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Films with theme "Portrayals of Jesus in film", sorted by production date

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The Gospel According to Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew (1965)
, 2h17
Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Historical
Themes Films set in Africa, Politique, Films about religion, Films about sexuality, Political films, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Films about virginity
Actors Enrico Maria Salerno, Gianni Bonagura, Ninetto Davoli, Renato Terra, Paola Tedesco

In Palestine during the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ of Nazareth travels around the country with his disciples preaching to the people about God and salvation of their souls. He is the son of God and the prophesied messiah, but not everyone believes his tale. He is arrested by the Romans and crucified. He rises from the dead after three days.
Parable
Parable (1964)
, 20minutes
Directed by Rolf Forsberg
Genres Drama, Fantasy
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film
Actors Madhur Jaffrey, Saeed Jaffrey

The film Parable is presented through action and music alone and has no dialogue. It tells the story of handful of people working in an old fashioned circus under the rule of Magnus, a puppeteer who strings up human beings as living marionettes and controls their every move. Christ (Clarence Mitchell) is represented as a clown dressed in white, riding atop a donkey. The clown travels around the circus helping people with their problems and gaining followers until he finally takes the place of Magnus's human puppets and is strung up and murdered. Transformed by the clown's sacrifice, Magnus smears his face with white greasepaint and takes the clown's place on the donkey as Christ resurrected.
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (1962)
, 1h40
Directed by Irving Rapper, Gian Paolo Callegari
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film
Actors Jean Marais, Jeanne Crain, Basil Rathbone, Letícia Román, Massimo Serato, Riccardo Garrone

Ponce Pilate, le procurateur de Judée, revient à Rome pour se défendre devant ses accusateurs, Caligula, le nouvel empereur, et le Sénat tout entier. Pendant son procès, Ponce Pilate revoit les dernières années de sa vie, depuis son arrivée en terre palestinienne, jusqu'à l'exécution d'un prophète poursuivi par la haine des Pharisiens, Jésus de Nazareth.
Barabbas
Barabbas (1961)
, 2h24
Directed by Richard Fleischer
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Seafaring films, Films about religion, Sports films, Transport films, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film
Actors Anthony Quinn, John Arthur Kennedy, Jack Palance, Silvana Mangano, Harry Andrews, Vittorio Gassman

Shortly before the crucifixion of Christ, Pontius Pilate offers to release either Jesus Christ or Barabbas in keeping with the local custom. As the Bible story goes, Barabbas is the one the crowd chooses.
King of Kings
King of Kings (1961)
, 2h48
Directed by Nicholas Ray, Noël Howard
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films about sexuality, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Films about virginity
Actors Jeffrey Hunter, Siobhán McKenna, Robert Ryan, Hurd Hatfield, Ron Randell, Viveca Lindfors

In 63 BC, Pompey conquers Jerusalem and the city is sacked. He enters the Temple to seize the treasure of Solomon and massacres the priests there. He discovers that the treasure is only a collection of scrolls of the Torah. These he holds over a fire until an old priest reaches for them imploringly. Pompey relents and hands them to the old man.
Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur (1959)
, 3h34
Directed by William Wyler
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Seafaring films, Christmas films, Films about religion, Films about sexuality, Transport films, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Road movies, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Chase films, Films about virginity
Actors Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott

In AD 26, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a wealthy prince and merchant in Jerusalem, who lives with his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott); his sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell); their loyal slave, Simonides (Sam Jaffe); and his daughter, Esther (Haya Harareet), who loves Ben-Hur but is betrothed to another. His childhood friend, the Roman citizen Messala (Stephen Boyd), is now a tribune. After several years away from Jerusalem, Messala returns as the new commander of the Roman garrison. Messala believes in the glory of Rome and its imperial power, while Ben-Hur is devoted to his faith and the freedom of the Jewish people.
The Big Fisherman
The Big Fisherman (1959)
, 3h
Directed by Frank Borzage
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film
Actors Howard Keel, Susan Kohner, John Saxon, Martha Hyer, Herbert Lom, Marian Seldes

The story traces Peter's journey from self-sufficient fisherman to his dependency on a risen Christ. It also presents another story of redemption and forgiveness, as he takes in a young Arab/Jewish girl, Fara. As they both learn of Jesus, it changes their lives.
The Prodigal
The Prodigal (1955)
, 1h52
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Historical
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film
Actors Lana Turner, Edmund Purdom, Louis Calhern, Joseph Wiseman, James Mitchell, Francis L. Sullivan

The story is loosely based on Jesus Christ's parable of the prodigal son, from the Biblical New Testament Gospels, although considerable liberties are taken with the source material, chief among them being the addition of a female lead in the form of the high priestess of Astarte, Samarra (Turner). Micah (Purdom), a young Hebrew farm boy, sees Samarra and says he will have her. He demands that his father give him his inheritance and journeys to the city of Damascus. There Samarra seduces him into losing his inheritance and betraying his religious faith. Enduring a number of difficulties, Micah finally realizes where he belongs and returns home to his father, who forgives Michael all of his sins and orders a lavish celebration of his return.
The Miracle of Marcelino
The Miracle of Marcelino (1955)
, 1h31
Directed by Ladislao Vajda
Genres Drama, Comedy
Themes Films about religion, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Children's films
Actors Rafael Rivelles, Pablito Calvo, Fernando Rey, José Marco Davó, José Nieto, Juanjo Menéndez

The story revolves around Marcelino, an orphan abandoned as a baby on the steps of a monastery in nineteenth-century Spain. The monks raise the child, and Marcelino grows into a rowdy young boy. He has been warned by the monks not to visit the monastery attic, where a supposed bogeyman lives, but he ventures upstairs anyway, sees the bogeyman and tears off back down the stairs.
Demetrius and the Gladiators
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
, 1h40
Directed by Delmer Daves
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Sports films, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Children's films
Actors Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, William Horace Marshall, Michael Rennie, Debra Paget, Anne Bancroft

The film begins with a clip from the previous film, showing its central characters Marcellus and Diana going to be martyred for their Christian beliefs on the order of Emperor Caligula. Before being executed, Diana hands the robe to Marcellus' servant Marcipor (David Leonard), telling him that it is "for the Big Fisherman," meaning Peter, who was a fisherman before being called as an apostle.
The Silver Chalice
The Silver Chalice (1954)
, 2h15
Directed by Victor Saville
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Historical, Peplum, Romance
Themes Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film
Actors Virginia Mayo, Pier Angeli, Jack Palance, Paul Newman, Walter Hampden, Alexander Scourby

A Greek artisan is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ in silver and sculpt around its rim the faces of the disciples and Jesus himself. He travels to Jerusalem and eventually to Rome to complete the task. Meanwhile, a nefarious interloper is trying to convince the crowds that he is the new Messiah by using nothing more than cheap parlor tricks.
The Robe
The Robe (1953)
, 2h15
Directed by Henry Koster
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Historical, Peplum
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Portrayals of Jesus in film, Children's films
Actors Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Michael Rennie, Jay Robinson, Dean Jagger

The action takes place in Ancient Rome, Judaea, Capri, and Galilee in a time period stretching from A.D. 32 to A.D. 38