Jesus of Nazareth

The four-part series “Jesus of Nazareth,” directed by Franco Zeffirelli, is considered one of the most significant biblical film adaptations of the 20th century. The British-Italian co-production was first broadcast in 1977 and tells the epic story of the life of Jesus Christ—from the announcement of his birth to his resurrection. With a running time of around six hours and an international star cast, including Robert Powell as Jesus, Anne Bancroft, Laurence Olivier, Christopher Plummer, and Anthony Quinn, the series succeeds in telling the story in a way that is not only as historically “accurate” as possible in terms of setting, but also relatively opulent. The plot follows the four Gospels and begins with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, his childhood in Nazareth, and his baptism by John the Baptist. The film follows Jesus' public ministry as an adult: his sermons, the calling of the disciples, and numerous miracles, including healings and the feeding of the 5,000. The last part is devoted to the well-known Passion of Jesus Christ: the Last Supper, the arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, the interrogations before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the crucifixion, and finally the resurrection. Zeffirelli stages these passages with great emotional intensity, with Robert Powell's portrayal of Jesus—characterized by calmness and spiritual charisma—still considered iconic today. Upon its release, “Jesus of Nazareth,” with its impressive production design and balancing act between theological accuracy and dramatic deviations, received worldwide attention and has since been considered a classic of Christian cinema. Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt with their newborn son Jesus to escape King Herod. Only after the king's death can they return to Palestine. When Jesus is twelve years old, he is accepted into the community of adults and reads from the Torah in the temple. Meanwhile, John begins to preach the coming of the Savior to a steadily growing audience.