简介：Dubbed"themostCatholicofallfilmdirectors"byonecritic,IguessitwasonlyamatteroftimebeforeRobertoRossellinitackledthelifeofChristoncelluloid.Ironically,thishedidinwhatprovedtobehislastfeaturefilmwhichwas,initself,afollow-uptohisTVmini-seriesACTSOFTHEAPOSTLES(1969).Thatearlierworkwasinterestingfortreatinglittle-knownpassagesfromtheNewTestamentbut,withanunhurriedpaceandagenerallyunassumingtone,theendresultwasdecidedlymeandering.Conversely,THEMESSIAHpresentsall-too-familiarevents–withtheoveralleffectfeelinglengthystill,yetdistinctlymorecinematic.Thatsaid,itstartsoffwiththearrivaloftheJewsinthePromisedLandandtheappointmentoftheirfirstking(Saul)beforemovingontothelifeofChrist;actually,thisisalsooneofthefewfilmstoshowthefamousincidentinwhichJesusislostinthetempleasaboy.Unsurprisingly,itdoesn'tstraymuchfromthespirit–orword–oftheGospels:evenso,inthethroesofanagonizingdeath,HerodTheGreat(playedbyVittorioCaprioli–thoughhistrademarkflustereddemeanorisdownplayedbyhavinghisvoicedubbed)isseenplanningtheannihilationofhisownsubjectsakintothepracticeofancientEgyptianrulers! Incidentally,therichandcommandingvoiceofChristhimselfissuppliedbyEnricoMariaSalerno–asuperbactorinhisownrightwhohadactuallyalreadyhandledtheverysametaskinTHEGOSPELACCORDINGTOST.MATTHEW(1964)–whichiseffectivelycontrastedwiththeinconspicuousappearanceoftheyoungmanwhoappearsintherole(perhapsbestapproximatingtheLothaireBluteauofJesusOFMONTREAL[1989]).ThisMessiah,then,isfarremovedfromthestrikinggood-looksofJeffreyHunter(KINGOFKINGS[1961])andRobertPowell(theJesusOFNAZARETH[1977]TVmini-series)orthebroodingpowerofMaxvonSydow(THEGREATESTSTORYEVERTOLD[1965])andWillemDafoe(THELASTTEMPTATIONOFChrist[1988])!Naturally,thebulkofthenarrativeisdevotedtoChrist'spubliclife–thoughnooverdueemphasisisplacedonthemiraclesheperformed(thesearementionedbutrarelyseen)–whichalsoprovidesthefilmwithitsessentialcore…sincethelattersection,revolvingaroundthemorecommonly-depictedeventsofJesus'trial(whereJeanMartin,theFrenchColonelinTHEBATTLEOFALGIERS[1966],nonethelessmakesforafinePontiusPilate),crucifixionandeventualresurrectionarecuriouslyskimpedhere! ThesubplotinvolvingJohnTheBaptist,however,isquitenicelyhandled;bytheway,theonlyotherrecognizablefaceinthecastisthatofTinaAumont(evenifhercontributionamountstonomorethanafewminutesofscreen-time!)astheadulteressChristfamouslypardonsbydenouncingherpursuersinstead.Thescoreis,onceagain,byMarioNascimbene–thoughit'snotasprominentashisworkonACTSOFTHEAPOSTLES.Onthevisualside,thefilmseemsclosesttothecontemporaneousJesusOFNAZARETH–yetthelyricalstyleandquietdignityondisplaymakesofTHEMESSIAHamorethanworthycompanionpiecetoPierPaoloPasolini'saforementioned(andmorerenowned)THEGOSPELACCORDINGTOST.MATTHEW.Withthisinmind,whileperhapsnotthedefinitivefilmonthesubject,itcertainlyemergesasanunderratedachievement–bothamongthemyriadtreatments(includingthosebysuchgreatdirectorsasD.W.Griffith,CarlTheodorDreyer,CecilB.DeMilleandAbelGance)ofChrist'slifeovertheyearsandinRossellini'sownhighlyrespectedcanon.…