Son of Man (1969)

Info coming soon...

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

From the MGM DVD release:
""A magnificent film." - NY Daily News
"A soaring achievement" (Associated Press), this glorious epic is an inspiring, grand scale recreation of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, from His humble birth and teachings to His crucifixion and ultimate Resurrection.
Lavishly produced at a cost of $20 million -- an enormous amount for the time -- and honored with five 1965 Academy Award® nominations, this exceptional motion picture is exquisitely beautiful. Now fully restored to its original theatrical brilliance with intermission and overture, it is truly The Greatest Story Every Told."

Il Vangelo secondo Matteo (1964)

Il Vangelo secondo Matteo (Eng. The Gospel According to St. Matthew).

From the Genius Products DVD release:
""Pasolini's is one of the most effective films on a religious theme I have ever seen..." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Pier Paolo Pasolini's masterpiece comes to life in color for the first time in this beautifully told film about the life of Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew. The story begins with His birth and illustrates how His teachings attracted not only His disciples, but crowds of believers. When the Pharisees, chief priests and elders learn of Jesus, they conspire to have Him arrested, beaten, tried and crucified on the cross. This classic film is a beautiful interpretation of the greatest story ever told."

King of Kings (1961)

From the Warner DVD release:

"The power, the passion, the greatness, the glory.
Who is Jesus and why does he powerfully impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and accused, beloved, betrayed and finally crucified. Yet that terrible fate would not be the end of the story.
The scale is huge (7,000 extras in the Sermon on the Mount scene alone). The mood is reverent. The music is another milestone in the career of composer Miklos Rozsa. The performances of a splendid cast-with charismatic Jeffrey Hunter at the center-are real and moving. From the producer of the epic spectaculars El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire and the director of Rebel Without a Cause and 55 Days at Peking comes a vivid retelling of the world's greatest story, the saga of the Nazarene who would be King of Kings."

The King of Kings (1927)

In 1927 Cecil B. De Mille made the groundbreaking King of Kings, considered by many as the first real ‘Hollywood’ treatment of the Jesus story. Not only did this movie break all box office records up to that point it also set the standard for film makers of the day. During an interview around the time of its release De Mille more than hinted that the movie was produced primarily with a focus to making money by “playing to the susceptibility of the religious viewing public.” (1) Not only was the film was a huge boxoffice hit over the next few years King of Kings came to be used by ministers and missionaries much like the 1979 Jesus Film. It was shown all over the world from US churches to the jungles of Africa for many years, as a tool for evangelism outreach. So successful was this film both at the box office and as an evangelistic tool, that De Mille called it one of his finest works. CSJ
(1)K. Thomas, Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood (Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2004), 284

From the Criterion DVD release:
""The most impressive of all motion pictures."-The New York Times
The King Of Kings is the Greatest Story Ever Told as only Cecil B. DeMille could tell it. In 1927, working with the biggest budget in the history of Hollywood, DeMille spun the life and Passion of Christ into one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Featuring text drawn directly from the Bible, a cast of thousands, and a cinematic bag of tricks that could belong to none other than Hollywood's greatest showman, The King Of Kings is at once spectacular and deeply reverent-part Gospel, part Technicolor epic. Criterion is proud to present one of the best-loved films ever made in a two-disc edition featuring both the 112 minute general release version and the rarely seen 155 minute cut that premiered at the grand opening of Grauman's Chinese Theatre."

From the Manger to the Cross (1912)

From the Image Entertainment DVD release:
"From the Manger to the Cross was made on location in Egypt and Palestine for the Kalem Company during the winter and spring of 1912. (A reminiscence of the filming is included as an insert in this DVD). The film is notable for restraint in presentation, all concerned being clearly aware of the special responsibility they shouldered in depicting the story of Jesus. Here again, as in many subsequent Biblical films, Dore supplied basic imagery. First shown October 14, 1912, it is one of the earliest American feature films, representing extraordinary faith not only in Scripture but also in long-form screen storytelling (although the film could also be shown in one-reel segments). Of course, that sink-hole of secularism, the ordinary movie theater, was regarded as unworthy of this spiritually exalted endeavor, which was exhibited with enormous success in special Sunday presentations, in concert halls and in other sites previously closed to cinema. This edition is mastered from a modern print taken from the original negative, which was re-titled later in the teens. From the Manger to the Cross was added to the National Film Registry in 1998."

La Vie Et La Passion De Jesus-Christ (1902)

From the Image Entertainment DVD release:
"La Vie Et La Passion De Jesus-Christ (Eng. The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ) was begun in 1902 by Ferdinand Zecca (1964-1947) for Pathe Freres in Paris, then the most important film company in the world. Zecca made 18 carefully costumed and staged tableaux against painted back-drops which are clearly influenced by the famous Biblical woodcuts of Gustave Dore (1866). In 1903, Pathe Freres developed a sophisticated system for applying up to four colors to each film print by a stencil process; that year and in 1904, ten new tableaux were added to the film. Finally, in 1905, Zecca's collaborator, Lucien Nonguet, added three final scenes, and the resulting color film of 31 tableaux with a running time of 44 minutes became the most impressive of its kind and one of the first long films in the world. Presented by missionaries and itinerant showmen from Indiana to Indochina, it helped establish the popular iconography of the Divine story. This edition is restored from two excellent 35mm original prints and presents The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ as it looked a century ago."

Jésus devant Pilate (1898)

Jésus devant Pilate (Eng. Jesus Before Pilate) a short black and white, soundless film made by pioneer French film maker Alice Guy was one of the earliest films ever produced. The film reportedly ran for only three minutes and yet it was shown to thrilled audiences in packed out theatres all over France. It is still considered a landmark in the history of cinema even though there are no extant copies. CSJ