From the classic to the slightly controversial, these Biblically inspired films will make your Easter more interesting.
Easter is almost here again, and if you grew up with a religious family, chances are you will get tied down to watch some epic bible films as you go through the Holy Week together.
So in case you are wondering which films to watch, we created a movie list of flicks inspired by the Bible for your family Easter movie marathon. Check them out below!
'The Ten Commandments' chronicles the life of Moses (played by Charlton Heston), the adopted Egyptian prince who leads the enslaved Hebrews to freedom. The film is synonymous with the Easter celebration and is often played by different television Networks worldwide during the Holy Week.
Johnny Cash used his own money to produce this film, after getting converted to Christianity. He served as the narrator and used his songs for the soundtrack. With a relatively low budget, Johnny and his team came up with creative solutions to some scenes. They used sound effects and music to create an atmosphere of Jesus getting surrounded by the crowd. Cash's wife stars as Mary Magdalene, while director Robert Elfstrom doubled up as the lead.
This film finally stirs away from the regular narrative of Mary Magdalene being mistaken as a prostitute. In this 2018 film, Mary Magdalene (played by Rooney Mara) is portrayed simply as a young and kind woman, who becomes a follower of Jesus (played by Joaquin Phoenix). She was drawn to Jesus's teachings and decided to leave her old life behind to follow the rabbi.
Barabbas is the criminal who was set free by the angry mob instead of Jesus Christ. The 1961’s film directed by Richard Fleischer, follows Barabbas (played by Anthony Quinn) after he was allowed to live. The film is also famous for filming the crucifixion scene during an actual solar eclipse.
The 2014 film follows Noah, the eponymous biblical figure who built an ark during the great flood. The film has a star-studded cast, including Russell Crowe and Emma Watson. The film gained enormous success, but it also got entangled in controversy. It got banned in China for "religion-related reasons, and in several Muslim countries because it was seen as contradicting the teachings of Islam. Nonetheless, the film is highly praised for its direction and acting.
Not to be confused with Il Messia (1975), 'The Messiah' is among the unique retelling of the life story of Jesus Christ (played by Ahmad Soleimani Nia). The story is told from the Islamic perspective and uses stories from the Qur’an and the non-Biblical Gospel of Barnabas. The virgin birth and various miracles are present, but there was an alternative ending where Jesus did not get crucified. Instead, he was saved from his destiny by God. Judas changed “amazingly in face and speech to be like Jesus" and was arrested by the Romans instead.
The timeless cartoon from Dreamworks is the perfect film to introduce young children to Moses. 'The Prince of Egypt' chronicles the life of Moses, from becoming a prince to being the savior of the Hebrews.
The 1965 film directed by George Stevens suffered a lot of setbacks and missteps. Production took longer than originally planned. They over-budgeted to $20 million, a record at the time, and they overcast by getting Claude Rains to star as King Herod (which ultimately became his last film role). Nonetheless, 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' proved to be a success, even bagging five Academy Award nominations.
The Last Temptation of Christ is a controversial pick. It depicts the life of Jesus Christ but is not accurately based on the Bible. It is instead a Martin Scorsese's adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis's 1955 novel of the same name. The film follows Jesus fighting to resist the temptations that we face daily.
The first film to hold its world premiere in Vatican City, 'The Nativity Story' tried to personalize the relationship of Mary (16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes) and Joseph (Oscar Isaac). It offers a rare female perspective on the events leading to the birth of Jesus.
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