| Jesus of Nazareth | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover art | |
| Genre | Biblical Biography Drama History |
| Based on | The Gospels |
| Written by | Anthony Burgess Suso Cecchi d'Amico Franco Zeffirelli David Butler(additional dialogue) |
| Directed by | Franco Zeffirelli |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Maurice Jarre |
| Country of origin | Italy United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Lew Grade Vincenzo Labella |
| Cinematography | Armando Nannuzzi David Watkin |
| Editor | Reginald Mills |
| Running time | 382 minutes |
| Production companies | ITC Entertainment RAI |
| Budget | $45 million[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Rai 1(Italy) ITV(United Kingdom) |
| Release | 27 March (1977-03-27) – 24 April 1977 (1977-04-24) |
Jesus of Nazareth (Italian:Gesù di Nazareth) is a 1977epictelevision dramaserial directed byFranco Zeffirelli and co-written byAnthony Burgess andSuso Cecchi d'Amico, which dramatizes thebirth,life,ministry,crucifixion andresurrection of Jesus. It starsRobert Powell as Jesus, and features anall-starensemble cast of renowned actors, including seven who had won or would go on to winAcademy Awards:Anne Bancroft,Ernest Borgnine,Laurence Olivier,Christopher Plummer,Anthony Quinn,Rod Steiger, andPeter Ustinov; andJames Earl Jones who receivedAcademy Honorary Award.
Some scenes were added during the writing process, with some characters (such as Zerah) added for brevity or dramatic effect.Jesus of Nazareth depictsJudas Iscariot as initially well-intentioned, but later as a selfish dupe of Zerah's whobetrays Jesus largely as a result of Zerah's false platitudes and pretexts. However, in accordance with the Gospels, the film depictsNicodemus andJoseph of Arimathea as sympathetic members of theSanhedrin. Many of themiracles of Jesus, such as the changing of water into wine at thewedding at Cana, thetransfiguration, and thecalming of the storm, are not shown, although Jesus's healing ofJairus's daughter, healing thecenturion's servant, theblind man and thecrippled woman on theSabbath, thefeeding of the multitude, and theraising of Lazarus from the dead are presented.
Jesus of Nazareth premiered on 27 March 1977, on the Italian channelRai 1, and was first aired in the United Kingdom, on 3 April 1977, on theITV Network. It was a huge ratings success and received acclaim, with particular praise for Powell's portrayal of Jesus.
The narrative ofJesus of Nazareth is a kind of cinematicDiatessaron, orGospel harmony, blending all fourNew Testament accounts. It presents Jesus as both God and man. During the baptism of Jesus in theRiver Jordan, John speaks God's words "this is my beloved son." The familiar Christian episodes are presented chronologically: the betrothal, and latermarriage, of Mary and Joseph; theAnnunciation; theVisitation; the circumcision of John the Baptist; theNativity of Jesus; thevisit of the Magi; thecircumcision of Jesus; theCensus of Quirinius; theflight into Egypt andMassacre of the Innocents; theFinding in the Temple; theBaptism of Jesus.
Gospel accounts depicted also include thewoman caught in adultery; the healing ofJairus' daughter; Jesus helping Peter catch the fish; theParable of the Prodigal Son; a dialogue between Jesus andBarabbas (non-Biblical); Matthew's dinner party; theSermon on the Mount; debating withJoseph of Arimathea;the curing of the blind man at the pool; theRaising of Lazarus (John 11:43); theFeeding of the Five Thousand; theentry into Jerusalem;Jesus and the money changers; theParable of the Two Sons;healing the centurion's servant; dialogue withNicodemus; theLast Supper; thebetrayal of Jesus by Judas.
At theSanhedrin trial of Jesus, Jesus is accused of blasphemy for calling himself the son of the God of Israel. Caiaphas announces "the LORD our God, the LORD is one", denying the God of Israel has a son. Ensuing scenes includePeter's denial of Christ and subsequent repenting; thejudgment of Jesus by Pilate ("Ecce Homo"); theJohannine Passion Narrative (John 18–19; including theAgony in the Garden); theCarrying of the Cross; theCrucifixion of Christ (SirLaurence Olivier's Nicodemus recites the "Suffering Servant" passage (Isaiah 53:3-5) as he looks helplessly on the crucified Messiah); thediscovery of the empty tomb; and anappearance of the Risen Christ to his Disciples. The storyline concludes with the non-Biblical character Zerah and his colleagues gazing despairingly into the empty tomb. Zerah laments, "Now it begins. It all begins".
