The Greatest Story Ever Told
With a title like “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” a film better deliver. In fairness, the movie says it’s the greatest story ever told, not the greatest movie ever made, so there’s that. Following in the footsteps of 1961’s “King of Kings,” 1965 “Greatest Story” is once again an epic, big-budget, lengthy retelling of Christ’s life by way of Hollywood, California.
Movies about Jesus’ life don’t come any bigger. “The Greatest Story” was directed by Hollywood heavyweight and multi-time Academy Award-winner George Stevens , shot in the Ultra Panavision process , and with supporting roles by multiple stars, including Charlton Heston as John the Baptist. Yet at its center is a grounded, touching performance by Swedish actor and Ingmar Bergman-favorite Max Von Sydow in his first American film.
Your appetite for “Greatest Story” may vary, as you feel every second of the film’s three hour and fifteen minute runtime. However, when it comes to epic Biblical productions, “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is undoubtedly one of the, well, greatest.
The Greatest Story Overtold/the Divine Mr J /the Thorn
Its generally not a great sign when a film has multiple names and release dates, but if you like irreverent comedies, this will be right up your street. Bette Midler is a stereotypical Jewish mother in her first major role which she later tried to distance herself from, calling it dreadful.
The movie depicts John the Baptist as a flasher in a mac, Joseph as an unsuccessful inventor, and Mary as particularly keen for her son to turn more water into wine. The tone of the film can be summed up by Herod Antipasto suggesting that everyone should go to their hometown to be taxed so theyll all be home before Christmas.
Religion-based satire was on the increase: 1980 saw the release of Wholly Moses with Dudley Moore, and Marty Feldmans In God We Trust . And who could forget the Catholic churchs new icon, Buddy Christ in Dogma ?
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Paul: Apostle Of Christ
St. Paul’s life and work are chronicled almost as much in the New Testament as Jesus himself. The end of his life is detailed masterfully in “Paul: Apostle of Christ.” While we are excluding movies based on saints, we’re including “Paul,” as much of his story is told in the Book of Acts of the Apostles and throughout his letters to the various early Christian churches. You might think this wouldn’t make for a very rousing movie you’d be mistaken. “Paul” is not only a moving portrait of a brave man standing up for what he believes in, but a stirring account of courageous people withstanding unimaginable religious tyranny and persecution.
Despite the title however, the central character in “Paul” is actually St. Luke, the Gospel author and writer of Acts, played by James Caviezal, who famously played Jesus in “The Passion of The Christ.” Meanwhile, Paul is more of a supporting character, though thanks to James Faulkner’s dominating performance, Paul’s presence is always felt.
The film follows three interconnected stories Paul in prison awaiting his execution at the hand of Roman authorities, early Christians in hiding, and Luke as a physician tending to a Roman prefect’s dying child. While movie critics weren’t impressed, moviegoers were. We side with the moviegoers, and consider this a must-watch for its under-seen portrait of the early church.
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Gospel Road: A Story Of Jesus
An enthusiastic convert to Christianity, Johnny Cash dug into his own pockets to make this film on location in Israel. He appears as narrator and his songs provide the soundtrack. The relatively low budget forced some creative solutions to certain scenes: Jesus is never surrounded by crowds, but instead sound effects are used along with the music to produce the right atmosphere. Cashs wife, fellow singer June Carter, plays Mary Magdalene .
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Director Robert Elfstrom also doubled up as the lead. While we now ridicule the image of a light-haired, blue-eyed Jesus, it was de rigueur in 1973, and Elfstrom is so Caucasian hes positively Nordic. Its not the greatest film on the life of Jesus, but the addition of jaunty country music makes it enjoyably original.
Paul Apostle Of Christ
Run time: 1h 48m | IMDb score:6.6/10
The plot is set in Roma, 67 A.D. Apostle Paul is taken to Mamertine Prison by Emperor Nero after he was accused of burning down a huge part of the city. Meanwhile, Luke travels to Roma looking for apostle Paul.
They finally meet, and Paul gives Luke the go-ahead to tell his story before Nero executes him. The main characters include Jim Caviezel who plays Luke, James Faulkner, who plays Paul, Joanne Whalley playing the role of Priscilla, Olivier Martinez, who plays Mauritius Gallas and John Lynch, who plays Aquila.
Run time: 1h 31m | IMDb score: 6.5/10
King Ahasuerus dismisses his wife as the queen and orders the men that work for him to look for a new replacement. A young Jewess, Esther, attempts to charm the king with her beauty and physical appeal when the king orders for all the gorgeous girls in the kingdom to be brought to him.
Esther gets to be promoted amidst everything that is happening around the king. The drama features Louise Lombard who played Esther, F. Murray Abraham who played Mordecai, Jürgen Prochnow who played Haman, Thomas Kretschmann who played King Ahasuerus and Ornella Muti who had the role of Queen Vashti.
