Now, I'm probably the last man of my generation who actually LIKES musicals. I do! I love the blending of music and storytelling, the vibrant stages, the intricate choreography, the bombastic score, setting an emotional network upon which the story can unfold. But even I admit that there are flaws to the genre. But once in awhile, there comes something that not only defines a genre, but innovates it and sets it out across the mainstream. Watchmen did it for comics, Elvis did it for rock and roll...and Jesus Christ Superstar did it for musicals.
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Now, many might dismiss Jesus Christ Superstar because they haven't actually seen it--or if they did, it was long ago, and all one remembers is the poppy, 70's style climactic--and titular--song. But anyone who sits down and puts in the 1973 movie, starring Ted Neeley, they'll realize from the first few notes that this is far more than that. JSC is the first true rock opera, utilizing dramatic and powerful electric guitar riffs in just about every song, and blending the structures of rock and roll with the pacing and staging of opera.
The story is pretty simple: a basic telling of the last week of Jesus' life, the twist being that it is told from the perspective of Judas, Jesus' most beloved apostle--and the one who would ultimately betray him. Judas has grown disenchanted with Jesus' movement, exemplified in the stage-setting opening number "Heaven on Their Minds" where he succinctly says that Jesus has began to matter more than the things he says. Frustrated that his words of caution don't sink in, Judas grows antagonistic and fearful. Meanwhile, the Pharisees plot Jesus' destruction, fearful that his growing influence will bring the Romans down on all of Israel. Jesus, for his part, is torn by his dedication to his ideals and the inevitability that he must die, and much of the drama and conflict lies with Jesus coming to terms with his ultimate destiny.
The beauty of JSC is that it's VERY open to interpretation. On face value it is a cynical, but positive, exploration and depiction of Jesus himself, exemplifying his human side and almost completely (but not entirely) omitting many of his more miraculous deeds. It ends with his death, and mentions nothing of the Resurrection, which didn't endear itself to many Christians. It also takes a bold step in making Judas and Mary Magdeline, both villified in their own ways, incredibly tragic and sympathetic characters, especially Mary, who is implied to be romantically involved with Jesus (this was a good 30+ years BEFORE the Da Vinci Code).
But like any truly great work of art, there's dozens of interpretations you can take. It could be seen as a sort of "take that" to the mythological elements of Christianity, showing that what the religion eventually became had little to nothing to do with its actual founder, outside of his death. Further still, you can see it as a very faithful adaptation--Judas' motivations are naturally questionable, and both he and Jesus' conversations with God are one-sided. You can decide if Judas is a hero or villain, if the final song is a near-death experience or an extended author tract on the unanswered questions raised by the New Testament. You could even look at it on a meta level, as a self-aware deconstruction of the traditional tragedy. You have a main character, who is doomed to die before he even gets a chance, and knows this. You have a character who loves the main character and wishes him well, yet knows that he MUST betray him in order to make the tragedy happen, and you have the various side characters reacting with shock and puzzlement over the whole thing. God could very well just be the author, whom the characters question and argue with, but are ultimately powerless to stop.
The songs in JSC are, obviously, the biggest draw, and each one is fantastic, especially with the right cast. The 1973 movie provides this in spades, overflowing with talent and energy, and every song is given its due. They run the gamut of soft, dramatic, comical, whimsical, sad, and angry, but the standouts are "The Trial Before Pilate", "Judas' Death", "Superstar" (which is especially interesting, as it breaks the fourth wall almost immediately, and frames itself with Judas demanding Jesus answer questions that no one can--was he god? If so, why did he come to Israel in 33 B.C.? Why not wait until his message could be broadcast to all the world?) and finally "Gethsemene" the true climax of the story, where Jesus angrilly demands that God tell him why he HAS to die. Depending on the version you are watching, God's "answer" to this varies, but it always ends the same--Jesus realizes that he simply has to die, and he has no real choice. "Gethsemene" is particularly great, because it's the only song where Jesus is the ONLY singer, and it's the absolute best of the bunch, with the hardest and most powerful notes for the singer to hit, and the most heartbreaking lyrics of them all.