Starring
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Several cast members had already featured in previous Zeffirelli productions. British actors Hussey, York, Holder, Lovell and Skinner had featured inRomeo and Juliet asJuliet,Tybalt,Peter,Sampson andBalthasar respectively. Additionally, Olivier did uncredited work as the narrator and dubbing voice ofLord Montague. Colizzi, who appeared as Jobab, had previously dubbed York's Tybalt in the Italian version ofRomeo and Juliet.
The drama was conceived whenLew Grade was received byPope Paul VI, who congratulated him on the making ofMoses the Lawgiver, a 1974 television film starringBurt Lancaster and produced by Grade'sITC Entertainment and the Italian television networkRAI. At the end of the interview, the Pope told him he hoped his next project would be about the life of Jesus. Two weeks later, while dining with an RAI executive, Grade told him he intended their companies to prepare such a film.[2] Directing duties were offered toFranco Zeffirelli – a religiousRoman Catholic who knew the Pontiff from his days as theArchbishop of Milan, when he often visited Zeffirelli's school – on the Pope's initiative, who insisted that either he would makeJesus of Nazareth or no one else.[3] The director rejected the proposal at first, but Grade finally convinced him to agree;[4] he accepted the job shortly before Christmas 1973.[5]
ScreenwriterAnthony Burgess later recounted the launching of the project in an essay entitled "Telejesus (or Mediachrist)":
The notion of making a six-hour television film on the life of Jesus Christ was proposed by an ennobled British Jew, with the golden blessing of an American automobile corporation. The project struck some as blasphemous, others as ecumenical. Lord Grade, then Sir Lew Grade, presided over a massive press conference in the Holy City, (Rome), and said all that was available to be said—namely, that there would be this film, that Zeffirelli would direct it, and that Burgess would write it. Fired by this announcement, the Romans laid on a great, as it were, First Supper, which theChief Rabbi of Rome attended, as well as various cricket-playing British ecclesiastics. Sir Lew Grade was made aCavaliere of the Republic. The Pope was noticeably absent.[6]
Both Grade and Zeffirelli insisted their adaptation of Jesus's life should be "ecumenical", coherent, even to non-believers, and "acceptable to all denominations".[7] To ensure the film's accuracy, the producers consulted experts from theVatican, theLeo Baeck Rabbinical College of London, and theKoranic School atMeknes, Morocco.[8] However, when Zeffirelli asked RabbiAlbert Friedlander to help him create Jesus'sBar Mitzvah scene, the latter replied that such ceremonies were practised only from the 15th century. The director, however, insisted on including it, and Friedlander tried to teach child actor Lorenzo Monet to read a short portion of thePentateuch in Hebrew. Monet, however, mumbled it and the director was not satisfied (in the film, boy Jesus reads mostly in English).[9]
The producers at first considered choosing a well-known star, who would draw a large audience, for the role of Christ. The first actor thought of wasDustin Hoffman, andAl Pacino was also a candidate. Zeffirelli decided to look for an actor whom the audience would immediately identify as Jesus. For example, Hoffman and Pacino both stand at just 5'6", and neither man's face bears a resemblance to Jesus as depicted in art, which has been based for many centuries on the image found on The Shroud of Turin. The image on the shroud is that of a man who is 6'. Eventually, the character's likeness was influenced byWarner Sallman's portrait paintingHead of Christ: Paul Harvey and Edward J. Blum wrote the show "put Sallman's imagination in motion".[10] The Virgin Mary was depicted byOlivia Hussey.[11]
The idea to castRobert Powell originated with Grade's wife, Kathie Moody, who told her husband the actor had "wonderful blue eyes" after watching his performance in aBBCtelevision adaptation ofThomas Hardy'sJude the Obscure. Powell came under criticism from religious groups for "living in sin" with his companion, dancer Barbara Lord ofPan's People, while intending to portray Jesus. The couple married shortly before production began.[2] As of 2025, Powell and Lord have been married for 50 years.