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Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off
Tune into this HBO doc for the mesmerizing, gravity-defying skateboard stunts, a time capsule of the ’80s skateboarding scene, and a version of Hawk you’ve probably never seen. We get to know the renowned athlete as a lanky, stubborn but determined kid who adopted his own skateboarding style. Hawk’s persistence is something to marvel at, along with all the stunning skateboard moves this film packs in. Hang on for a memorable ride.
The Book Of Ruth: Journey Of Faith
This movie does a great job of telling an accurate account of the story of Ruth. You see the love she has for Naomi and vise-versa in this film. It takes you all the way from the death of Naomis husband and two sons and Moab’s departure to Ruth and Boaz’s marriage. It is a film that the family can enjoy together for sure. Watch The Book of Ruth on Christian Cinema.
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Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
This film about beloved author, chef and globe-traveling TV host Anthony Bourdain comes from documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville, who also directed 2018’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the Oscar-winning film Twenty Feet from Stardom. In interviews with people who knew Bourdain, like his friends, former partners and longtime colleagues, the doc tracks his career path, relationships and personal struggles. Bourdain fans and those less acquainted with the star will likely appreciate this two-hour look at his life.
One Night With The King
“One Night With The King” sounds like the kind of movie that doesn’t belong on a list of Bible films, if you catch our drift. But remember, if the Bible were a movie, it’d definitely be rated-R for violence and sexual content. And besides, “One Night With The King” is a purposefully more provocative title than “Esther.” Esther has probably been given the cinematic treatment more than any other Biblical matriarch, and more than many other patriarchs as well. The reason is, her story of rescuing her people continues to resonate millennia after millennia.
While the critics didn’t like it, giving it one of the worst scores on our list, audiences disagreed and gave “One Night With the King” a strong score. Released in 2006, “One Night With The King” was one of Hollywood’s first attempts to recreate the record-setting performance of “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004 with faith-based audiences. However, lacking that films’, well, passion , “One Night With The King” earned only $13 million at the worldwide box office, not bad for a faith-based film, but a loss thanks to its $20 million budget. Thankfully, that budget went to great production value and a stellar cast, including Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Jonathan Rhys-Davies, and standout newcomer Tiffany Dupont as Esther. Esther’s story has been told cinematically many times before “One Night With the King” is one of the best.
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The Gospel According To Saint Matthew
While there have been plenty of controversial Biblical films, Pier Paolo Pasolini may be the most controversial Biblical filmmaker . An avowed atheist Marxist who was mysteriously murdered, Pasolini was also a maestro of Italian cinema, whose contributions to European Neo-Realism put him in the same conversation as his fellow Italian Vittorio De Sica, and French filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut.
Rather than reverence, it is Pasolini’s “on-the-ground,” “man-on-the-street,” sense of realism that makes his most famous film, 1964’s “The Gospel According to Saint Matthew,” one of the best cinematic adaptations of Jesus’ life. Despite highlighting Pasolin’s interpretation of the political nature of Christ’s message, the film isn’t preachy in the political sense, and closely follows the Biblical text, albeit filmed in a fresh, almost documentary style moviegoers hadn’t seen before. Perhaps the only Biblical movie you’ll ever see taught in film schools, “The Gospel According to Saint Matthew” is a big hit with critics and fans, and a more-than-worthy inclusion on our must-watch list.
Movies About The Bible You Should Add To Your Must
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible isn’t a book it’s a collection of books. How many? There are 24 books in the Hebrew Bible , 66 books in the King James Bible, and 73 books in the Catholic Bible. So suffice it to say, there are a lot of opportunities for cinematic adaptations. However, while there are plenty of books in the Bible that haven’t been adapted into film , there are many more that have more than we could ever cover here.
So given it would take you less time to read the Bible than to watch every Bible-based movie, we’re going to highlight the top 25 you need to see. Given the Bible has been around for a couple millennia, cinematic adaptations span the dawn of film. What makes our selections “must-watch?” We picked these movies based on the quality of their cinematic storytelling, the authenticity of their adaptations, their cultural footprint, and in some cases, all of the above.
We’re not including “extra-Biblical” movies, basically sword-and-sandal epics that tie into the Bible, but aren’t in the Bible movies about saints or the clergy or general faith-based films . From massive cinematic epics, to intimate character dramas, here are 25 movies about the Bible you should add to your must-watch list!
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Epic Bible Movies Worth Watching
Posted by Jason, Updated on November 13, 2022
Bible movies are about as old as Hollywood itself. From black and white silent films all the way to present day, the Bible remains a popular source of material for movie producers to mine every few years. Their results of success are mixed. Some become cemented classics, while others drift into a well-deserved obscurity. Unsurprisingly, theyre also lightning rods for criticism and controversy, some drawing crowds and others getting banned outright. So, out of all the biblical films, which have elevated to the top? Here are 25 Epic Bible Movies Worth Watching.
