Jesus Christ Superstar [Special Edition]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The second Biblical epic to be turned into a musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, this box-office disappointment recounts the last week in the life of Jesus Christ in rock-opera format and from the surprising point of view of Christ's betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Carl Anderson stars as Judas, who has begun to believe that Jesus (Ted Neeley) has sold out and started buying into the mythology that's quickly springing up around him. Particularly disturbing to Judas is the relationship between Jesus and his friend Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman), a prostitute. When Jesus throws a temper tantrum at the moneylenders in a temple, Judas determines to work with the Pharisees who want to put Jesus on trial as a false prophet. Following his success with the adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof (1971), director Norman Jewison experimented with a hippie-influenced sensibility on Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). Among such touches are depictions of the cast arriving via bus to mount the show, modern high-tech weaponry in the hands of the ancient Romans, and on-location filming in Israel. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng/Spa/Fre
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Feature commentary with director Norman Jewison and actor Ted Neeley
  • Exclusive interview with master lyricist Tim Rice
  • Photo gallery

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Adapted or Original Song Score - 1973 (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Andre Previn, Herbert Spencer)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Best Soundtrack - 1973 (Leslie Wiggins, Keith Grant, Gordon K. McCallum)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comed - 1973 (Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com - 1973 (Yvonne Elliman)
•     Nominated Best Picture - Musical or Comedy - 1973
•     Nominated New Star of the Year - Male - 1973 (Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Ted Neeley - Jesus Christ
       Carl Anderson - Judas Iscariot
       Yvonne Elliman - Mary Magdalene
       Barry Dennen - Pontius Pilate
       Bob Bingham - Caiaphas
       Josh Mostel - King Herod
       Jeffrey Hyslop - Apostle

• Director:

  Norman Jewison

• Producer:

  Norman Jewison, Patrick Palmer, Robert Stigwood

• Screenwriter:

  Norman Jewison, Melvyn Bragg

• Cinematographer:

  Douglas Slocombe

• Composer (Music Score):

  Andrew Lloyd Webber

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Herbert Spencer

• Editor:

  Antony Gibbs

• Production Designer:

  Richard Macdonald

• Art Director:

  John Clark

• Costume Designer:

  Yvonne Blake

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Gordon K. McCallum, Keith Grant

• First Assistant Director:

  Jack N. Reddish

• Choreography:

  Robert Iscove

• Conductor:

  Andre Previn

• Lyricist:

  Tim Rice

• Book (Musical):

  Tim Rice

REVIEW:

• Norman Jewison's Jesus Christ Superstar may not be the most tuneful rendering of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful score and Tim Rice's deconstructive lyrics, but that's precisely what makes it the definitive realization of Webber and Rice's work. The 1973 film oozes human emotion, better encapsulated by cracking voices than golden throats. This crucial thematic approach starts with Ted Neeley as Christ, an imperfect, temperamental saint whose frail voice plants him firmly in the world of mortals. Not only does Neeley look the part, he lives it. But Carl Anderson's Judas carries the film. Wiry, acrobatic, and torn apart by anguish and confusion, Anderson is part sneaky fox, part peaceful dove, as complex as the part was written. While many directors have chosen unconventional settings to stage Superstar, Jewison was smart to film on location in Israel, as the stark, arid climate both drives home the themes and gives the Biblical story a sense of place. Jewison understood that the lyrics themselves -- "If you came today you could have reached a whole nation/Israel in 4 B.C. had no mass communication" -- provided as much anachronism as the film needed. The standout scene is the intense, lively ode from Simon Zealotes (Larry Marshall), which includes an inimitably choreographed number that likens the hippie movement to the followers of Christ. Bob Bingham's guttural Caiaphas also makes a lasting impression. Far superior to Godspell, the similarly themed hippie/religious outing released the same year, Jesus Christ Superstar remains repeatedly watchable for its rousing, unabashed earnestness that narrowly steers clear of excess. It's also a glorious snapshot of an era and the imagination inspired by it. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi