Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Tim Rice (book) &
Norman Jewison (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Musical

Tagline:

and now the film...

Plot:

Film version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of Christ's life, told in an anachronistic manner.

Plot Keywords:

Anachronistic | Whipped | Slow Motion | Scene Based On Painting | Hedonist

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Ted Neeley	...	Jesus Christ
Carl Anderson	...	Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman	...	Mary Magdalene
Barry Dennen	...	Pontius Pilate
Bob Bingham	...	Caiaphas
Larry Marshall	...	Simon Zealotes (as Larry T. Marshall)
Josh Mostel	...	King Herod (as Joshua Mostel)
Kurt Yaghjian	...	Annas
Paul Thomas	...	Peter (as Philip Toubus)
Pi Douglass	...	Apostle
Richard Orbach	...	John
Robert LuPone	...	James
Jonathan Wynne	...	Apostle
Thommie Walsh	...	Thaddeus
Richard Molinare	...	Andrew

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

Spain:13 | Netherlands:6 | Australia:G | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Canada:G

Filming Locations:

Beit Guvrin, Israel

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Norman Jewison's previous project had been the film version of the Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof (1971) in which he had cast Israeli actor Topol in the role of Tevye, to the bitter disappointment of Broadway's Tevye, Zero Mostel. When Jewison wanted to cast Mostel's son Joshua as Herod in this movie Mostel snapped, "Tell him to get Topol's son!"

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Ted Neeley is hanging on the cross, he moves his hands away from the wooden crosspieces, showing that the nails are just nail heads stuck to his palms.

Quotes:

Apostles: What's the buzz? Tell me whats-a-happening? What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening?
Jesus: Why should you want to know? Why are you obsessed with fighting times and fates you can't defy? If you knew the path we're riding you'd understand it less than I.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the '70s: Volume 2" (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Temple

what a group of voices!

The Lloyd-Webber and Rice musical comes to the screen, and is nothing like the stage show at all. The deserts are real, although the back story is that this is a theatre company, putting on a production in real locations.

The cast are largely session singers and unknowns - Ted Neeley, delicate and high-voiced as Jesus (particularly superb in `Gethsemane'); Carl Anderson, black and doe-eyed as Judas with hot soul vocals, Barry Dennen as Pilate, and Yvonne Elliman as Magdelene with her big number `I Don't Know How To Love Him'.

One loss for those who know the stage version is being removed from the crucifixion preamble, when the ghost of Judas sings `Superstar' - this was all video camera projection in the theatre, while in the movie we are detached observers. But at other times we get uncomfortably close. And the songs survive the transportation to a more realistic setting (except the added `Could We Start Again, Please?' which sounds rather too much like the Coca-Cola theme for comfort).

Best scenes? The one in the temple; Hosanna; and the Pharisees tapping on their scaffolding perches like crows.