My focus aspect for the semester has been the Cleaning of the Temple. The three films that I have chosen to analyze in regards to my focus aspect are Cecil B. DeMille’s silent Film King of Kings, Norman Jewison’s film of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s’ Rock Opera Jesus Christ Superstar, and Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Each of these films takes a unique look at this memorable scene from the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. I also believe that the filmmakers in each of these three films took this scene seriously and found it to be a crucial part of both their film and the way that they portrayed Christ as a person and as the savior of humanity.
Cecil B. DeMille’s King of Kings
DeMille’s Depiction of Christ and the Cleansing of the Temple did not sit well with me initially. I felt like Jesus looked weak and effeminate in the scene. He seemed disengaged and uninterested in what was really happening. This did not seem to me to be the Jesus that I knew. He looked old, pasty, and frail. I questioned both DeMille’s casting and his directing of the scene. I felt as though my view of DeMille’s depiction of Jesus was tainted from this scene. While I liked the gentle way that he treated the adulterous woman in the scene before I expected to see him respond in a stronger way to the moneychangers in the temple. When I saw him pick up the leather whip I expected to see him use it but he only held it. He said all the write words but his actions didn’t seem strong enough to match his strong words.
It is however interesting to look at DeMille’s explanation for his depiction “The slightest trace of overacting would have ruined it...
He simply picked up a leather thong and wrapped one end of it around his hand, but with such authority that it was entirely believable when the money-changers fled in confusion from a Christ whose anger was the more terrible because so perfectly
controlled”[1] This is very interesting to think about this idea that his anger was the more terrible because so perfectly
controlled. Clearly, more than entertainment was in the mind of DeMille. It would appear that controlled anger was very much a part of his Christology. This certainly makes me look at how DeMille’s Jesus is depicted in other scenes in the film.
Norman Jewison’s film of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s’ Rock Opera Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar has always been one of my favorite films and musicals. I enjoy the way that Jesus is depicted through both Jewison’s direction and Ted Neely’s acting.
It is clear in this depiction that the director holds one belief and wants the view to have a clear feeling that Jesus believed in justice. This is evident when Jesus did the cleansing of the temple; he was showing justice since he did not want people disrespecting the house of God or being taken advantage of.
While I found this depiction of Jesus as a whole in the film to be a bit lacking a felt like he was strong and well played in the Cleaning of the Temple. In the rest of the film he seems like and angsty teenager who is lost in his own skin and upset with his parents. While I do think that is in many ways Jesus is represented in the Gospels it just did not work for me on the screen. I felt like in the Temple scene Jesus was strong out of most of the scenes in the films he seems to understand his mission here more.
Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ
In the Last Temptation of Christ we see a downright angry Jesus he takes issue with everything that is going on and quite simply Jesus goes on a rampage. In this depiction of the Cleansing of the temple Jesus becomes so angry and is so violent that as I viewer I almost began to lose some of my understanding that I was watching Christ being depicted. He is sweating, struggling, and so emotional that this scene almost depicts him as too human. Knowing that one of Scorsese’s goals was to wrestle with the two natures of Jesus, both human and divine, I understand this added dose of humanity in the scene it just seems to put me as a viewer off.
Another part that I found myself critical of in this depiction was all of the dialogue between Jesus and the temple leaders. It seemed to me that there was quite a bit added he and much of it I didn’t even feel was needed. This added dialogue seemed to push the depiction of Jesus too far and make me question how he was even able to walk out of there alive after the things he said. It is clear that Scorsese was aware of this and it seems intentional as the disciples almost escort Jesus out before he says anything more. While I liked the look of this scene it just seemed to over the top for me to really connect with.
Conclusions
Out of the three films depictions of the cleaning of the temple I fell that I connected most with the Jesus Christ Superstar depiction. What was interesting to me however was how over the course of the semester I have become fonder of the King of Kings depiction. There does seem to be something to be said for DeMille’s idea of a controlled anger in his portrayal of Jesus Christ. All of the films makers seemed to so a respect for this scene and its importance and all seemed to make it a key part of their films. I believe that it would be hard for anyone’s view of their depictions of Jesus not to be affected by how he is portrayed in the Cleansing of the Temple in each of these films.
[1] Donald Hayne, ed., The Autobiography of Cecil B. DeMille (New York: Garland Publishing, 1985), p. 277
No comments:
Post a Comment