Motion Pictures: Religious Epics–The Gospel According to Matthew

dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy, 1964, 16mm, 136 mins, b/w, Italian w/ English subtitles

In this historical epic, Christ is portrayed as an intellectual in a world of revolutionaries, a bohemian ever wandering and ever confronting his stubborn people. At times harsh, arrogant and demanding and at others gentle and forgiving, Pasolini’s Christ is always a self-reflexive enigma. Shot almost entirely in exteriors in southern Italy, the arid expansive landscape acts as an enormous stage for Pasolini’s drama. Using the visual effect of a highly charismatic figure through his strong use of facial expressions, the stirring strong gaze of Christ is set against the barren landscape, as are the hypnotized responses of those who see him. Pasolini’s most ambitious and complex work is dedicated to the memory of Pope John XXIII, whom he credits with establishing the religious climate in which making the film was possible.

For more information: http://ihousephilly.org/events/motion-pictures-religious-epics-the-gospe...