Powell rarely blinks throughout the entire film, mimicking, in this respect,H. B. Warner in 1927'sThe King of Kings andMax von Sydow in 1965'sThe Greatest Story Ever Told. This effect was a deliberate decision by Zeffirelli. James Houlden commented that the result was "a penetrating, unrelenting eye contact with Jesus's."[12] A dark blue eyeliner was applied on set to accentuate Powell's blue eyes.[10] Powell's portrayal has since become an often-used image in popular devotional art, and "defined the visual image of Christ in the minds of the audience... Perhaps more than any other Jesus film."[12]
For the crucifixion scene, Powell starved himself on a diet of only cheese for twelve days prior to shooting "in order to look worn".[13]
Principal photography was carried out inMorocco andTunisia from September 1975 to May 1976. The synagogue scenes were shot with extras from the Jewish community in the island ofDjerba.[5] The city ofMonastir in Tunisia served as 1st-century Jerusalem.[14]Ernest Borgnine, who portrayedCornelius the Centurion, recalled that since regulations required hiring local extras—most with poor English—for many of the smaller roles, they had to be dubbed. Zeffirelli decided to avoid recording sound altogether in many parts, and simply send the principal actors to dub their own characters in the studio later.[15] The standing sets were later used by the British comedy troupeMonty Python for their 1979 religious satireLife of Brian.[16]
Reports regarding the budget vary:Presbyterian Survey stated $12 million;[17]The Listener cited£9 million[18] (roughly $16 million);[19] andThird Way with £11.5 million[20] (roughly $20 million). Other sources give the sum of $18 million.[5][21] In his autobiography, Grade wrote that "in the final accounting,Jesus of Nazareth took $45 million."[1][22]
Jesus of Nazareth premiered on 27 March 1977 on the Italian channelRai 1; it was broadcast in five episodes, one shown weekly until 25 April.[23] OnPalm Sunday, 3 April 1977 – the date of the airing of the second episode – the Pope endorsed the programme in his public address for the holiday and recommended the faithful to view it.[5] The series enjoyed high ratings: the German Dominican friar and film critic Ambros Eichenberger reported that according to local surveys, 84% of the television owners in the larger cities watched the series.[24] For example, the number of viewers for the third episode, aired on 10 April, was estimated to have been 28.3 million.[25]
In the United Kingdom and in the United States, it was broadcast in two parts, albeit in different lengths, by theITV network in the UK and byNBC in the US. In both countries, the first part was aired on 3 April and the second onEaster, 10 April 1977.[26][27][28] During its original showing in the UK,Jesus of Nazareth had an estimated audience of 21 million viewers.[29]
When the first episode was broadcast in the US, it was a major success.The New York Times reported it "swamped all competing programs on Sunday night", with overnightNielsen ratings of 53% in Los Angeles and 46% in New York City.[30] The miniseries as a whole received a Nielsen rating of 30.8 points,[31] with each point representing approximately 712,000 television-owning homes,[32] and an audience share of 50% nationwide,[28] on both nights.[33] The company calculated thatJesus attracted about 90 million viewers.[21][28][29][34]
In West Germany, it was broadcast byZDF in four episodes on the 19th, 21st, 23rd and 24 March 1978;[35] 40% of the audience have viewed it.[24]
Jesus of Nazareth turned into a massive commercial success and is one of the most widely marketed, most critically acclaimed and best-known productions about Christ's life.[5][21][12] Grade stated that it made "anet profit of $30 million."[1]
Famously,Pope Paul VI praised Zeffirelli's film, both in private comment and in a public address on Palm Sunday prior to the miniseries’ Holy Week debut on Italian television.[36]
Reviews were notably positive. Writing forThe Washington Post,Tom Shales was effusive: “One is tempted to call it a miracle… [Zeffirelli] has an eye for composition and lighting that is unprecedented in television films…There may never have been a religious film with so pervasive a sense of place and period…. The intrinsic dramatic and symbolic values of the story, which have eluded past filmmakers, come through with striking clarity”. Shales praised Olivia Hussey as Mary for being “simultaneously fragile, mystified and strong”. However, “Powell's appearance [as Jesus] is a drawback here. Though it may be commendable that he in no way resembles the fair-haired Aryan stereotype dominant in such films for years, Powell looks so wan and gaunt that one fears for his health. The work is, despite flaws, a truly impressive accomplishment.”[37]
Powell's performance as Jesus in particular has been praised by critics.[38][39][40][41][42]
Jesus of Nazareth received anEmmy Award nomination for Outstanding Special Drama. Additionally,James Farentino, who portrayed the apostlePeter, received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Special.[43]
The drama was nominated for sixBritish Academy Television Awards: Best Actor, Best Cameraman, Best Single Television Play, Best Editor, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound.[44]
Jesus of Nazareth won awards for Best Cinematography toArmando Nannuzzi, Best Costume Design to Lucia Mirisola, and Best Production Design, to Mirisola again, from theItalian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.[45]
Before its initial broadcast,Jesus of Nazareth came under ideological fire from some AmericanProtestant fundamentalists, led byBob Jones III, president ofBob Jones University inSouth Carolina, and Dr. Bill Bright, because they felt the TV movie had to have the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be true to the Gospel account. Zeffirelli had told an interviewer fromModern Screen that the film would portray Jesus as "an ordinary man – gentle, fragile, simple". Jones interpreted this as meaning that the portrayal would denyChrist's divine nature. Having never seen the film, Jones denounced it as "blasphemy". Others picked up the cry and 18,000 letters were sent toGeneral Motors, which had provided $3 million of the film's cost. Sacrificing its investment, GM backed out of its sponsorship.[8]Procter and Gamble eventually took it over, buying the U.S. rights for a relatively low price of some $1 million. Their financial support allowed the mini-series to be screened after a simulated resurrection was added at the suggestion of Dr. Ted Baehr, a theologian and media pundit, who was friends with the producer, Vincenzo Labella, and acquainted with the protesters. The scenes showed the empty tomb, and then cut to Jesus discussing his death and resurrection with his disciples.[46]
NBC rebroadcast the series in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987 and 1990.
