The Portrayal of Jesus in Modern Cinema

The portrayal's of Jesus in cinema can differ considerably from one another, just as depictions of Christ have done throughout history. Unlike earlier literal interpretations in film such as The King of Kings and The Greatest Story Ever Told more recent depictions have seen filmmakers taking a more humanistic approach telling the story of Christ as a metaphor for contemporary issues and personal struggle.

For instance the The Last Temptation of Christ isn't an historical depiction of Jesus but an adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel. Before the title shot a quotation from the novel is shown displaying, "The dual substance of Christ. The yearning so human, so superhuman, of man to attain God has always been a deep inscrutable mystery to me. My principle anguish and source of all my joys and sorrows from my youth onward has been the incessant, merciless battle between the spirit and the flesh and my soul is the arena where these two armies have clashed and met." The film focuses on Jesus's personal struggle as he reconciles God's plan and his human temptation, reflecting a universal conflict of society, reconciling faith and humanity rather than portraying the traditional Christ story.

Another example is Denis Arcand's Jesus of Montreal. The movie, set in contemporary Quebec, is a story of a group of stage actors who are commissioned to portray the crucifixion of Christ. The actors lives in the film mirror their characters lives in the Crucifixion story. For instance, Daniel trashes audio-visual equipment used for advertising in a theatre like Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem of commercial activity while Mireille, a stand in for Mary Magdalene, is required to do an audition for a commercial in a bikini (see below). In addition, just as Jesus is tempted by the devil during his fast so to is Daniel by a lawyer who offers him power. Unlike their Gospel counterparts Daniel and Mireille's actions do not reflect religious stories but are a metaphor of the films objection to societies consumerism and the exploitation of women in the media. As for Daniel's encounter with the lawyer is a criticism of societies values rather than a confrontation with a supernatural foe.


There have been recent cinematic depictions of Christ which have meant to be literal such as The Passion of the Christ , however, a change in the culture of films has influenced many contemporary film makers to make use of the Crucifixion story as a reflection of contemporary issues.


Below are some of the Scenes from Jesus of Montreal: