Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Simply A Masterpiece

As Good As It Gets

My absolute favorite movie. I have watched it several times each since 1973. Not a single part of it ever gets old. I love the music. If you watch because your a Christian, or want to learn about Jesus as our Savior, or as a prophet or just as a man this is an easy entertaining way to do it.All of the actors, dancers and singers are great but Ted Neeley as Jesus is magnificent.

I just saw a production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in The Hague, with Ted Neely no less playing the big role. I was surprised by my emotional reaction to this production, and I realise now that this is because of my love for the movie seen 42 years ago. When I was young, I went to the movie several times. I thought it was a profound, revolutionary and important film, and I loved the music. I later played the album over and over again. To my surprise, I have actually memorized the lines and could more or less sing along with the cast. I wasn't the only one apparently, because there were many people in the audience, roughly my age, all obviously grooving to the music. So 42 years after this movie was made, it has the power to move me deeply still. I have to give it 10 out of 10. Thank you to everyone involved for making this movie that has played such a nice role in my life.

Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice in the early 1970s, and this is a movie version. I saw the original London run of the show, as a child, and it made a huge impression on me. Some reviewers have questioned why Jesus is portrayed as human, but the point of this opera is to examine the "superstar" status of Jesus in his time, and the effect that this had upon his followers, the Jewish priests and the Romans. It deals with the phenomenon of Jesus from every angle, and it works. Musically, it stands up just as well as it did in the 70s, and it still packs a punch. It shows the reality of how the political threat posed by the Jesus movement was dealt with, and suggests a reason for the Crucifixion. There are many historical accounts of Jesus's life, based upon the Bible. This libretto and screenplay are brave enough to look at it from a human angle, and it spoke to me as a child. I understood for the first time the reality of Jesus's life as a man and how he suffered, as a man. It's value is its originality. Probably one of the best things Lloyd Webber has ever done, and the wit and wisdom of Tim Rice is always valuable. Give it a chance, even if you are a Christian.

It clearly cross the line. Imagine a story about a well-known historical figure that largely ignored the writings of the time and made up vast amounts of dialogue contradicting the actual historical accounts, and there you have this film. Based on a concept album project written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and the subsequent long running Broadway performance, this film tells the story of the final days in the life of Jesus Christ. People might mistake it for a musical, but the film feels more like a rock and roll opera as there are no spoken lines, everything is sung throughout the film. The hippie generation really put the artistic license on this periodic piece to the point that it doesn't look like biblical times, but rather a low budget cheap 1970's knock off. You have people wearing badly made costumes, and sets that looks like they were filming in a post-volcano Pompeii. All you see is ruins and its ruins the film. Don't get me wrong, it's not a cheap movie. They have tanks, fighter airplanes and guys with machine guns. Why because it's supposed to be this abysmal idea that modern Israeli military men and equipment wander around as part of the backdrop. I assume that Director Jewison was trying to make some sort of comment on the present day world being out of touch with the message of Jesus. If that was the case, why use non-Israelites to make the point? Of course, in reality, Christ was a Middle Eastern Jew, not a blue eyed blonde! It's get more disturbing that Judas is being portrayed by a black man. The way Judas meets his fate in the end is also disturbing. Its look like taking a badly aim shot about race issues at the time. Whatever it may have been, it was a distraction and not an enhancement to the film. The movie starts out with a bunch of actors getting off a bus in the middle of a desert, and getting into character. The overture plays as the melody and works as a tone settler that builds the music to the point where the musical really starts. It's doesn't start out with Jesus Christ (Ted Neeley) but in a song by Judas (Carl Anderson) call 'Heaven in their mind'. Carl Anderson gives on of the best performances in the film as we can truly see what Judas was thinking at the time about Jesus. 'What the Buzz' is the next song that talks about how Jesus has become a prima donna, or in the male terms primo uomo (A vain and egotistical person). Jesus finds it difficult to work as part of a team due to the endless badgering of his group and seeks comfort in the hands of Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman). The love song between them 'I don't know how to love him' was a hit song of the movie, and even went on to make the billboard charts. 'Strange Things Mystifying" explains how the relationship between Mary and Jesus might hurt the apostles that can put them in danger due to her being well known as a prostitute. Well, Jesus has been making news about his arriving in Jerusalem, based on the song 'Then we have decided' that Caiaphas (Bob Bingham) sings about, which states out Jesus is hard to control and thinks he must die to save the city before the Romans come in and kill everybody for Jesus's outrageous new beliefs that might be mistaken for a uprising. Is it just me, or does Caiaphas look like bible version of Darth Vader with the silly dark helmet, black cloak and gem chest armor? Everybody is having a great time with the song "Poor Jerusalem" that has a lot of energy with its dancing until the Romans sees the display. Well, this leads to Judas betraying Jesus and the Romans lead by Pontius Pilate (Barry Dennen) capturing him. In my opinion, the second best actor in the film besides Carl Anderson in the film was Barry. He can totally pull off the smugness look. A man you certainly love to hate. "Pilate and Christ' reminds of a Danny Elfman song more than an Andrew Lloyd Webber song. One of the best scenes in the movie has to be with Jesus sings "I only want to say' to God on why this had to happen to him. It shows how strong the voice of Ted Neeley is, how amazing the landscape is, and how great the editing is with showing classic painting of foreshadowing events. This is probably my favorite song in the movie. Now to the faults of the film, I really didn't like the King Herrod's song as I felt it was out of place and most of the songs weren't that catchy. The ending was pretty disappointing as all the actors leaves, besides the actor that play Jesus. Are we supposed to think Ted Neeley really die for our sins? It's look like they film a play, and really killed a man. The movie also forget the most importation part about the story. Where's the resurrection? Isn't that the point of the film? Also why is Judas in fact, praised? The worst misrepresentation of this is that after Judas commits suicide, he comes back with a choir of angels, all dressed in white, descending from Heaven in the film. Did the producers ever read the bible? That would never happen. Last time I checked, commit suicide, and killing Christ doesn't give you a free ride to Heaven, folks. Jesus Christ Superstar is perhaps one of the first movement to reinvent Jesus but it denies what the Holy Bible has taught people. It's a good movie that wouldn't hurt you if you watch it. Still, I wouldn't say it's the best movie about Jesus. You won't learn anything about the real Jesus here.