Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Melvyn Bragg (screenplay) &
Norman Jewison (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Musical

Tagline:

and now the film...

Plot:

Film version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of Christ's life, told in an anachronistic manner.

Plot Keywords:

Jesus Christ | Rock Opera | Kicked In Butt | Surrealism | Suicide

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Ted Neeley	...	Jesus Christ
Carl Anderson	...	Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman	...	Mary Magdalene
Barry Dennen	...	Pontius Pilate
Bob Bingham	...	Caiaphas
Larry Marshall	...	Simon Zealotes (as Larry T. Marshall)
Josh Mostel	...	King Herod (as Joshua Mostel)
Kurt Yaghjian	...	Annas
Paul Thomas	...	Peter (as Philip Toubus)
Pi Douglass	...	Apostle
Richard Orbach	...	John
Robert LuPone	...	James
Jonathan Wynne	...	Apostle
Thommie Walsh	...	Thaddeus
Richard Molinare	...	Andrew
David Devir	...	Apostle
Jeff Hyslop	...	Philip (as Jeffrey Hyslop)
Shooki Wagner	...	Apostle
Darcel Wynne	...	Woman
Marcia McBroom	...	Woman
Sally Neal	...	Woman
Leeyan Granger	...	Woman
Vera Biloshisky	...	Woman
Kate Wright	...	Woman (as Kathryn Wright)
Wendy Maltby	...	Woman
Denise Pence	...	Woman
Baayork Lee	...	Woman
Wyetta Turner	...	Woman
Susie Allanson	...	Woman (as Susan Allanson)
Tamar Zafria	...	Woman
Ellen Hoffman	...	Woman
Riki Oren	...	Woman
Judith Daby	...	Woman
Lea Kestin	...	Woman
Adaya Pilo	...	Woman
Zvulun Cohen	...	Priest
Amity Razi	...	Priest
Meir Israel	...	Priest
Avi Ben-Haim	...	Priest
Itzhak Sidranski	...	Priest
Haim Bashi	...	Priest
David Duack	...	Priest
David Rejwan	...	Priest
Steve Boockvor	...	Roman Soldier
Cliff Michaelevski	...	Roman Soldier
Peter Luria	...	Roman Soldier
Tom Guest	...	Roman Soldier
David Barkan	...	Roman Soldier
Stephen Denenberg	...	Roman Soldier
Danny Basevitch	...	Roman Soldier
Didi Liekov	...	Roman Soldier
Doron Gaash	...	Temple Guard
Zvi Lehat	...	Temple Guard
Noam Cohen	...	Temple Guard
Moshe Uziel	...	Temple Guard

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
Melvyn Bragg		(screenplay) &
Norman Jewison		(screenplay)
Tim Rice		(book)

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	associate producer
Robert Stigwood	....	producer

Original Music by
Andrew Lloyd Webber		(music by)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs

Casting by
Michael Shurtleff

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald

Art Direction by
John Clark

Costume Design by
Yvonne Blake

Makeup Department
Gordon Bond	....	hair stylist
Neville Smallwood	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard Carruth	....	post-production supervisor
Larry DeWaay	....	production supervisor
Eric Dichne	....	production manager
Arik Dichner	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack N. Reddish	....	first assistant director
Dusty Symonds	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Danny Perlman	....	production buyer
Jack Towns	....	property master

Sound Department
Keith Grant	....	sound re-recordist
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Les Wiggins	....	sound editor
Eli Yarkoni	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Itzik Ben-Aroya	....	key grip
Martin Evans	....	gaffer
Dennis Fraser	....	grip
Dennis Fraser	....	key grip
Avraham Leibman	....	gaffer
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Ted Neeley	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ron Beck	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Terry Busby	....	assistant editor
Brian Mann	....	assistant editor
Derek Trigg	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Andrew Lloyd Webber	....	orchestrator
André Previn	....	conductor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	associate music coordinator
Angela Morley	....	additional orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael Hartman	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	script supervisor
Quinn Donoghue	....	unit publicist
Robert Iscove	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (1973) (Australia) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Phillips (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | Spain:13 | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Canada:G

Filming Locations:

Beit Guvrin, Israel

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

"King Herod's Song" is actually a number from "King Richard", a failed Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Tim Rice had to write new lyrics for this number so that it could be added to "Jesus Christ Superstar"; originally, the number was called "Those Saladin Days".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the opening of the final song "Jesus Christ Superstar", after Judas steps off the chain the lipsync is out of time with the song. It's corrected after the first cutaway.

