Just wondering, how many films about Jesus have made explicit references to the 'suffering servant' passage in Isaiah 53 -- and in what way?

The Passion of the Christ (2004), of course, begins with a title card which quotes this passage (dated 400 BC in the rough cut shown to pastors and ministry leaders in January, and dated 700 BC in the final cut released to theatres in February).

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) features Martin Scorsese in a cameo as Isaiah, pointing this passage out to Jesus in a vision at night -- it is this which convinces Jesus that he needs to become the sacrifice on the cross. (One critic once remarked that whenever Scorsese appears in his own films, it is often to direct our attention -- or the protagonist's -- somewhere. Note his cameo as the jealous husband pointing to the window in Taxi Driver, and his use of the spotlight in the nightclub in After Hours, to name just two examples.)

Jesus of Nazareth (1977) features Nicodemus (Laurence Olivier) reciting this passage while looking at the crucified Jesus from a distance.

Any others?

: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) features Martin Scorsese in a cameo as Isaiah

Why can't I remember this bit?


I've got a sneaking suspicion that Il Messia has some Isanic reference in that bit at the start.

Also doesn't Pasolini's film contain a singe quote from Isaiah at the crucifixion? (oh no that's Is 6)

And I assume that Visual Bible's Matthew will include 8v17, which quotes Is 53v4

I'll have a look in Stern tonight and see if I can find any others, but those were the ones I thought of when I saw the title of the post.


I have to say though, that I'm not altogether convinced that Is 53 is about Jesus anyway

Matt

MattPage wrote:

: : The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) features Martin Scorsese in a
: : cameo as Isaiah . . .
:
: Why can't I remember this bit?

It's all handled very obscurely. I believe it's a sort of flashback consisting of only two or three shots, which we see while Jesus is telling Judas about a vision he had the night before -- and you might not recognize Scorsese because he's wearing a hooded robe, which partly hides his face; on his hands, he's also wearing some weird "glove" made of sticks.

: I have to say though, that I'm not altogether convinced that Is 53 is
: about Jesus anyway

There are certainly other ways of reading that passage, yeah, but even if we do not see that passage as a historical prediction regarding Jesus, I think we can still interpret the crucifixion of Jesus along the lines of such OT passages, in a spiritual or theological sort of way.

If I understand you rightly then yeah that' what i think the gospel writers did - for Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 in particular

Interestingly this is one of the passages I have heard used to defend the violence of the Passion. In fact I've even been told that it doesn't go far enough cos on the basis of Isaiah 52v14 he was disfigured beyond recognition.

Matt

FWIW I checked out Stern the other night and there's really only one other occurence he adds and that's for another reference in a film already mentioned above - Last Temptation. Stern cites Is 53 at the start of the movie as well as at the Lazarus scene that PTC mentioned.

Matt