good versus Evil to more like Anti-Hero versus Reluctant Hero. Their relationship is intense and interesting, giving both of them some well overdue humanization. What’s also interesting is this was a bit before the wave of analysis that penetrated the mainstream that suggested Judas was not quite the Villain of All Villains that traditional teachings want him to be.
The dated peak 1970s production we all love to mock work here because it allows the film to explore a rock star with a cult following he doesn’t really want and, in a more meta sense, critique celebrity and fandom. The biggest example of this is the Apostles and Mary Magdalene. The movie goes out of its way to show the Apostles as people with noble intentions, but the reality is they’re annoying fanboys that fall apart when Jesus is inevitably crucified. It reminds me of otaku, fans obsessed with minute details of their chosen field whether it be anime or military, and they just as easily move on to their next topic when it ceases to please them. Mary Magdalene comes off the best, but even she’s a bit naive to her surroundings. By the time everyone gets their heads together, it’s far too late.
Christianity has never been particularly accessible to me and as an adult I’ve learned to live with it. But as a youngster, this movie provided an alternative perspective and satiated my urge to really understand the motivations behind some of the events going on in the New Testament. And it does it in a way that’s not too Hollywood, being a rock opera and all. Oh, we can’t discount the songs. The songs carry this movie a great distance from the screen to embedded in your mind like an earwig from Star Trek II. If you need a refresher today or any other day, please defer to anything that comes out of Carl Anderson’s mouth or Ted Neely’s powerful belting in the hedonistic temples.
Alas, I may love this movie a little too much because as it turned out, I didn’t care for the 2001 upgrade with a new cast and I’m already not sure how I feel about the live broadcast due to hit NBC this Easter. But as I love it when things I enjoy are finally relevant again, I’m sure I’ll get over it. In the meantime, I’ll just be over here humming to myself and imploring bystanders to tell me what’s the buzz, what’s a-happening.