Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30189 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-03-16
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.com
Ted Neeley makes for a wimpy looking Jesus in Norman Jewison's screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice "rock opera," which was a smash on stage in the early '70s. Jewison (Other People's Money) adds some good exterior settings in the desert, but Lloyd Webber and Rice's dialogue-free story (everything is sung, as in a real opera), with its quasi-profundities about the inner demons of principal figures in the life of Christ, is the real hook. Yvonne Elliman sings the show's best-known song, "I Don't Know How to Love Him." --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Jesus Christ Superstar Special Edition AND THEN SOME...
It's absolutely fabulous. Please note buyers that if you want closed captioned and you don't see it listed in the description, not to fear because it does have closed captioned in English. It has everything the regular edition has plus a few more extras. I was really impressed with the quality of the picture as well as the sound. Also, because it's a widescreen version as well when you choose to use the closed captioning it doesn't get in the way of the picture which is a nice advantage. I believe you'll love it. The music is extraordinary. Ted Neeley was wonderful and Carl Anderson is extremely talented. It's a rock opera not a musical and every song tells the story. Truly ingenious the way it was produced. The fact that it was shot on location in Israel gives it the authenticity you don't always see in films. I recommend buying the soundtrack as well. You can't beat the wonderful price either.

"...and now the film"
Though it may seem dated, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is still a film worth checking out. Ever since its origin as a concept recording, the subject and how it was presented caused its controversy for the time. The film may not be what everyone expected, but it is visually incredible. The sunsets over the Israeli deserts are awesome. The music, though not groundbreaking, is still some of the best work Andrew Lloyd Webber has written, as well as the lyrics of Tim Rice. The performances are incredible, notably Carl Anderson as Judas and Ted Neely as Jesus. Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) and Barry Dennen (Pilate) are the original actors of the concept album and Broadway adaptation of the rock opera. Scenes worth relishing: Heaven on Their Minds; The Last Supper; Gethsemane; and the title song. For early 70s nostalgia, the choreography in "Simon Zealotes" is fun. An added bonus on the DVD presentation is the dubbed French soundtrack. If I'm not mistaken, the singers are the same ones who performed in the Paris, France stage production of the early 70s. View with an open mind and enjoy!

one of the best movie/musicals of all time
It took me almost two years (and a recent viewing of the new JCS movie) to fully appreciate the masterpiece that is Jesus Christ Superstar, the 1973 film. Told entirely through catchy, rock opera music, it tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ, but is hardly a literal interpretation and consists mostly of the drama between Judas and Jesus. The point of the film is to show the bible in a new way- that everyone, even Jesus's closest disciples helped contribute to the death of Jesus through their inescapable humanism. Filmed in the Jerusalem desert, the production is wonderful. It's as if the best singers, film makers, dancers, musicians, and songwriters (Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice) came together for this one movie. Carl Anderson stars as Judas and is arguably the best performer to ever perform the role. Ted Neeley is fantastic too even though it takes a while to "get" the strenghth in his underacting. Norman Jewison, who's experience and creativity as director shines through with every scene, takes the musical to another level, using a brilliantly conceptual theme that is introduced at the very beginning of the film. The locations are beautiful and fit perfectly within the context of the story. The film has great music, the ideas it tries to get across are poignant, and it is much, much better than the new film in its directing, acting, choreograpphy, and singing.