Quotes:

Judas: Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ; Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ; Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ; Superstar; do you think you're what they say you are?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Manuel y Clemente (1986)

Soundtrack:

Trial Before Pilate

Andrew Lloyd Webber's signature piece!

This film represents all that Andrew Lloyd Webber is capable of: taking an old and complex subject and using a stellar rock score to look at it from a modern perspective. How strange it is that the most powerful epic of Christ's life should turn out to be this rock opera. This is probably because the main characters are expressed in modern terms of thinking. The best aspect of this film may be its portrayal of Judas Iscariot. Many films have tried to find a reason why Judas betrayed his master and mentor for thirty pieces of silver. However, all of them have been pretty much making up their own stories: Judas wanted to get Jesus

to use his powers against the Romans, Judas wanted to save his family. All

these have been just very big guesses. However, this film is probably the

closest to the truth about Judas. His reason is a more psychological one. He is simply worried that Jesus' teachings will get him arrested by the Romans, and that they will be turned into propaganda, like they are today. He is also just doubtful that Jesus is the Messiah (wouldn't you be if someone told you?) Jesus himself is portrayed as a dedicated spiritual leader, and his followers are looked at largely from his and Judas' perspective. The scene with Simon Zealotes, with followers throwing themselves at Jesus' feet in the dust is meant to make them look almost pathetically worshipping this man. To Jesus, his own Apostles are like children, pestering him about what his plans are for the future. Then, of course, there is the film's portrayal of Mary Magdalene as Jesus' lover. As she rubs ointment on Jesus' feet, you can sense the deep passion moving between

them. Jesus is human, and must, therefore, love. The priests and pharisees are shown as worried about Jesus' influence, fearing it will turn into a revolution, and Pontius Pilate is shown as a faithful politician, trying to do what is right, but pulled away from it by the people demanding Jesus' death. Just the title of this movie is enough to put some people away from it. But the title makes Jesus more modern, because, probably to people at the time, Jesus

seemed like just a passing fad. Maybe this was what Jesus thought too. In this respect, Jesus may have had doubts about whether he could really make any

difference, and if he would be remembered, or if his followers were really just hungry for the next big thing. The film's setting in the Israeli ruins gives the film an almost surreal look, which is furthered by the design of the film, a stark mixture of ancient and modern, which is so well done it is sometimes hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. This serves to point out the similarities between then and now. The film's greatest point moves through the score and the cast. Carl Anderson makes Judas almost unplayable by anyone else. Ted Neeley, while his voice

may not be perfect, has an amazing delivery, and brings new depth to Jesus

with his rendition of "Gethsemane." Yvonne Elliman is remarkably soulful as

Mary Magdalene, and Bob Bingham's low, gravelly bass voice cuts chillingly

through the more serious scenes, helped along by Kurt Yahjigan's falsetto as

Annas. Barry Dennen is a remarkable Pilate, and Josh Mostel makes King

Herod, the Jewish puppet ruler, look remarkably petty and foolish, yet funny in his ragtime burlesque style song. The film also contains Andrew Lloyd Webber's richest score, especially at the end, bringing out the suffering of Jesus. The sound distorts the soldiers laughter, mixing with the vultures crying, and the cross creaking, the hammer pounding in the nails, and the rattle of dice as they gamble for Jesus' clothes, and the sobbing of Mary Magdalene. Jesus voice

remains normal, and his death ends the film, making this, in my opinion, the

most powerful and moving and maybe most accurate version of the Passion.