Cotton Patch Gospel

The Living Word from the Gospel of John

St. John in Exile

The Greatest Story Ever Told  (1965)
This classic film is directed by George Stevens and masterfully written by the poet Carl Sandburg. Max von Sydow stars as Jesus. The Film starts with John 1:1 as its introduction then segues into the nativity of Matthew's Gospel. Nicodemus finds his way into this production, but not according to the Gospel of John. The adulterous woman is also part of the production, but some artistic license is taken. The cleansing of the temple is according to Matthew as is the meeting of Jesus and John the Baptist, though some of John's dialog is Johannine in its delivery. All in all a wonderful film, although the plethora of big name Hollywood stars is at times distracting.

Jesus Christ Movie Star  (1992)
A well thought out documentary about the difficulties encountered over the years when one decides to take on the story of Jesus Christ. There are several selections in this video pertaining to the Gospel of John. The wedding at Cana is taken from D.W. Griffith's 1916 epic Intolerance. The appearance of Jesus before Pilate is enacted word for word in a clip taken from the 1935 production of Barabbas. Several other productions are discussed including the King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Monty Python's Life of Brianand The Last Temptation of Christ by Scorsese. I believe it to be a foundational viewing in understanding of the interpretations of Christ Jesus on film.

King of Kings  (1961)
Directed by Nicolas Ray and stars Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus. Although actual dialog from the Gospel of John is scarce, this is an extremely well done film of the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. A must see for those doing filmographies of the synoptics.

Testament: The Bible and History
This collection of documentaries by John Romer will take some time to view, but is a well thought out and incredibly well researched visual walk through the history of the Bible. Old Testament to New he takes you to actual locations and poses some intriguing questions.