The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)- Pier Paolo Pasolini
Verdict: Watch it!
When Pope John XXIII invited non-Catholic artists to dialogue about his faith, Pier Paolo Pasolini, film maker, poet, critic, novelist (who was also a homosexual, atheist, and marxist) took up the request. The result was perhaps the greatest Jesus film ever created, one that is adored by nearly every critic, one that both unbelievers and believers can appreciate on almost all levels.
Jesus maintains his matthean dialogue and his spiritual power, without being portrayed with abundant romanticism—a discrediting trap most christian film makers continually fall into.
Aside from his typical portrayal as Son of God and preacher of economic and moral equalization, Jesus rightly becomes the radical societal protester, the prophet of doomsday, the anti-materialist. Of all things, this film should definitively prove to any Christian that a non-believer can create a powerful, reverential, and challenging film about the Gospels and Gospel message. Watch it!
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