Jesus Christ Superstar Movie Review

Not-so-Super Jesus Christ Superstar

Jesus Christ Superstar is a modernized version of the Bible in movie form.  It is an interesting take on the story of Jesus because its characters drive cars, carry guns, and wear clothing that did not exist back in the days when Jesus is rumored to have walked this earth.  However, the basic story of Jesus is gotten across to the audience, and you can tell that it is just like how it is written about in the four Gospels.  One thing that is missing about this is Jesus’ message.  It is difficult to understand why Jesus is so important until the end of the movie, and even then, the director does not include Jesus’ resurrection.  

Made in the early 1970’s, directed by Norman Jewison, and written by Tim Rice and Melvyn Bragg, Jesus Christ Superstar is a G-rated rock opera that   follows the last few weeks of the life of Jesus Christ in musical form.  In the beginning, Jesus (Ted Neeley) and his followers travel around the desert, happily accepting Jesus’ teachings, until his friend and apostle, Judas Iscariot (Carl Anderson) begins to doubt him.  The movie is then filled with very dramatic scenes, all of which are based on the Bible. 

In the film, as Jesus grows in power and popularity, the Jewish religious leaders start to view him as a threat.  They believe that they must kill him in order to prevent him from threatening their religion.  They think that with Jesus dead, they will once again be in control, and will be able to restore the city back to the peaceful order it once was.  Judas’s torturous decision to betray Jesus follows this scene.  You can almost feel the traitor’s anguish over this choice yourself, because he is so emotional and dramatic.  Then, Jesus’ trials and crucifixion are shown.  The movie is almost entirely based on the Bible, except for the fact that it is a rock opera.     

Jesus and Judas are both very intriguing characters.  It is interesting and thought provoking to see the movie’s take on the personalities of these two men.  When you read or are taught about the Bible, if you don’t get enough details, the rest of the story is up to your imagination.  Judas describes his feelings and his motives for betraying Jesus very well, and even if you don’t believe what he is doing is right, you can at least sympathize with him a little. 

I, personally, was not too impressed with the film, because I thought it was unrealistic and it also did not portray Jesus as I thought of him.  When you hear about the Bible, you get the feeling that Jesus is all-forgiving and all-understanding.  However, in the film, I feel that Jesus is pictured in a more edgy and angry way.  Also, the whole movie is written in song.  There is not one single word of dialogue in it.  The soundtrack is catchy if you like music from the 70’s, but I prefer musicals that have both speech and song in them.  Also, although Jesus Christ Superstar is rated G, its content seems very far from being appropriate for general audiences.  One very violent section of the movie is characterized by Judas hanging himself out of guilt and grief of betraying Jesus.  I do not believe that this is something younger children should be watching.  I would recommend this movie to people who are interested in learning about the Christian religion in a different format than the Bible and textbooks, but I cannot say that I would  just watch it for pleasure.

Bibliography

“Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).” Internet Movie Database. IMDb, 1990-2012. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/‌title/‌tt0070239/>.

Who was the Greatest Leader? Augustus or Caesar?

Augustus

         I believe that Augustus was the more important Roman leader than Caesar.  Augustus became leader of Rome at the age of 32.  Unlike Caesar, Augustus did not become a dictator.  He knew that the people of Rome would be unhappy under the rule of a dictator, but he was also aware of the fact that the past Roman Republic had not been strong enough to deal with all of Rome's problems.  Therefore, he returned the city to a Republic, but appointed himself as the "Imperator" or "Commander in Chief" of Rome.  Later, he was known as "Emperor".  Augustus brought the start of the Pax Romana or "Roman Peace".  This was an era lasting approximately 200 years full of peace and prosperity.  During his reign, Augustus added many new and important things to the Roman culture.  One of his main goals was to make Rome strong and safe.  In order to do this, he hired a professional army of 150,000 men.  These were well-trained and well-paid soldiers - unlike before, when the army consisted of men forced to go into battle by their government.  Augustus also had the Praetorian Guard made, which was meant to protect the emperor (himself).  With his new army, the first Roman emperor conquered many new territories, including Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the rest of Greece and Gaul.  Apart from military conquests, Augustus also improved the Roman government.  In order to make it easier to keep Rome under control, he appointed governors for each province and replaced officials chosen by the senate.  He later reformed the tax and legal systems.  Before Augustus, tax collectors were paid by the government and allowed to keep some of the money they received from the people.  However, some of these tax collectors were corrupt and kept more money than they were supposed to.  To solve this, the emperor made each tax collector a government man.  Augustus helped improve life for people living in provinces outside of Rome by allowing them to obtain Roman citizenship.  One more thing Augustus changed about Rome was that he built beautiful palaces, fountains and public buildings around the city.  This beautified the city and added to its grandeur.

Julius Caesar

          In contrast, Julius Caesar managed to conquer territories outside of the Italian peninsula, such as Gaul, and help the poor.  He provided land for the landless and work for the jobless, but he did not accomplish as much as Augustus.  Caesar also appointed himself as dictator of Rome through violent means.  Caesar seemed to care more about gaining support from the majority of the citizens of Rome, and expanding it, rather than actually helping Rome become a more advanced city. 

