Review of Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) by Michael Y — 22 Apr 2011

What in this world can't be made better by song and dance numbers? The story of Jesus you ask? Well look no further than Jesus Christ Superstar which combines incredablly catchy songs, kick ass music, wonderful filmmaking and a perfect cast.

Usually a movie about Jesus isn't that appealing. It's been done before and they never seem to look any different from one another. But Jesus Christ Superstar is something different. Based on the rock opera play, Superstar looks into the story of Jesus in a creative way. The focus on other characters is unique. The film closely follows the perspectives of Judas, Mary Magdalene, and Pontius Pilate, and even portrays them in a different lights. Where Judas is seen as the great betrayer of Jesus, this movie shows him with greater character developement and sees him as a man who cares about Jesus, but is scared that he my go too far. Mary Magdalene is a key character, showing more of her feelings towards Jesus. This completely different perspective of Jesus's last of his life is portrayed by a bunch of hippies in a van performing a reenactment in the desert, and with a different point of view than what people are used to knowing about. Oh, which reminds me, the cast choices in this movie are flat out PERFECT. Not only do the actors give one hell of a performance, but their look as their role and their singing is so catchy that it almost becomes cult and iconic. And Ted Neeley as Jesus is perfect as well. He's the Jesus that doesn't seem to give a damn about anything, but looks like he weighs knowledge greater than anyone else could know. Absolutely perfect.

With great success with his last musical, Fiddler on the Roof, Norman Jewison tops himself again by creating a non-conventionally made musical. Though this movie doesn't have a big budget, it fits the feel of the movie perfectly. This movie is supposed to look like an amature reenactment of Jesus via hippies, so costumes are simple, everyone definitely doesn't look the era, the actors use what they have in their enviroment as a set, and some things just don't look real. But is this lazy filmmaking, or creative genius? The look of this movie is beyond unique and just as fabulous. But just because this movie lacks in one department doesn't mean the filmmaking is cheap. Norman Jewison does his movie stylistic and impressive cinematography in Jesus Christ Superstar. Wide variety of shots and how the shots are taken, which when combined with the song and story's natural drama, expresses a highly powerful and emotional effect that never gets old.

Maybe if this movie was released before the award winning Cabaret it would have been recognized and appreciated more, because this movie truely is a push towards the look of modern film musicals. But none the less, Jesus Christ Superstar is the most enjoyable Jesus movie ever made, is a musical that can be enjoyed by anyone, more than wonderful cast and singing, an extremely well choreographed and cinematically shot movie and produces a very dramatic feel and lasting appeal that will continue to THUROUGHLY entertain me for many, many years.