Jesus Christ, Space Cadet
May. 30th, 2011 08:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qosThis is not a Jesus-bashing post.
This is a post about my frustration at the wimpy way Jesus tends to be portrayed in modern media.
I was raised not just Christian, but the daughter of a former pastor, a man who had studied Hebrew and Greek and who was teaching me about the various genres of biblical writing when I was in junior high. I grew up with a high degree of biblical literacy.
Wolfling, in contrast, is largely ignorant of the Bible and even the basic tenets of Christianity. This is no surprise, as even my parents have not been truly practicing Christians since she was very young, but every so often I've felt a twinge that she lacks the cultural references, as well as lacking a basic understanding of the belief system that has shaped the history of the Western world.
So I decided to show her the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, which I remembered as being critically acclaimed as both historically and biblically accurate. (Plus, I really liked it when I was young.) I figured we could watch it together, and it would be far more interesting and engaging for her than reading the Bible.
It's been many years since I'd last seen Jesus of Nazareth, and while I did enjoy the overall look of the production and the human grounding of the story, I was appalled by the portrayal of Jesus. He spent most of the time looking and sounding like he was stoned. I guess the director thought it was important to make him seem "spiritual" and spiritual somehow meant that he walked around glassy-eyed, in a state of near-constant preternatural calm. It was creepy.
Yesterday, we went to see an excellent stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar --and while the slim Asian actor who played Jesus was amazingly good, and definitely seemed present to those around him, the overall characterization was one of someone who is ineffectual. No one understands him, Judas pushes him around, he is mute and passive through the trial scene (which does have a biblical basis, but coming after the rest of the show is even more painful), and etc.
Wolfling loved the production, and when we got home we watched parts of two Superstar productions on DVD: the original film and a "millenium" modern dress version. The characterization of Jesus was similar in both of them: not really a leader, certainly not a charismatic figure, just a man with no message who is gradually overtaken by events. There are no teachings in Superstar, just a portrayal of the general cluelessness of the people around him set to some really powerful music. In the opening song of the millenium production, Judas is grabbing and shoving a sulky-pouty Jesus around, and all Jesus can do is look sadly-blankly at him and try to dodge away -- until the other apostles show up, physically draw him away from Judas, and he lights up. He seems incapable of coping with Judas, or even directing his own steps.
When Pilate sings "He's a sad little man, not a king or god," he's exactly right. These Jesuses are indeed "sad little men" -- which is not how it should be.
It drives me nuts!
I have not identified as a Christian for many years, but I continue to respect Christ and his central message. I see him as a vigorous, charismatic, energetic, powerfully present man -- one capable of scaring the sh*t out of the members of the power structures around him. None of the men I've seen portrayed in these shows is dynamic enough to scare anyone -- unless it's by simply creeping them out with their vague demeanors. They are about as imposing and awe-inspiring as Yanni.
The only time I've seen a portrayal of Jesus that seems to capture anything like the vitality and charisma of the rebel rabbi is the movie Godspell. Even with the clown paint, Victor Garber has energy, life, a vital connection to others, even dignity. He is a leader, a teacher, an inspirer, a loving friend.
I swear: it makes me want to get back into theater just so I can do a life-of-Christ production that shows a Jesus who makes people sit up and take notice and perhaps even makes them sympathize a bit with the authorities who thought that killing him was the only way of dealing with the ruckus he was generating.
"Heaven on Their Minds" from the Millenium production of Jesus Christ Superstar
This is a post about my frustration at the wimpy way Jesus tends to be portrayed in modern media.
I was raised not just Christian, but the daughter of a former pastor, a man who had studied Hebrew and Greek and who was teaching me about the various genres of biblical writing when I was in junior high. I grew up with a high degree of biblical literacy.
Wolfling, in contrast, is largely ignorant of the Bible and even the basic tenets of Christianity. This is no surprise, as even my parents have not been truly practicing Christians since she was very young, but every so often I've felt a twinge that she lacks the cultural references, as well as lacking a basic understanding of the belief system that has shaped the history of the Western world.
So I decided to show her the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, which I remembered as being critically acclaimed as both historically and biblically accurate. (Plus, I really liked it when I was young.) I figured we could watch it together, and it would be far more interesting and engaging for her than reading the Bible.
It's been many years since I'd last seen Jesus of Nazareth, and while I did enjoy the overall look of the production and the human grounding of the story, I was appalled by the portrayal of Jesus. He spent most of the time looking and sounding like he was stoned. I guess the director thought it was important to make him seem "spiritual" and spiritual somehow meant that he walked around glassy-eyed, in a state of near-constant preternatural calm. It was creepy.
Yesterday, we went to see an excellent stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar --and while the slim Asian actor who played Jesus was amazingly good, and definitely seemed present to those around him, the overall characterization was one of someone who is ineffectual. No one understands him, Judas pushes him around, he is mute and passive through the trial scene (which does have a biblical basis, but coming after the rest of the show is even more painful), and etc.
Wolfling loved the production, and when we got home we watched parts of two Superstar productions on DVD: the original film and a "millenium" modern dress version. The characterization of Jesus was similar in both of them: not really a leader, certainly not a charismatic figure, just a man with no message who is gradually overtaken by events. There are no teachings in Superstar, just a portrayal of the general cluelessness of the people around him set to some really powerful music. In the opening song of the millenium production, Judas is grabbing and shoving a sulky-pouty Jesus around, and all Jesus can do is look sadly-blankly at him and try to dodge away -- until the other apostles show up, physically draw him away from Judas, and he lights up. He seems incapable of coping with Judas, or even directing his own steps.
When Pilate sings "He's a sad little man, not a king or god," he's exactly right. These Jesuses are indeed "sad little men" -- which is not how it should be.
It drives me nuts!
I have not identified as a Christian for many years, but I continue to respect Christ and his central message. I see him as a vigorous, charismatic, energetic, powerfully present man -- one capable of scaring the sh*t out of the members of the power structures around him. None of the men I've seen portrayed in these shows is dynamic enough to scare anyone -- unless it's by simply creeping them out with their vague demeanors. They are about as imposing and awe-inspiring as Yanni.
The only time I've seen a portrayal of Jesus that seems to capture anything like the vitality and charisma of the rebel rabbi is the movie Godspell. Even with the clown paint, Victor Garber has energy, life, a vital connection to others, even dignity. He is a leader, a teacher, an inspirer, a loving friend.
I swear: it makes me want to get back into theater just so I can do a life-of-Christ production that shows a Jesus who makes people sit up and take notice and perhaps even makes them sympathize a bit with the authorities who thought that killing him was the only way of dealing with the ruckus he was generating.
"Heaven on Their Minds" from the Millenium production of Jesus Christ Superstar
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-30 04:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:15 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing. . ..
I was there Sat. night!
Date: 2011-05-30 06:58 pm (UTC)Re: I was there Sat. night!
Date: 2011-05-31 03:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-30 08:57 pm (UTC)He was a powerful, charismatic, opinionated dude.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-30 09:08 pm (UTC)I've never given much thought to JC himself. I was raised Jewish and still retain that identification in addition to being a Trad. Wiccan Priestess. That said, I have no personal knowledge of this Avatar. Interesting.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:14 am (UTC)I just wish there would be some more original, dynamic approaches to the portrayal of Jesus.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:01 am (UTC)I can easily picture what you describe here.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 02:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:05 am (UTC)The director really doesn't have a lot to work with where Jesus is concerned. He's not written to be a dynamic character. Just about all his lines/songs are defensive, mourning the blindness of those around him, or sad. The director has to have a vision of something more/other than that for the role to come across as anything else. Despite the title, Superstar is really Judas's show. Jesus just gets carried along by the action. He reacts rather than acts.
It would take a director with a very specific vision of Jesus to use the silences and the empty spaces in the libretto to bring more to the part.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:11 am (UTC)Pity the script is so weak. I hope some really hot director decides to do a production with a strong Jesus, and puts the whole role in a new light.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:12 am (UTC)Now all I need are connections to a robust theater group, a musical director and choreagrapher to collaborate with, and a few thousand dollars for the rights to the show. . .
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-31 03:19 am (UTC)