Two of my favourite modern retellings of the story of Jesus Christ are Jim Crace's 1997 novel Quarantine and Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1964 film, The Gospel According to St Matthew. Atheist, Marxist poet Pasolini shot the movie in a stark, neorealistic style and its cast of non-professional actors (Enrique Irazoqui who plays Jesus was a 19-year-old communist activist and economics student from Spain) provide the film with a real sense of authenticity and immediacy. Matthew is my favourite of the four gospels for various reasons, not least because it features the Sermon on the Mount (brilliantly portrayed in this film), but also because it mentions the Magi and because Matthew himself was an apostle.
Like all the best nativity plays, the film begins with the birth of Jesus in a humble stable. Jesus's parents, Joseph and Mary, take him to Egypt to escape King Herod's decree to kill all the newborn boys in Bethlehem. From there, it follows his life and ministry, including his teachings, miracles and crucifixion. What's unique about the film is how Pasolini's Jesus is a complex and sympathetic figure, both a man of great compassion and a revolutionary leader. He is willing to challenge the established order in order to help the poor and oppressed, and this quasi-Marxist angle favoured by Pasolini helps makes him a more relatable and inspiring figure than the Jesus of many other films.
Pasolini shot the film on location in Southern Italy, including the town of Matera – also used as a location for The Passion of the Christ (2004) – giving it a sense of realism and authenticity, and the film's visuals are stunning and immersive. In the Sermon on the Mount scene, Jesus teaches his disciples about the importance of love, compassion and forgiveness, and Pasolini uses religious imagery throughout the film to create a sense of wonder. Various well-known episodes from Christ's life also feature such as the healing of the blind man, in which Jesus demonstrates his power to heal the sick, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead, showing Jesus' power over death.
Also of note is Pasolini's use of music, which is beautiful and haunting, helping to enhance the film's emotional impact. It was made on a very low budget of around $300,000, and Pasolini used a variety of techniques to create a sense of religious awe, such as the use of long shots and deep focus to provide a sense of spaciousness and grandeur, as well as close-ups to capture the emotional intensity of the characters. Arguably the film is at times a little slow-paced, and some scenes (including the ending) can be ambiguous, but there's no doubt that Pasolini's fresh and original take on the story of Christ is also the most thought-provoking and emotionally compelling version ever captured on film.
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