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Jesus Christ Superstar

            
             In 1969 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber wrote the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. The story depicts the last seven days of Jesus" life as seen through the eyes of Judas. In 1973 it was made into a feature film staring Ted Neely as Jesus, Carl Anderson as Judas and directed by Norman Jewison. The film tells a liberal version of the last days of Christ combining gospel fashions with that of 1970's clothing, machine guns, tanks, airplanes and modern dance all done in a desolate desert setting. .
             The film's use of modern-day images as a way of symbolizing the relevance of the Biblical story, while updating it for modern audiences seems to take away from the realism of the story. For example, the Roman soldiers wear modern-day Army uniforms and carry machine guns, while jet planes soar overhead to represent "angels" during the moment when Judas betrays Jesus. Although it is clear what the director is trying to emulate, the seriousness of the scene may gets a little jumbled for some viewers when depicted in this context. .
             The serious context of the story may be further confused by the combination of time lines. The beginning of the film shows the cast members arriving at the site of the film on a bus, and the film ends on a solemn note as the cast boards the bus and looks back sadly at the cross they've left mounted. These scenes are meant to tell the audience that the film is not the "literal" telling of the Gospel story, but it is almost certain that it has caused many viewers to scratch their heads in confusion. Many movie goers probably asked themselves what a bus load of hippies had to do with the last days of Christ, yet others may see this as a brilliant way of relating the story of Jesus to modern day people. Costumes, scenes and props aside, what is really powerful about this film is the portrayal of the characters, the music and lyrics. .
             In this adaptation of the greatest story ever told we watch as the characters of Jesus and his disciples and friends come to life through music not as the stale characters from the Bible but as living human beings with real lives, hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations.


Essays Related to Jesus Christ Superstar

1. Jesus Christ, Superstar vs. Th

Jesus Christ, Superstar vs. The Gospels After reading the last portions of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in The Gospels and after watching Jesus Christ, Superstar, I realized that several parts of the movie were not exactly as I had imagined while reading the bible. ... But in the movie, she is Jesus' woman. ... Judas is the one who betrays Jesus for money. ... The movie ended with the crucifixion of Jesus. ...

  • Word Count: 617
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2. Cinematography

If you like films of the musical genre, I recommend the film Jesus Christ Superstar. It is the story of the life of Jesus Christ and takes place in the Middle East. ... Jesus Christ Superstar makes use of a very unique style. ... The film is present in chronological order with the exception of images of Jesus" crucifixion that are presented in a series of quick flashes before his death actually occurs. Jesus Christ Superstar effectively uses many elements of cinema. ...

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3. Jesus Christ Weather Tempter Sent Or Tempest Tossed

What does one think of when they hear the name Jesus Christ? ... After watching the movie "The Last Temptation of Christ," Christ may be seen in a very different light. ... I have seen movies such as Jesus Christ Superstar and The King of Kings. ... The "nice" Christ that they were brought up to believe in had no inner turmoil about his mission he just seemed to know. ... I did not find this movie to be offensive in fact I found it to be a quite insightful portrayal of Jesus Christ. ...

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4. Andrew LLoyd Webber

"The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Aspects of Love, Cats, Evita, and Jesus Christ Superstar," are minute examples of all the music he has created or recreated. ... Using rock & roll, classical, country, and even jazz, he can combine that with theater music from the 20's, 30's, and 40's to create Broadway hits such as, "Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita." ... His credits include many Broadway Hits such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968-extended 1972), Jesus Christ Superstar (1971), Evita (1976), Cats (1981), ...

  • Word Count: 529
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5. Faith Healing

This may sound like a line right out of the Jesus Christ Superstar script, but it isn't. ... Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed.' ... The history of this practice dates back all the way to the time of Jesus. Many examples of Jesus healing people can be found in the bible. After, Jesus dies and is risen, he passes his powers to the apostles. ...

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6. Ways Of Seeing

If you didn't know who he was, he was a rap superstar, who was shot to death (September 13, 1996). ... His facial hair is gray and he is looking very Jesus Christ like. ... Just like Jesus Christ, his views probably won't be fully appreciated until we fully grasp the history behind him. ...

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7. Oliver

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8. Biography

Ellie Smith was born as Eleanor Georgina Larsen in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on October 22, 1986. She was the only child of John and Lis Larsen. She lived in Canada till she was 3 years of age, when her and parents moved to Florida. Shortly after moving to Florida, her mother was diagnosed w...

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9. Movies Vs. Plays

Movies vs. Plays, Plays are live shows with actors and actresses acting out a story in front of a live audience. A movie is a pre-taped showing of actors and actresses acting out a story. There are benefits and hindrances both to seeing a play and a movie. Making a movie allows for postproduction ...

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