Das 1. Evangelium nach Matthäus

For a radical leftist and member of the Communist Party, this is a somewhat unconventional subject, which Pasolini, however, dealt with honorably. In my opinion, he approached his biblical narrative a little too intimately, and I also disliked the excessive duration of the film, about 110 minutes would have been more appropriate. On the other hand, it is good to compare this 45-year-old film with the undeniable filmmaking qualities to the much more famous and media-hyped The Passion of the Christ - it is evident immediately how desperately superficial and empty Mel Gibson's film is. Overall impression: 65%. (11.08.2009)

The landscape is stunning, the environment looks almost authentic, and actually, the black-and-white camera suits the film quite well. That doesn't change the fact that the film is very drawn-out, and I believe there are better works that delve into the fate of Jesus. Personally, I rate The Passion of the Christ much higher than this piece, which tries to delve deeper. (19.05.2015)