Jesus Christ Superstar

Maria Los

Ms. Moore

Humanities 8B

1/30/12

                                            Jesus Christ “Superstar”, not so super

Jesus Christ Superstar is such a particular type of movie that you either decide to fall completely in love with it, or dislike it strongly. Twisted into a more “modern” retelling of the religious Bible story of the last weeks of Jesus Christ’s life, this movie is truly unlike anything I have seen before. First of all, it’s a rock opera. This means no talking, at all. The entire movie consists of songs, not all very pleasing to the ear, all written by both Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber with the exception of Herod’s Song. Even though the storyline is supposed to follow the religious telling in the Bible, there are factors which created controversy among Christians. Such as when Judas is depicted wearing white, coming down on a silver cross to talk to Jesus after his death. This gives the illusion that he is perhaps an angel, which many Christians found offensive. Also, the movie is left hanging at the end, not showing the audience Jesus’ resurrection, almost as if questioning if it ever occurred. Supposedly this was to leave the audience to “interpret the ending their own way” yet I did not find it satisfactory.

                Jesus Christ Superstar was released on the 15^th of August in 1973, explaining the quirky and absurd choice of fashion throughout this film. Directed by Norman Jewison, along with writers Melvyn Bragg and Tim Rice, this movie was produced by Universal Pictures.  Ted Neely, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman are main stars in this movie which is filmed mainly in Beit Guvin, Israel. This film is American, “spoken” in English and is supposedly “family-friendly” being rated at G. Jesus Christ Superstar gives us a small insight into the last few weeks of Jesus’ life, from his teachings to his crucifixion.

                The movie opens, and a group of what appears to be tourists, but are in fact the cast of the musical, exit from a van, dancing and singing, while parading a giant cross around.  For me, this was a confusing area of the movie, not a promising way to start. Yet as the first scene ended and the next started I was still hopeful.  In the following number Judas is obviously mad at Jesus for losing sight of the message he is preaching and making his popularity based on himself and his image rather than the teachings he offers. Played by Carl Anderson, I can honestly say that for me Judas’ character was the least aggravating out of this cast. His character’s songs were an improvement, not repetitive like others, and his portrayal of the character was true to the idea and got the emotion that was necessary across to the audience. This though cannot be said for the rest of the cast, neither for the songs. The movie continues to tell of Mary Magdalene’s (Yvonnes Elliman) feelings for Jesus, and whose song “Everything’s Alright” was something that regrettably I could not get out of my head for while, yet in a way that was quite bothersome. Scenes that show the Jewish Priests discussing that Jesus must die. Pontius Pilate telling about his dream of a man that shall be Jesus, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and the Last Supper follow. All of this leads up to the surprising and controversial ending, which could not have been more insufficient and inadequate. To further give my view upon this movie, the main character should be mentioned. Jesus Christ, played by Ted Neely. Directing no offense to Ted Neely, fathoming that he has most probably done other movies where his performance was okay. Though this definitely was not one of them, this performance was whiny and actually made me dislike the Jesus portrayed in this movie.

                Something that completely, utterly confused me throughout this movie, were the props and the costuming. Even though I fully understand taking an idea and modernizing it the director of Jesus Christ Superstar, did not get the idea. If you leave half of the movie to be done in the middle of a desert around ancient ruins, this is not modernization-it is indecisiveness. If you were modernizing this tale it would make sense to include modern weaponry, such as tanks, guns, etc. but not against a backdrop that transports you back around 2,000 years.  Going along with this, some of the costume design for this movie rendered me, at times, quite speechless. The most out of place, were the purple muscle t-shirt worn by soldiers throughout this film. Along with the strange ensembles worn by King Herod’s  backup dancers for his dance number and Judas’ outfit when he comes down to speak to Jesus after his death. Maybe though, for these fashion horrors, we cannot blame Ron Beck, from the costume and wardrobe department, but the “out there” 70’s style during the filming of this movie.  

