prophecy of the son of God being handed over to his enemies who would sentence him to death, only to be resurrected three days later. We also saw the Roman general turned slave in Gladiator named Maximus fulfill his revenge in killing the emperor and avenging his families death with them waiting for him in heaven. Add to that the story of Ben Hur concluded with Ben Hur getting his vengeance on Massala for the wrongful imprisonment of him and his family, with the latter becoming healed from Leprosy through the power of Jesus crucifiction. The interweaving storylines of those films brought forth a beautiful conclusion to that story arc. Tonight centers around themes of guilt, regret, forgiveness, and love. We have on our menu for this evening:
Jesus of Nazareth 1977 Part lll, The Robe 1953, and The Green Mile 1999
Whether it's through the arrest, torture, and crucifying of Jesus, a Roman General who puts him to death but later is haunted by his actions and ultimately feels regret, or a prison guard leader who didn't believe in miracles until the day he met one with an inmate, and spending his twilight years reflecting on the wrongful execution he committed, these themes take control of the marathon for this evening. It is by far the most emotional of the three nights so far, and really hits home the impact of the sacrifices and loss felt by these characters. We begin the evening with part lll of Franco Zefferelli's epic miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. The third act shows Jesus arriving to Jerusalem and being welcomed by most of the public, yet deals with hostility and scrutiny from the high priests. Characters such as Judas played by Ian McShane, Barabbas played by Stacey Keach, Pontius Pilate played by Rod Steiger, and Peter played by James Farentino, have important key roles in this one representing conflicts such as confusion, guilt, regret, and being ashamed for their actions. Judas motives for betraying Jesus is more fleshed out in this version of the epic tale than any other depiction of the story. His own uncertainty of his master's credentials and wanting to do what's right for Jersualem brought upon his own great sin which is betraying his master. Barabbas is depicted as a freedom fighter type who wants revenge on the Romans for their horrific acts against civilians but disagrees with Jesus approach of befriending the Romans. Peter's loyalty to Jesus is tested when he is told that he will end up denying Jesus by the end of the night of their last supper and Peter struggling with that realization. Key events such as The disciples last supper, Jesus arrest, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection are done so beautifully here giving the third part the emotional pull that it needs. If the first two were Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, then this part def feels like Return of the King for this epic miniseries. The second film in the lineup is the classic tale The Robe. Starring Richard Burton, the film centers around a Roman Tribune named Marcellas whose been assigned to carry out the execution of Christ. What begins as a regular execution that ends with him winning the Robe of Jesus in a game of dice in the middle of his crucifixion, he begins to become haunted by the person he executed through the power of the Robe and slowly transcends from Roman Soldier to ultimately a follower of Jesus. Nominated for 5 academy awards and winner of two, The Robe came from an era where Biblical films ran rampant throughout the 1950's and 1960's, plaguing the big screen with some truly powerful stories about sacrifice and redemption. The third film of the evening brings the theme of wrongful convictions to modern times with many biblical undertones to be found in Frank Darabont's epic drama titled The Green Mile. Nominated for four academy awards and often considered one of the greatest movies ever made, this story centers around an old prison guard who reflects on his earlier life as a prison guard on Death Row, and having to execute a prisoner with extroadinary powers that can be summed up as being miraculous. The prisoner, being black, and charged with rape and double murder slowly turns out to be a miracle worker performing several miracles while altering the lives of the guards and prisoners around him. The parallels between the story of John Coffey and Jesus Christ are undeniable, and the loss of both makes the impact strong.
So what are all these movies trying to say. Jesus of Nazareth part lll is a tale about a man who loved the human race so much that he laid down his life for it ultimately, and that we should all be appreciative of it and believe in his miracles. The Robe says that all sins can be forgiven and people can change if they really want to and really believe in it. The Green Miles message is ultimately that sometimes love can kill us, but we can also save ourselves and others with love.
Our heroes and tragic figures for this evening:
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