Jesus of Nazareth: The Complete Miniseries - 40th Anniversary Edition [DVD]

You will be blessed.

Minor artistic license for a ground breaking made for TV special. The book of Matthew in live action. Christ is King INRI

Jesus of Nazareth: The Complete Miniseries 40th Anniversary Blu Ray EditionI was a fan of this 1977 mini series and watching has become a Easter tradition. Originally, Jesus of Nazareth premiered 40 years ago today, 27 March 1977 on British television; and made its American premiere as an NBC Easter special, on 3 April 1977. I remember watching it live that premiere week on a 13" color television with no remote. NBC rebroadcast the series in 1981 and four more times through 1990s.It was originally released as a three-tape VHS edition in the early 1980s under the Magnetic Video label. VHS home players were new at this time. The orginal VHS Box set sold for over $50.00.The three-tape edition was one of the only VHS cassettes available to "check-out" and watch in my college library. So, I watched this series many times.It was released later under the mainstream video label of CBS/FOX in 1986. Another three-tape VHS edition was released by LIVE Home Video in 1992 and once more on 22 February 1995. Artisan Entertainment released the DVD version on two discs on 6 December 1999. In the UK, the original 1986 Polygram VHS (4 tapes) was fully uncut and featured the full 386 minute version. The 2000 Carlton video (2 tapes) featured a heavily abridged print running 270 minutes. Although the Granada DVD is credited as the unedited print it runs for 374 minutes and misses out 2 scenes - a private meeting between Judas Iscariot and Zerah, and the opening betrayal sequence during the Last Supper.This is nice (2) Disc Blu Ray release from Shout Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. There have been a variety of previous international Blu-ray releases of this title, some at least evidently sourced from different masters (and at least a couple sporting different lengths--this version omits several minutes that were seen in at least some versions of the miniseries, though it's instructive to note that the IMDb lists the Italian theatrical version of this as having been significantly shorter than even this version).This is not the greatest restoration experience to date. But if your a fan of this television mini-series like I am, its far better than anything to date. Much better than the 1980's VHS. The negative reviews in my opinion are over the top critique. I was pleased with the edition and believe it is worthy of purchase. I wish there were better 'special features" and scene selection ability. I almost got sucked into the negative reviews. This is not the greatest restoration but much much better than anything to date! Better than streaming quality and you own it!Going into full videophile mode: I use a OPPO BDP-83SE, which allows a "zoom" "picture adjustment full screen" option. I rarely use this zoom option because it departs from the directors intent. But in the case, I believe it is the right setting and truthfully the intended viewing option. Having this OPPO Blu ray player picture adjustment brings this film to full life. 40 years later, on Easter, this is a great film to revisit. Just as good as it was live on a 13 inch color television.If this mini-series is new to you, it is about the life of Jesus which is majestically and movingly portrayed in one of the most magnificent miniseries ever created.Acclaimed director Franco Zeffirelli and an all-star cast come together to deliver a powerful adaptation of the Gospels in 1977's Jesus Of Nazareth. From the Nativity to the Crucifixion and Resurrection, the life of Jesus (played by Robert Powell) is presented with stunning depth, gravity, and emotion. Acclaimed by critics and viewers alike, Jesus Of Nazareth remains one of the finest depictions of the story of Christ nearly forty years after its release. Olivia Hussey, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Valentina Cortese, James Earl Jones, James Mason, Ian McShane, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasance, and Sir Laurence Olivier co-star in this rewarding, uplifting and faith-affirming portrayal."Like us" on Colorado Film Collectors Facebook page

I find no complaint about the video or audio of the movie. I guess only Bluray could make HD improvements. It is still a pleasure to see this mini-series, which I originally saw when I was a teenager. I liked this story back then, and I appreciate it better nowadays because this is, I believe, the first modern retelling of the story of Jesus. It is a combination of the Biblical text with political context and psychological realism; it makes a serious attempt at showing the socio-political reality of the days of Jesus, presenting all the time the conflict between zealots and Rome; showing the politics behind the scribes, Pharisees, and the leaders of the Sanhedrin; and providing political motives to a confused Judas Iscariot (one of the few nonbiblical aspects in this movie). As an adolescent, I remember that people were not so naïve about political motives, so it is no surprise that Zeffirelli decides to include this dimension here.Likewise, the psychological realism is present in the characters surrounding Jesus. I loved the invented rivalry between Simon and Matthew, the tax collector. Albeit these details are not Biblical, they add points of interest about these characters for a modern audience back then; and although these details are unnecessary from the point of view of faith, they help make the dramatization of the life of Jesus more complex. Thus, the audience sees that Peter often doubts, he struggles with himself. At one moment, he accepts that Jesus is Messiah; the next, he proposes Jesus that he should avoid entering Jerusalem. Almost every character is shown in conflict with the presence of Jesus; in this manner, the story of Jesus presented here attempts at showing the audience from the modern perspective how people would have reacted to Jesus and his miracles. Debates, created by the screenwriter, ensue between Jesus and religious leaders giving life to people who doubt, or people who having lived a tradition all their lives, see how this one special individual challenges it all. Thus, this retelling of the story of Jesus, rather than being just a mere presentation of events that happen in the Bible, is a plot-driven story; his acceptance and ultimate rejection by the same people explained with complexity. None of this may be necessary for faith, but helpful from a cinematic point of view.Although this mini-series show many Biblical events surrounding the life of Jesus, it does not portray every single miracle he performed. Among the important ones that we see here are the multiplication of bread and fish to feed a crowd of five thousand and the resurrection of Lazarus. Other important ones missed here are Jesus walking on water or the wine turned into water during a wedding.In addition to this, this is an expensive international production. Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet) directs, Maurice Jarre provides the musical score, and Zeffirelli and Anthony Burgess write a complex screenplay. The major players here are not just making cameo appearances here; each provide a substantial part of the plot (perhaps Claudia Cardinale as the adulteress is the only exception here). Anthony Quinn, James Mason, Laurence Olivier, Cyril Cusack, Olivia Hussey, Christopher Plummer, Anne Bancroft, Rod Steiger, and Michael York among others enrich this story with their performances. From Anthony Quinn's overzealous Caiaphas, Ernest Borgnine's faithful centurion, Steiger's stressed Pontius Pilate, to Olivier's reluctant Nicodemus, all characters lend the psychological realism and complexity that makes this story alive on TV.Thus, it is a groundbreaking film on Jesus that adheres to the main message of the Bible that is still worth watching today. A pity there isn't a blu-ray available today.