                So, what shall be the final decree of this movie? For me it was 180 minutes of distress, peppered with some moments where I found myself overwhelmed, wondering what had  just happened and why. Saying this, I would not recommend this to anyone, unless you are perhaps studying Christianity, and wish to delve deeper on the view that the entertainment industry had in 1973 of the Christian religion. All in all, I found this movie un-enjoyable and would not, ever watch again under my own free will. My opinion is this because of the music in this film, which I find irritating but humorous in a degrading way, along with the fact that not showing Jesus’ resurrection left it to be an unsatisfying ending, letting the plot line leave bitter feelings from the audience towards the film.

Bibliography

"IMDb - Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070239/>.

"Jesus Christ Superstar - Rotten Tomatoes." Movies | Movie Trailers | Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1011028-jesus_christ_superstar/>.

Caesar v.s Augustus

      Who was a better and more important ruler, Caesar or Augustus? I believe that Augustus was a better leader than Caesar because of the accomplishments he had and the ideas and morals he carried. Augustus was born in Rome on September 23rd, 63 B.C. He was born Gaius Octavius,  yet when Julius Caesar who was his great uncle died and he became heir to the throne because in his will Caesar had adopted them. He changed his name to Augustus in 27 B.C. at the same time he became Rome's first emperor. Augustus decided that instead of naming himself to be a dictator, he would create the principate, which was a kind of monarchy where one emperor held control for life. Through his life Augustus had quite a few accomplishments, though expanding the empire of Rome, and reorganizing all aspects such and the military and the government, Augustus was able to provide a new era of prosperity. This era of prosperity turned out to be 200 years of Pax Romana (Roman Peace) which went on until A.D 180. Augustus also set out to make an empire that was strong AND safe.. He created an army of over 150,000 men that was permanent. In addition to this there was the Praetorian Guard, which was a force of 90,000 men which were all guarding the empire. Through Augustus' reign they conquered Spain, Gaul, and what is now present day Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. He took Rome and rebuilt it adding palaces, fountains and public buildings, the arts also flourished during this period. Augustus also had a kind streak, he fed the poor, he also reformed the legal system so that there were new rules for non-citizens. Augustus also created the proconsul or someone who governed each one of Rome's provinces, these replaced politicians. Augustus died in A.D 14 after ruling for 40 years. His influences on Rome though were not forgotten, and he was worshipped as if he was a god. 

Was Caesar a Reformer or a Dictator?

      There is a lengthy debate about the question wether Julius Caesar was a dictator or a reformer. Historians argue over this point, both sides with valid arguments. Yet I believe that Julius Caesar was a reformer. I believe this because of multiple reasons, such as:
Caesar gained the loyalty and support of his soldiers by having leadership skills and strategy.
He treated the people that he defeated well, and on some occasions he even included them inside the government.
Caesar ended the corruption within the society of nobles.
We know that Caesar brought a sense of order and peace to Rome.
Cities that had been destroyed by the republic, Caesar rebuilt.
He took Rome and strengthened and expanded it
Found jobs for the poor
Granted citizenship to people outside of Rome, from other cities and states.
Through all these improvements and achievement, I believe Julius Caesar bettered Rome. He had ambition to some this might have been taken as a sign of greed, yet it was a drive to better a republic. 

.Geography and Climate of Italian Peninsula

          Italy is a long, narrow peninsula what is in a distinctive shape; that of resembling a high-heeled boot with it's heel towards Greece and it's toe as if it was "kicking" Sicily. Across the very top of this peninsula, are the Alps, these are the mountains which makes Italy cut off from the other European lands. This is not the only mountain range though, there are the Apennines which run on the east of the peninsula from north to south.
In some ways the Italian peninsula has similarities to Greece yet the Apennines mountain range is not as rugged.
Since Italy's mountains can be crossed more easily the result is the peninsula not being divided into many small, separate communities such as Greece. Also the farmland was better for Italy since there was flat land, and could support crops. With the farming, the population of Italy could be more. The climate of Italy was quite mild and throughout the peninsula there is mostly what is called a Mediterranean climate, yet where the mountainous regions are located the climate tends to be quite a bit cooler. The climate and the rich soil which is good for crops is what most probably attracted the first people to come to settle within Italy. These newcomers settled upon the hills and the plains. Within these people were Latins who would then develop Rome. Rome was developed on the Latium plain which is located in central Italy. This is around 24 kilometers up the Tiber River starting from the Mediterranean Sea. This was good for the Romans because it allowed them a close source of water plus a simple enough way to the rest of the world located within the Mediterranean. Yet this was all far so that Rome would not have to deal with the dangers of raids from pirates. This was substantial enough protection but Rome was also created on seven hills which were steep, so they would protect against any enemy attackers. Due to the fact that you could also cross the Tiber River quite easily, Rome became a place in which people who traveled north and south  within western Italy and merchants upon the west Mediterranean sea could stop. 