It was originally released in the early 1980s in the US as a three-tape VHS edition under the Magnetic Video label. It was released later under the mainstream video label of CBS/Fox in 1986.[citation needed] Another three-tape VHS edition was released by LIVE Home Video in 1992 and again on 22 February 1995.Artisan Entertainment released the DVD version on two discs in February 2000. In the UK, the original 1986 Polygram VHS (four tapes) was fully uncut and featured the full 386-minute version. The 2000 Carlton video (two tapes) featured a heavily abridged print running for 270 minutes. The Granada DVD is credited as the unedited print and runs for 374 minutes, but this is due to the PAL speed up and is the full version. The two additional scenes – a private meeting between Judas Iscariot and Zerah, and the opening betrayal sequence during the Last Supper – were actually added in the repeat UK screening 2 years later and therefore are not included as the DVD is the original 1977 cut.
The serial is broadcast everyEaster andChristmas in many countries, including Greece onANT1, and in the United States onHistory Channel andTBN.
In Chile, the full serial has been broadcast everyGood Friday since 1982 by the public service television broadcasterTelevisión Nacional de Chile.[47]
The Region 1 DVD is the original 1977 broadcast. The Region 2 Carlton DVD released in the UK is substantially cut and runs to 270 minutes. The Dutch DVD release (also Carlton Region 2) has a running time of 365 minutes (the 399-minute running time stated on the cover is a misprint).
The drama has been released on digital download (or streaming) for both Google Play and the Apple Store. The version released is the completed original 4-part 1977 broadcast, though only in its original Standard Definition. Similar to other special interest content, the film's copyright has only been loosely enforced in more recent years, resulting in it appearing on Google's advertising-paid platform YouTube in its entirety.
For Easter 2016, and again in 2018, the UK's Sky Arts channel showed one part a day over the four days of Easter. The version they used was the extended four-part edition, totaling eight hours with advertising.
The serial ran on NBC as "The Big Event" in two three-hour installments with limited commercials on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Additional footage was added for a 1979 re-run and broadcast in four two-hour installments. In the 1980s and 1990, the film was re-broadcast on NBC in three installments of two- and three-hour episodes, released on VHS and DVD as one complete presentation with one set of credits.
In 2022, the full series was made available onBritBox in the UK in time for Easter.[48]
Two adaptations ofJesus of Nazareth have been published.Jesus of Nazareth (1977), by Scottish theologianWilliam Barclay, is a novelisation of the miniseries, published as a conventionally-sized paperback novel as well as a large-format hardback with extensive colour photographs from the miniseries.Man of Nazareth (1979) is Anthony Burgess' novel based upon his original script for theJesus of Nazareth miniseries. The novel allowed Burgess to retain and expand upon elements of his script that the miniseries altered or omitted, and as a result,Man of Nazareth contains significant differences toJesus of Nazareth. Burgess' direct sequel toMan of Nazareth, the novelThe Kingdom of the Wicked (1985), was adapted to television in 1985 asA.D. (which features some actors who had appeared inJesus of Nazareth, albeit in different roles).
Franco Zeffirelli's account of filmingJesus of Nazareth was published in 1984 asFranco Zeffirelli's Jesus: A Spiritual Diary (1984).
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