Julius Caesar: Dictator or Reformer?

          I am a poor plebeian man.  I lost my farm to a wealthy patrician a few months ago, and I am now bonded through debt to another patrician.  I must slave away to his family, unpaid, for who knows how long.  I have a family - a wife and child to support.  How can I do this with no farm and me indebted for many years?  My future looked bleak until Julius Caesar took power.  After that, my life started going uphill.

          Caesar is a hero.  He helped Rome to defeat foreign tribes and parts of Great Britain, which has helped add strength and wealth to Rome.  He also treats the people he conquers fairly.  Caesar has let a few of them become government officials, and he grants citizenship to people living in Roman territories outside of the city.  He has also restored cities that have been destroyed in battle against our great Roman Republic to their former glory.  Because of Caesar, Rome has entered into a time of peace and prosperity.  Not only has he been fair to former enemies, but he has also improved the livelihood of the poorer people, like me.  This man has provided land for those who have none, and has forced patricians with many slaves to hire free plebeians, too.  This means that we do not have to worry about starving, since we can farm our own land, and we do not have to stress so much about money, because we have more job opportunities.  Thanks to Caesar, my and my family's future can now be viewed in a more optimistic light. 

Geography of Ancient Rome

Explain in detail how the geography and climate of the Italian peninsula affected the development of ancient Rome.

         The physical geography of ancient Rome was slightly similar to Greece.  It was mountainous, rocky, and had a coastline.  Across the north side of the peninsula, a mountain range (the Alps) isolated Italy from the rest of Europe.  Spread across Italy, running from north to south is another mountain range called the Apennines.  Unlike Greece, however, the Apennines were much less treacherous, and were easier to cross.  Because of this, Italy did not develop as many individual, isolated city-states, and instead unified into one great city.  Also, the Italian soil was more fertile than Greece, and the land flattened out into plains that were good for growing crops.  Since the Italians could produce so much more food than the Greeks, Italy was able to sustain a greater amount of people.
          Ancient Rome developed on seven hills that offered protection against enemy attackers, because they were so steep.  Also, the city was located near the Tiber River, which became one of its main sources of water, transportation, and travel.  Rome was near enough to the Mediterranean Sea that it was not isolated from other Mediterranean cities, but it was far enough away from it to stay safe from pirates.  Because of the Tiber River, many travelers and merchants stopped in Rome on their travels to the north or south of Italy.  This provided Rome with a steady stream of new ideas, knowledge of the world around it, and people to trade with.
           The physical geography of ancient Rome also affected its climate.  Because of the mountains, the climate in the center of Italy consists of hot summers and mild but precipitous winters.  These conditions made attracted many people to live in Rome because they were so promising. 

References:

"Ancient Rome: Geographical Analysis." SPQR.com. SPQR, 1999. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibrary.thinkquest.org%2F26602%2Fgeography.htm&ei=p3DDTpinG9Ha4QSBjM2pDQ&usg=AFQjCNECfRMsfIe-jlp3mJVplBtDuHJu9g&sig2=CswP8dIr6cB3aOM-imOxDA>.

The Legends of Rome

Describe the two legends that tell the founding of Rome.  Then describe how and when Rome was actually founded. 

          There are two legends about the founding of Rome.  One of these involves two twins: Romulus and Remus.  These two were abandoned by the river Tiber River and were expected to die.  However, they were rescued by a female wolf, and were later found by a shepherd, who raised them.  At around 753 BC, Romulus and Remus decided to build a city.  All was going well until the two brothers began to argue.  While searching out different sites of where to begin building, they  kept their eyes out for omens that would show which of the sites was best.  Remus apparently saw 6 vultures, which was a very good omen, whereas Romulus claimed to have seen 12 - an even better one.  They began arguing over the number of vultures they had seen, and during the argument, Remus made fun of the walls Romulus had built.  This was the last straw for Romulus, who then killed his twin.  This made Romulus the single king and leader of Rome, which he named after himself.

Aeneas

          The second legend involving the origins of Rome tells that the ancient city is far older than Remus and Romulus.  In the Aeneid, it tells of a hero, Aeneas.  Aeneas had been fighting in the Trojan War against the Greeks, and had escaped being killed when Troy was destroyed.  He arrived in Rome with a few of his men after many adventures.  After a few wars, Aeneas managed to marry the king's daughter and unite the Latins and the Trojans, and creating the city of Rome. 
          What historians really believe happened in the founding of Rome began with the Latins, as far back as 1000 BC.  Originally, there were a few different tribes who grew crops and tended to their herds or flocks of livestock.  Later, at around 700-800 BC, they decided to band together for protection against invading tribes.  This little town of people grew into what we now know as the city of Rome.

Works Cited

“The Founding of Rome.” The Roman Empire. roman-empire.net, 4 July 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://www.roman-empire.net/‌founding/‌found-index.html>.

