Review of Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) by The Critic ( — 02 Sep 2013

Norman Jewison's screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's immensely popular, enduring and controversial 1971 Broadway musical sticks close to its source material and generally carries the gusto that one would expect from a stage production. With most of the principle players having contributed to the story on the boards, it's little surprise that the song and dance numbers are pretty much flawless here.

Jewison handles the friendship and conflict between Jesus (Ted Neeley) and Judas (Carl Anderson) with care, Yvonne Elliman is engaging as Mary Magdalene and Josh Mostel embodies King Herod quite nicely (though his song 'Try It and See' lacks the energy that it demands).

Visually, this is very much a product of its time, but its themes and the power of its story will continue to resonate. An overall competent and absorbing film.