The Gospel According to Matthew (1965)
This biblical drama from the Catholic Marxist director focuses on the teachings of Jesus, including the parables that reflect their revolutionary nature. As Jesus travels along the coast of the Sea of Galilee, he gradually gathers more followers, leading him into direct conflict with the authorities.
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Maurizio Lucidi
- Paolo Schneider
- Vincenzo Cerami
- Elsa Morante
- Lina D'Amico
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
Rating: 7.4/10 by 353 users
Alternative Title:
The Gospel According to Matthew - US
Das erste Evangelium Matthäus - DE
Evangelium nach Matthäus - DE
L'évangile selon saint Matthieu - FR
El evangelio según San Mateo - AR
O Evangelho Segundo São Mateus - BR
Евангелие по Матея - BG
El evangelio según Mateo - CO
Matthæusevangeliet - DK
Matteuksen evankeliumi - FI
Matteus evangelium - FI
To evangelion kata Matthaion - GR
To kata Matthaion evangelion - GR
Το Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιο - GR
Máté evangéliuma - HU
Kiseki no Oka - JP
奇跡の丘 - JP
El evangelio según San Mateo - MX
Matteusevangeliet - NO
Ewangelia według świętego Mateusza - PL
O Evangelho Segundo São Mateus - PT
Evanghelia dupa Matei - RO
Евангелие от Матфея - RU
El evangelio según San Mateo - ES
馬太福音 - TW
Das 1. Evangelium - Matthäus - DE
马太福音 - CN
The Gospel According to St. Matthew - US
Country:
Italy
France
Language:
Italiano
Runtime: 02 hour 17 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: faith, christianity, biography, jesus christ
This is a breathtaking piece of cinema. I haven't read the text for over forty years, so I cannot swear to the accuracy with which Pasolini reflects the actual gospel, but what is immediately striking is just how aggressive his version of "Cristo" is. Enrique Irazoqui is undoubtedly a beautiful man to look at, but unlike in so many more commercial iterations of this story, his character is portrayed as a strong, demanding and forceful personality. His sermons are powerful instructions to, even condemnations of, the populace. Certainly there is love, but it is a tough love which only evolves as the story does. This characterisation is also surprisingly political. I wouldn't say he is simply to the left or to the right, as we might consider politics nowadays, but he definitely has strong views on corruption, of the venality of society and of the need to care for and to be cared for by each other. The delivery of this potent message hits the mark well. The dialogue is actually quite sparing, much of the audio comes from a mixture of classical music (Bach and Mozart feature prominently) along with themes than sound more African in origin. The photography is intense, no other word for it. The grand scale cinematography well complimented by the close, intimate imagery of the faces of the cast as the story unfolds in an unashamedly emotional (but not sentimental) fashion. I saw this recently again on a big screen and that only enhanced the vividness and vigour of the whole enterprise.