Blogpost #1: Legends of Rome

Describe the two legends of the founding of Rome. Then explain how and when
    Rome was actually founded. Remember to include at least one image!


The first legend was of was of twin brothers Remus and Romulus abandoned near Tiber River rescued by a wolf, but then raised by a sheep hearder, they then went on to build and create Rome in 753 B.C. Remus would constantly tease Romulus over a wall he was creating. Eventually anger bubbled inside of Romulus and he murdered his brother and he became then king of Rome naming it after himself.

The second legend can be traced back to to an epic by a famous Roman poet named Virgil. The epic is the Aeneid and is about the Trojan hero Aeneas. After the Greeks had captured Troy he sailed with a band of followers across the Mediterranean. After their extensive journey, they landed in Tiber. Then through marrying the local king's daughter he united the Trojans and Latins, which were the local people and he then became the "father" of Rome.


The actually theory historians believe in is that Latins lived in the area Rome was to be as early as 1000 B.C but in around 800 B.C to 700 B.C they banded together for protection, thus founding Rome.

Alexander "the Great?"

       The young King of Macedon was named Alexander "the Great" for valid reasons. He is a great historical figure and was a great ruler and conquer. It is true the Alexander III of Macedon was great but what actions built him up to achieve this title? First, some background on Alexander the Great, he was born Pella, which at the time was capital of Macedonia during the year 356 B.C in July. Alexander was the child of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, his wife. An interesting fact is that Alexander's tutor was Aristole. When Philip II died in 336 B.C Alexander inherited the kingdom and throne, but to assure that this would be the case, he had all his potential threats to his title killed. This made sure that no one would challenge his leadership, meaning he kept a straight path for success. Extending an kingdom from Macedonia to India is not an easy task, it took great displays of military strategy. These strategies were so impressive that they influenced today's lessons in military. This is definitely a way Alexander the Great influenced modern day. A real great action that Alexander the Great would do was that he would actually be on the front lines during his battles, something that many rulers of that time did not actually do! Along with fighting along with his soldiers we paid them all for their service and supplied best equipment for them to use. He also led Macedonia is the journey to defeat Persia and was successful, but before his conquer he took over Egypt, which hated the Persians but was under their rule.  Age 33, 323 B.C is when this legend died of a fever, Alexander's life ended but it was not in vain because he had accomplished so much in his shorter life than many did in their long ones. I believe Alexander the Great was great because of the big influence he had in ancient Greece, and further. He took cultures and spread them around taking other cultures and shifting them around. He accomplished this so young showing us that age is also just a number.

Want To Know It. "Why was Alexander the Great so 'Great'?" Want to Know it. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 

     2011. <http://wanttoknowit.com/why-was-alexander-the-great-so-great/>. 

BBC Writers. "Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C)." BBC - History. BBC, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. 

     <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml>. 