The movie brings all these songs to life with lurid and powerful cinematography. Unlike most adapatations of musicals, it doesn't shackle itself to the stage, but unleashes the full strengths of film, the natural culmination of everything that made the 70's the "Golden Age" of Hollywood--wide lenses, ENORMOUS zooms (seriously, they literally film Judas' song from TWO MOUNTAINS AWAY) and, fully embracing the anachronistic language of the musical, blend the ancient world with the modern--Roman soldiers wield assault rifles and drive tanks, the cast is clearly shown to be a bunch of modern day actors who come to the Holy Land to perform the show, and the result is a strange, timeless universe that both pulls us into the time of Christ, as well as making the statement that the events happening back then aren't that removed from our own modern society. It helps that Ted Neeley was and is the absolute best Jesus to ever live. He embodies the role fully and completely, and his voice is so god damned good that if you aren't moved to tears by how well he can carry a note, you can NOT call yourself a lover of music.
I had the opportunity to see JSC performed live at my college, the main draw being that Ted Neeley was once again the star. Age hasn't kept him off the stage, though it has affected his performance some. It was a little sad at times--Jesus is a slow, shuffling, creaky man, whose voice cracks and sputters. Indeed, the effect was sort of surreal--a 66-year-old Jesus who seems to already have one foot in the grave already, lamenting how he must die. But he's still god it, Ted has--though he's clearly saving his voice through much of the play, he's saving it for a good reason, because he can STILL hit those notes, and he can hit them better than anyone else can.
Jesus Christ Superstar has been a timeless icon of the musical world. It made a big splash when it hit theaters, and incited controversy that still rages to this day. Arrogant as it is, I hope this review has inspired some of you to go out and find the original 1973 movie. You notice how I stress the date? That's because there's a year 2000 version as well...and it SUCKS ASS. Seriously, it's just terrible in every way, not the least of which is that the singers aren't as good, they decided to set it completely in the modern day, Jesus looks like a GQ model (and lacks a beard) and...ugh, it's just hideous. It's a butchering of an already great film and an even greater album.
Go to your local record or DVD store and pick up either the original 2-disc album or the original film. Both are great, though if you can only pick one, get the movie--it's got stronger singers and, more importantly, excellent visuals. Sit through it. You'll be thankful that you did. This movie has and still does move me to tears at times, and that takes a lot nowadays.
---
Now, many might dismiss Jesus Christ Superstar because they haven't actually seen it--or if they did, it was long ago, and all one remembers is the poppy, 70's style climactic--and titular--song. But anyone who sits down and puts in the 1973 movie, starring Ted Neeley, they'll realize from the first few notes that this is far more than that. JSC is the first true rock opera, utilizing dramatic and powerful electric guitar riffs in just about every song, and blending the structures of rock and roll with the pacing and staging of opera.
The story is pretty simple: a basic telling of the last week of Jesus' life, the twist being that it is told from the perspective of Judas, Jesus' most beloved apostle--and the one who would ultimately betray him. Judas has grown disenchanted with Jesus' movement, exemplified in the stage-setting opening number "Heaven on Their Minds" where he succinctly says that Jesus has began to matter more than the things he says. Frustrated that his words of caution don't sink in, Judas grows antagonistic and fearful. Meanwhile, the Pharisees plot Jesus' destruction, fearful that his growing influence will bring the Romans down on all of Israel. Jesus, for his part, is torn by his dedication to his ideals and the inevitability that he must die, and much of the drama and conflict lies with Jesus coming to terms with his ultimate destiny.
The beauty of JSC is that it's VERY open to interpretation. On face value it is a cynical, but positive, exploration and depiction of Jesus himself, exemplifying his human side and almost completely (but not entirely) omitting many of his more miraculous deeds. It ends with his death, and mentions nothing of the Resurrection, which didn't endear itself to many Christians. It also takes a bold step in making Judas and Mary Magdeline, both villified in their own ways, incredibly tragic and sympathetic characters, especially Mary, who is implied to be romantically involved with Jesus (this was a good 30+ years BEFORE the Da Vinci Code).