The Passion Of The Christ
Lots of movies make money. Plenty win awards. But very few films dominate the cultural conversation and change the culture around them like “The Passion of The Christ.” To say “The Passion of the Christ” was controversial doesn’t do it justice it was all people talked about for months in 2004, and remains one of the defining cinematic achievements of the early 2000s. Even today, its millions of supporters continue to routinely revisit it with the consistency of a religious ritual. Despite earning $622 million worldwide, making it one of the top ten highest-grossing, R-rated films ever , “The Passion” is not an easy watch, as it earns its R rating.
As Roger Ebert put it in his four-star review, “this is the most violent film I have ever seen.” Not sure we agree there, but his point stands. “The Passion” is a visceral, violent movie that repels some audiences, and deeply moves others. You can see this divide in the critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Basically you either really love it or really hate it you won’t find many people saying “The Passion” is “Meh, okay.” Nearly two decades since Mel Gibson’s passion project was released, “The Passion of The Christ” remains the most successful controversial movie ever made and a must-watch movie about the Bible.
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The Gospel Of Luke Netflix
Run time: 3h 35m | IMDb score: 6.7/10
Are you looking for movies about the Bible on Netflix? The Gospel of Luke is one of them. It focuses on the works of Jesus Christ as written in the book of Luke. This 2015 film did great for movies in this genre and ranked among the best Christian films on Netflix the year it was released.
The cinematography and choice of characters were perfect. Some of the members of the cast include Selva Rasalingam who played Jesus, Karima Gouit who played by Mary, Mourad Zaoui cast as John, El Mahmoudi M’Barek whose role was Simon Peter and Abdelilah Wahbi who was cast as James Son of Zebedee.
Histoire De Judas / Story Of Judas
French-Algerian filmmaker Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche stars as Judas as well as writing, producing, and directing this glossy French production. His Judas is portrayed not as a miserly backstabber, but as the best friend a chap could have. Its a revelation that will surprise you if youve literally never seen a film about Jesus before, as Judas being a misunderstood good guy isnt exactly a new trope.
In this slightly far-fetched take on the story, the maligned disciple is the victim of a vengeful scribe. However, the film is visually stunning, with ancient ruins and desert scenes galore and Nabil Djedouani is a thoughtful, understated Jesus.
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Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie
Run time: 1h 23m | IMDb score:6.5/10
This is a funny, witty and informative adventure and comedy movie that young ones will enjoy. Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie is one of the most recommended Bible movies for kids. The singing Veggies are forced to stay at a seafood joint when they come across some issues with the car.
The “Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” share a little story about a guy named Jonah as Bob the Tomato and the children wait for a tow truck. The movie is generally about fussy asparagus who journeys across deserts and seas to convey God’s message to an evil city. Some of the actors who voiced the movie include Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Tim Hodge, Lisa Vischer, and Shelby Morimoto.
Exodus: Gods And Kings
Hollywood lured moviegoers back into the multiplex in the 1950s to great success with religious-themed epics like “The Ten Commandments” and “Ben-Hur.” Hollywood tried again in the 2010s, with literally the exact same stories, only this time with much different results. We won’t get into “Ben-Hur” , as it’s an extra-Biblical movie not based on Scripture. The same can not be said for “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” Ridley Scott’s epic retelling of the story of Moses from the Book of Genesis, starring Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramses.
“Exodus” didn’t connect with critics or fans based on its Tomatometer score, while its $268 million worldwide gross on a $140 million budget makes it a bomb on a Biblical scale. Despite not being particularly good artistically or successful financially, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” makes our list simply because it was such a breath of fresh air in our modern cinematic landscape obsessed with sequels, superheroes, and superhero sequels. Besides Bale and Edgerton as the leads, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” features Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, and Sigourney Weaver in supporting parts.
For fans of the Biblical epic, an all-star cast, and an A-list director filming a big-budget retelling of a story from Scripture just doesn’t happen anymore. Sadly, based on this film’s failure, it’s doubtful it will happen again anytime soon.
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Best Bible Movies About Jesus Christ To Watch For Easter
Bible stories make for varying cinema. Here are the best Bible movies about Jesus Christ himself…
The Biblical epic keeps appearing as if its on the cusp of a resurrection. At the beginning of the last decade, we saw big movie star vehicles based on Old Testament tales in Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings, and when those didnt pan out, we still got Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara trying to bring an indie sensibility to .
Religion can also make for contentious filmmaking: too earnest and the movie feels sanctimonious and dull, too irreverent and you risk making a holocaust movie that has the power to destroy souls eternally, as a nun once told Martin Scorsese about his 1988 film, The Last Temptation of Christ.
Here are the top 25 movies about the man we can thank for the enormous amount of chocolate we eat at various intervals throughout the year: