Jesus Christ Superstar

A Lenten Movie Review

CARROLLTON, TX - Cradle of Civilization (GLOB) - Today I want to revisit and defend a movie typically NOT lionized by Christians in general.

The Angels there hint at the lid to the Ark Of The Covenant -

As a lad (the movie came out in 1973 ) I remember the nuns in my grade school briefly discussing this movie. I believe the word ‘blasphemy’ was thrown around. Naturally, I watched it as soon as I could. Now, as a teenager, it did not make much of an impression on me, except I remember the music.

The song of the same name had become somewhat popular on the radio, and I remember being struck by certain lyrics. I wrote a lot of this from memory - the music was catchy and the lyrics fluid and easy to remember. But I did verify and make some corrections from a transcript of the lyrics:

Jesus Christ, Superstar, who are you what have you sacrificed? - If someone really isn't sure what Jesus was all about, this is a very legitimate question and deserves an answer. I think the nuns didn't like it because the movie does not give any answers.

Every time I look at you
I don't understand
Why you let the things you did
Get so out of hand - This is sung by Judas. Hey, nobody understood Jesus. Not Peter, not James and John, nobody. Certainly they did not fully understand until after the resurrection.

You'd have managed better
If you'd had it planned
Now why'd you choose such a backward time
And such a strange land? - This to me was always a legitimate question. Why then? Of course, whenever it was, that would always be the question. But why then?

I thought about this a lot. I was an odd kid.

One has to recall that time period. This was during Pax Romana, the Roman Peace. Understand that while the Romans went around conquering territory, the aftermath was generally peace. Under the Roman version of Manifest Destiny, they saw their mission as bringing peace to the world. Areas under Roman Rule were not warring with one another.

If you'd come today
You could have reached the whole nation
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication - I remember as a kid thinking "Yeah, really! What a strange time to come!" But, in view of my above comments, in reality, this was a perfect time. Rome built roads. Roman citizens, such as Paul of Tarsus, had free passage to large parts of the world. In earlier times, or in later times, Christianity probably would not have spread like it did. I'm not saying it couldn't, I'm just saying I think I know why then.

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ
Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are?
Jesus Christ
Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are? - These are legitimate questions. It would have served the nuns well to pose these questions and have discussion about the answers to them, as the answers are known.

But Wait! There's More!

Tell me what you think
About your friends at the top
Now who d'you think besides yourself
Was the pick of the crop?
Buddha was he where it's at?
Is he where you are?
Could Muhammed move a mountain
Or was that just PR?
Did you mean to die like that?
Was that a mistake or
Did you know your messy death
Would be a record breaker? - These are very real questions, especially from the standpoint of someone who knows nothing about Christ. Solid legitimate questions, they go unanswered in the movie.

Other issues revolve around the tragic figure of Judas and the sympathy shown him. Again, as a lad, I was quite curious about Judas. Question arose like, did he choose to betray Christ? Was he fated to? How is that fair? The title song presents him as a guy that just wants to know - trying to grasp something he can’t understand. It is a solid authentic cry for understanding.

Meanwhile, it is worth the time to listen to the song and the fantastic performance by Carl Anderson. The emotion and the genuine need to understand comes through. I hope you can look past the rhythmic wriggling angels(?) - it was the 70’s.

So, take a gander:

There are doctrinal issues with the movie especially concerning the Last Supper. And many were scandalized by the sexual overtones in the portrayal of Mary Magdalene. I will follow this up next post with a discussion of Mary Magdalene and the raw beauty of the song sung by Yvonne Elliman, and attempt to defend the lyrics.