But like any truly great work of art, there's dozens of interpretations you can take. It could be seen as a sort of "take that" to the mythological elements of Christianity, showing that what the religion eventually became had little to nothing to do with its actual founder, outside of his death. Further still, you can see it as a very faithful adaptation--Judas' motivations are naturally questionable, and both he and Jesus' conversations with God are one-sided. You can decide if Judas is a hero or villain, if the final song is a near-death experience or an extended author tract on the unanswered questions raised by the New Testament. You could even look at it on a meta level, as a self-aware deconstruction of the traditional tragedy. You have a main character, who is doomed to die before he even gets a chance, and knows this. You have a character who loves the main character and wishes him well, yet knows that he MUST betray him in order to make the tragedy happen, and you have the various side characters reacting with shock and puzzlement over the whole thing. God could very well just be the author, whom the characters question and argue with, but are ultimately powerless to stop.
The songs in JSC are, obviously, the biggest draw, and each one is fantastic, especially with the right cast. The 1973 movie provides this in spades, overflowing with talent and energy, and every song is given its due. They run the gamut of soft, dramatic, comical, whimsical, sad, and angry, but the standouts are "The Trial Before Pilate", "Judas' Death", "Superstar" (which is especially interesting, as it breaks the fourth wall almost immediately, and frames itself with Judas demanding Jesus answer questions that no one can--was he god? If so, why did he come to Israel in 33 B.C.? Why not wait until his message could be broadcast to all the world?) and finally "Gethsemene" the true climax of the story, where Jesus angrilly demands that God tell him why he HAS to die. Depending on the version you are watching, God's "answer" to this varies, but it always ends the same--Jesus realizes that he simply has to die, and he has no real choice. "Gethsemene" is particularly great, because it's the only song where Jesus is the ONLY singer, and it's the absolute best of the bunch, with the hardest and most powerful notes for the singer to hit, and the most heartbreaking lyrics of them all.
The movie brings all these songs to life with lurid and powerful cinematography. Unlike most adapatations of musicals, it doesn't shackle itself to the stage, but unleashes the full strengths of film, the natural culmination of everything that made the 70's the "Golden Age" of Hollywood--wide lenses, ENORMOUS zooms (seriously, they literally film Judas' song from TWO MOUNTAINS AWAY) and, fully embracing the anachronistic language of the musical, blend the ancient world with the modern--Roman soldiers wield assault rifles and drive tanks, the cast is clearly shown to be a bunch of modern day actors who come to the Holy Land to perform the show, and the result is a strange, timeless universe that both pulls us into the time of Christ, as well as making the statement that the events happening back then aren't that removed from our own modern society. It helps that Ted Neeley was and is the absolute best Jesus to ever live. He embodies the role fully and completely, and his voice is so god damned good that if you aren't moved to tears by how well he can carry a note, you can NOT call yourself a lover of music.
I had the opportunity to see JSC performed live at my college, the main draw being that Ted Neeley was once again the star. Age hasn't kept him off the stage, though it has affected his performance some. It was a little sad at times--Jesus is a slow, shuffling, creaky man, whose voice cracks and sputters. Indeed, the effect was sort of surreal--a 66-year-old Jesus who seems to already have one foot in the grave already, lamenting how he must die. But he's still god it, Ted has--though he's clearly saving his voice through much of the play, he's saving it for a good reason, because he can STILL hit those notes, and he can hit them better than anyone else can.
Jesus Christ Superstar has been a timeless icon of the musical world. It made a big splash when it hit theaters, and incited controversy that still rages to this day. Arrogant as it is, I hope this review has inspired some of you to go out and find the original 1973 movie. You notice how I stress the date? That's because there's a year 2000 version as well...and it SUCKS ASS. Seriously, it's just terrible in every way, not the least of which is that the singers aren't as good, they decided to set it completely in the modern day, Jesus looks like a GQ model (and lacks a beard) and...ugh, it's just hideous. It's a butchering of an already great film and an even greater album.
Go to your local record or DVD store and pick up either the original 2-disc album or the original film. Both are great, though if you can only pick one, get the movie--it's got stronger singers and, more importantly, excellent visuals. Sit through it. You'll be thankful that you did. This movie has and still does move me to tears at times, and that takes a lot nowadays.