According to Wikipedia, the technical term for biblical epics such as this widely beloved version of Christ's life is Diatessaron (or Gospel harmony). This four-part 1977 British-Italian co-production (which debuted on American TV in 1981) presents a cohesive, chronological narrative of the events presented in the New Testament. Shorter versions of the miniseries have been distributed, but this is one of the longer editions of Franco Zeffirelli's famed production (although not “complete” as advertised, and not 384 minutes as listed on the box), a finely crafted if also somewhat brooding drama that follows Jesus from birth to Resurrection with grace, emotion, and a de-emphasis of spectacle in favor of human theater. Robert Powell is the anti-ethnic blue-eyed savior whose mesmeric gaze invigorates gravitas among his A-list costars, who include Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Claudia Cardinale, James Earl Jones, James Mason, Ian McShane, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Christopher Plummer, Ralph Richardson, Rod Steiger, Peter Ustinov, Michael York, and many others. Although it is serious, engaging, and well-acted, there has been some controversy over liberties that Zeffirelli, Anthony Burgess, and Suso Cecchi d'Amico took with the script (the film selectively chooses events, and uses some dramatic license to condense timelines, while also introducing composite characters to streamline the action). Nevertheless, Jesus of Nazareth remains an absorbing, estimable saga, if perhaps a bit too staid today. Extras include bonus interviews. Recommended. (T. Fry)
Jesus of Nazareth: The Complete Miniseries
Shout! Factory, 2 discs, 371 min., not rated, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray: $24.98 Volume 31, Issue 3
Jesus of Nazareth: The Complete Miniseries
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