Jesus Christ Superstar

This is how it turns out when a group of free-spirited hippies sets out to make their own version of a musical and succeed greatly. Judas is a talented dancer, Pilate is a cunning slimeball, Herod is the leader of a bizarre drag show, and Jesus? He is the only one exactly as everyone imagines him. Thanks to the brilliant music, this endeavor cannot be lost in its over-the-top happiness, and if there hadn't been so much overacting in the last half-hour, I would put this group on a pedestal. (12.09.2007)

It was perhaps too easy to make Jesus a hippie. The long hair, airy clothing, preaching of love and peace…but why not? After all, the musical fit perfectly into the time of its creation. What bothers me more today than the flat vision of the Story is its incomplete presentation. If the makers of Jesus Christ Superstar washed their hands of this cheery version of the Gospel by means of self-reflexive quotation marks (it’s only a film, so don’t throw stones at us), why does the form not also correspond to the situation of “a group of enthusiasts in the desert”.  The panoramic shots, freeze frames and colour coordination of the kitschy scenes clash with the wilder scenes when the cinematographer –  and I may be exaggerating – films whoever comes dancing in front of the camera. I’m in doubt as to whether Jewison had a clear idea if he wanted to define himself against classic movie musicals even at the cost of tasteless parody, or if he wanted to imitate them with a far smaller budget. An even more bizarre impression is given by the villains, for which either unsuitable actors were cast or their effeminacy reflects the screenwriters’ suppressed homophobia. Despite everything I’ve written here, however, I understand that Jesus Christ Superstar isn’t supposed to be a strikingly clever film, as it is rather a spontaneous expression of its time, which we should experience. I enjoyed it as such, even though it didn’t impress me as much as other musicals. 75% (17.12.2010)

With all my dislike for the musical muse in the film, I simply have to label this treatment of the immortal classic by Lloyd and Weber an excellent experience. I don’t particularly like the hippie pathos, but musically and cinematically, everything is presented in a completely convincing way, and a decent visual experience accompanies the soundtrack. Of the film musicals that I have had the honor of watching, Jesus Christ Superstar is the absolute best... The film does have very simple and economical decor, but therein lies a big portion of its film power... (01.07.2004)

This is a musical that gets me. It's true, I'm more familiar with the Czech renditions of those songs, but even the original versions can captivate you. Yes, it's a musical based on a biblical story, but if we set aside religion, Jesus's story is simply well-written. But the music and the songs... I was equally drawn to the entire hippie interpretation of the film. (10.03.2016)