Newspaper Page Text
Friday, April 16, 1965
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Page 8eren
OM^ ] HE RECORD .... by Nathan Ziprin
Variation on a Theme
When I received an invitation -
to attend a .showing of “The
Greatest Story Ever Told,” I
hesitated to accept it for fear
I might be c^led to witness a
visual recording that will prove
offensive to Jewish sensibilities.
Would a Jewish commentator, I
asked “myself, be pardoned if, in
commenting on the film, he su
bordinated the cinematic aspects
of the production to a considera
tion of the substantive values to
the Jewish community of the
treatment of the story of Jesus
by a major production in the
most important of the mass
media? More honestly my ques
tion was: Is the George Stevens-
United Artists production of
“The Greatest Story Ever Told”
good or bad for Jews?
Happily, the answer is that
George Stevens and his associates
have approached the story of the
life of Jesus with a real under
standing of the sensitivities of
the Jews, and with an apprecia
tion of the historic realities as
opposed to the tragic legends
that have accumulated over the
years.
With a two thousand year
background of religious persecu
tion engendered in large part by
the allegation that the Jews kill
ed Christ, it is no wonder that
Jewry should appoach “The
Greatest Story Ever Told” with
a subjectivity that overrides all
other considerations. There are
several aspects to consider.
Point number one is the scene
of the confrontation of Jesus and
Pilate. the Homan Governor.
Here no doubt is left that Jesus
is considered a political trouble
maker, and that the ultimate res
ponsibility for the crucifixion is
Roman. Pilate clearly says: “I
have the power to put you to
death or set you free.” This fol
lows earlier scenes in which Pi
late and Herod express concern
over the revolutionary aspects •’of
the spell-binding uesus.
Then take the Sanhedrin scene.
The picture clearly portrays the
Sanhedrin leadership as political
ly corrupt,. Quisling-type puppet
grotfp doing Herod’s bidding. Cai-
aphas, the Sanhedrin leader, is
shown as politically beholden to
Herod who gave him leadership
by shunting aside the more lib
eral Shemiah.
The Sanhedrin triai* itself, is
clearly recognizable to the aver
age moviegoer as “rigged.” Nico-
demus, one of the Sanhedrin mem
bers, was not notified in advance
of the trial—that an attempt was
made to have only those present
who would crucify Jesus and thus
oblige the Roman civil govern
ment.
Nicodemus says: “But many
men of the Sanhedrin are not
here, men who think as I do.
Those who think as I do are not
present. Only those who think
as you do are present.” And, then
again, Nicodemus voices the
plaint of Jews opposed to the
crucifixion when he says: “Are
we all Romans now that we dis
regard decency and justice . . .
hold secret courts and try inno
cent men in the dead of night.”.
In the end, the Sanhedrin con
demns Jesus, the action that has
been the excuse for almost two
thousand years of the charge that
the Jews killed Jesus, that Jews
were guilty of deicide, a charge
that was never theologically ans
wered until the recent issuance
in Rome of the statement by the
Catholic church on the subject.
Unlike all previous motion pic
tures, or Passion Play versions,
of the life and death of Jesus,
“The Greatest Story Ever Told”
has seemingly been conceived
and produced in the ecumenical
spirit of our day. It is very likely
that this picture through its mass
appeal, and wide dissemination,
will do more to dispel the "Christ
killing” charge that has 'unjustly
plagued Jews over the centuries.
The picture, itself, is a mag
nificently photographed story of
the life of Jesus from his birth
in the manger to his crucifixion
and resurrection. The story na
turally follows the New Testa
ment. What gives this version of
the life of Jesus piquancy from
the Jewish view is the emphasis
on his Jewishness. It has been
produced in what is called Ju-
daic-Christian tradition. Jesus is
most definitely portrayed as a
Jew. When he enters the Temple,
he kisses the mezuzah; he prays
in the ancient Hebrew tradition;
and he is heard to say, “Hear, O
Israel, The Lord our God, the
lx>rd is One.”
“The Greatest Story Ever Told”
is the sort of film you would
expect from George Stevens, the
man who produced and directed
“The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Conceived in the spirit of bro
therhood and produced with the
care and sensitivity that befits
its subject, “The Greatest Story
Ever Told” is a fascinating
screen biography of a historic
figure that illuminates the uni
versality of religion. Though any
life of Jesus must by its very
nature be Chrisrtological, the
Stevens film should not offend
the sensibilities of Jews or com
municants of other faiths and
should, because of the ecumenical
spirit in which it was written,
enacted and produced, be a pow
erful force for building better
understanding between men of
all faiths. This gives it a signifi
cant plus factor above and be
yond the undoubted cinematic
values of an historic story, a rare
panoramtic beauty of setting and
a distinguished cast of players.
A Joyous Passover
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