Il vangelo secondo Matteo

English title: Gospel According to St. Matthew (The)

Also known as: Évangile selon saint Matthieu (l’)

Genre: religious drama (in black and white) 

With: Enrique Irazoqui (Jesus), Margherita Caruso and Susanna Pasolini (Mary), Marcello Morante (Joseph), Settimio Di Porto (Peter)

Direction and screenplay: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Release: 1964

Studio: Arco Film, Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10

A Prophet for Hard Times

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Story-line: this Pasolini film recounts essential episodes in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  

Pluses: credible acting, a well-constructed and serious screenplay faithful to Holy Scriptures, an unmistakably artistic point of view, proficient direction and an interesting choice of music (classics, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child).

Minuses: a heads-up to movie buffs: unlike some religious films made in Hollywood, this one is unadorned, unglamorous and unforgiving.

Comments: overall, I have seen four of Pasolini’s works and all were quite daring. Here again, he has taken an unusual path with this surprisingly stark portrayal of Jesus and Palestine twenty centuries ago. You won’t see much here that pleases the eye: dusty outdoors, drab locations, humble hamlets clinging to mountainsides and poor, miserable people. And while other films about Jesus (like the also excellent THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD) focus on his humanity, Pasolini shows him more as a protester confronting the religious authorities of his day. In such a light, one can easily imagine why the Apostles, whom Jesus had attracted in Galilee with his teachings and miracles, deserted him in Jerusalem when he openly criticized the religious Establishment; surrounded by soldiers, submitted to social pressures and stranded in a hostile metropolis, they naturally sought to flee. As a whole, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW is an admirable work and, I might venture, the most realistic of all movies about the Messiah.

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Children’s Hour (The)

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Audrey Hepburn (Karen Wright), Shirley MacLaine (Martha Dobie), James Garner (Dr. Joe Cardin, Karen’s friend), Miriam Hopkins (Lily Mortar, Martha’s aunt), Fay Bainter (Amelia Tilford), Veronica Cartwright (Rosalie Wells), Karen Balkin (Mary Tilford)

Director: William Wyler

Screenplay: John Michael Hayes (adapted by Lillian Hellman from her 1934 play)

Release: 1961

Studio: The Mirisch Company

Rating: 18A

MBiS score: 8.6/10

Consider the Damage that Words Can Inflict

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Story-line: times are good for Karen and Martha, headmistresses at the Dobie-Wright boarding school for young girls, as they are finally reaping the rewards of their new calling. Sadly, it is often at such a time that adversity strikes… and it will strike very close to home.   

Pluses: stellar acting by Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner and a fine cast in psychologically nuanced roles, expert editing and direction, a realistic and well-developed screenplay that raises touchy issues and delivers a stunning ending.

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: despite its age, this serious film about perceptions and relationships remains startlingly mature and quite topical in our era of private scandals and public denunciations. Upon its release, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR garnered several festival nominations but no official accolades… which is regrettable for a movie this valuable.     

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