A Day in the Life: Ancient Greece

Talia’s feet padded on the smooth marble as she moved down the hallway. Thud, thud, thud went the rhythmic sound as she took each step. She could not be caught, if one of the slaves, or even worse her mother, found her she would be sent right back to the living room to sew or to the kitchen to attempt to create something palatable. Yet today was different, today she needed to get outside, so Talia set her sights on the heavy wood door and the end of the hall and continued on her way. When she got to then end she took a small breath and sighed with relief and with great strain not to make a single peep she slid behind the door like a shadow. Then like taunt rubber band being sprung, she was of, she ran weaving though the olive. It belonged to her father, a respected citizen it Athens, and along with the respect of her father there came the expectations of his family. These expectations were ones that Talia disagreed strongly with. Of course she would never voice these thoughts, but if society thought that at her mere 12 years of age she would want to already spend all her time sewing and cooking and then in a few years get married? Then society was wrong. The fire in her chest had been ignited, along with the dull ache of her legs, but Talia pushed through. As girl if she wanted to do something that only men were allowed to do she had to be better than the best. Finally though, she could go no more, the fire had become a full blown inferno and engulfed her body and Talia slumped down next to a big Sycamore that had grown up, as if it had been trying to reach Mt.Olympus to talk to the gods. She looked at the sun, trying to deduce the time and thinking back to what her father had told her, but was it East or West? North or South? She shook her head, erasing over, unimportant thoughts from her head. She needed all her focus on one thing today, one very important thing. The Olympic Games were a great celebration and everyone enjoyed them… well, everyone who could go. Anger bubbled inside of Talia, right near the pit of her stomach, she knew it was bothersome, but it was true, being a girl she couldn’t watch or, god forbid, compete in the Games. Yet she knew what she wanted and she had to come up with a plan. She got up to quickly from her sitting position and felt a brief moment of dizziness, taking a step back to regain her balance and then sprinting off again, back to the house. When she was back in the house, the sun had flooded into the whole foyer. Stealthily, on the tips of her toes, she snuck into her father’s room. It was a grand room, with a monumental bed in the center, draped with soft linens. Yet Talia was interested in something different, the closet. Inside she found all her father’s clothes, from fine cotton to her father’s night clothes. Talia grabbed a long, white tunic, and draped a stark, brown cloak. She then slipped on a pair of his rugged sandals and was off. She then went to the kitchen, moving quickly and swiftly, she found a boar, fresh from the market. It’s head was lolled to one side and it was hanging of a hook, and Talia made a face of disgust. She felt around and found it’s scruff, then started lopping of huge hunks of it. Taking the hunk of hair, she moved over to some clay pots, inside she found tough little pellets of mastic. She popped these in her mouth and chewed on them until they were sticky. Using the sticky mastic Talia made and almost, fake beard ensemble as a disguise. Satisfied with her work, she walked to the door. Talia silently stepped out of her house and turned onto the street, it was deserted. Of course, Talia thought, all the men must be at the celebrations and the women are at home, cooking, sewing, and what not.  So she quickened her pace and hurried down the dusty road. Talia heard the Games before she saw them, they must just only be starting she thought excitedly, but as she drew closer her heart started to beat fast. She had known what the punishment was prior to her plan, but it only started to sink in now. She could be killed, executed, for simply watching the games. So what? The thought shot up fiercely into her brain. She loved this as much as any man, and if she couldn’t do what she loved, she wouldn’t do anything at all. Talia mustered up all her strength and simply walked into the arena. The sound was deafening from the start, the roar of the spectators, like a thousand horns trumpeting. She scanned the rows for and empty seat and found one that was isolated in the back, perfect. The runners were lining up, some jogging in place, bouncing on their feet getting ready to go and the sound. At there it was, and they were of, and she watched them. Their limbs were glistening in the afternoon sun and droplets of sweat forming here and there.  Then as Talia caught a runner’s eye, she could see it on his face. It was the feeling, the feeling she knew oh to well. It was as if you were flying, as if it could cure anything in the world, as if you were free. She shared that feeling with him and him with her, an unexplainable bond. A tear, a single tear slid down her sun burnt cheek and dropped upon the open palm of her hand. She felt her heart soar along with the runner, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a man pointing and shouting, she had been found out. She looked up to the sky, and saw a bird swooping and dipping, chasing the sunlight. As hands clasped around her, yanking off her disguise and chaining her up, she smiled.