“Myths and Legends - Rome, the Wolf, and Mars.” About.com. about.com, 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://ancienthistory.about.com/‌cs/‌grecoromanmyth1/‌a/‌mythslegends_3.htm>.

Alexander the Great

          Most people believe that Alexander the Great was truly the greatest military leader there ever was.  Even his name, "Alexander the Great," shows just how highly people think about him.  The thing is, Alexander really isn't as great as everyone thinks.  He may have been one of the greatest military leaders of all time, and he may have conquered more cities and built a greater empire than anyone before him, but is conquering other people really considered "greatness"?  It is also believed that Alexander helped spread the Greek culture to the city-states he held under his power.  However, there is evidence that Greek ways had spread as far as Israel far before Alexander was born.
           Alexander the great grew up surrounded by battle.  His father, King Phillip had assembled great Macedonian armies, and had started to expand his reign into Greece.  As Alexander matured, he was trained mainly by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, when he was 13.  With Aristotle as his tutor, Alexander learned about literature, philosophy, science, medicines, and more.  At the age of 16, Alexander's father, Philip II of Macedonia, appointed him regent of Macedonia while he was away.  When Alexander was 20 years old, his father was assassinated, and Alexander took control of all his armies.  He set out to end what his father had begun - creating an empire.
          However, there is some controversy about how Philip of Macedonia was killed.  Some believe that foul play on Alexander's part was involved, and others believe that it was his wife, Olympias, (Alexander's mother), and more think it had nothing to do with either of them.  Apparently, Olympias and Alexander had a special relationship.  Olympias was very ambitious for her son, and told him that he was a descendant of the great hero, Achilles. She encouraged him in everything he did, and some believe that part of his ambition was caused from wanting to impress her.  Alexander may have killed his father because he was afraid that by the time it came around to him, Philip would not have left his son enough cities to conquer.  Also, Alexander or his mother could have murdered Philip because of his disloyalty to Olympias.  If Alexander the Great did indeed take part in the assassination of his father, Philip of Macedon, he is not as great as his name implies.
           After his father died, Alexander seized control of their armies, and squashed the few revolts that had sprung up when they had learned of their king's death.  Then, he left Greece in 334 BC to conquer and control more land.  In 332 BC, Alexander defeated Tyre, which was one of Persia's last navy bases.  After that, the Persian government gave him their land and money without fighting, because they knew that they could not defeat him.  In order to prevent more revolts, Alexander wore Persian clothes, married a Persian woman, and brought Persian soldiers into his Greek/Macedonian army.  He hoped that by doing this, he would be more familiar to the Persian people, and they would feel comfortable with him ruling them. 
          But even Persia was not enough for Alexander the Great.  His thirst for power could not be quenched by a mere Persian empire.  He needed more.  Alexander the Great marched on to to defeat India.  He led his army on a particularly difficult stretch called Khyber Pass, where he made them destroy all the treasure they had brought from Persia, because it was hindering their progress.  He forced his armies on until 326 BC when they reached they reached the end of their limits at the Indus River.  They simply refused to move on.  It is said that Alexander moped for three days, and then purposely led his armies home through the Agate Desert to give them a hard time.  In 323 BC, Alexander the Great contracted a fever and died.  He had ruled for 13 years, and had built the largest empire in the western world. 
          After Alexander the Great died, Greek culture still flourished in the cities he had defeated.  Most people think that it was because of Alexander that all the Greek ways spread and diffused into Persia and Asia Minor, but new studies show that this may not have been true.  Scientists at Berkeley have discovered that Greek culture could have spread as far as Israel in 400 BC, long before Alexander came along.  These people knew how to make pottery and build boats the same way the Greeks did, although neither literary nor political Greek culture was evident.  But if Alexander was not the one bringing all the culture to the cities he conquered, and instead, it had been there already, he is not as great as everyone seems to believe.
          Some people also believe Alexander the Great was a megalomaniac, with delusional views of power.  There is evidence of this in the fact that he named at least 15 of the cities he founded or renamed after himself.  He wanted power and control, and he would keep fighting until he got it.  Some of his friends tried to kill him because they thought he was too full of himself.  There is a quote by him that goes, "Heaven cannot brook two suns, nor earth two masters."  This means that he believes that earth can only be ruled by one man - himself.  Before he came along, the world did fine without his leadership.  Just because he is a military genius does not mean that he must be the ruler of the world, because earth "can only brook one master".  This idea of power he has, that he must be the master of earth, is rather twisted.  Earth can have more than one "master," and it can even be better off with more than one of these "masters". 
          Sure, Alexander the Great did great things.  He built an empire, and he conquered many city-states and countries.  But behind all that, was he really that "great"?  No one really knows for sure what went on inside his head, but evidence shows that he was not as great as everyone thinks.  He was a megalomaniac, he may have taken part in the assassination of his own father, he led people to believe that he was a descendant of Achilles, and might not have spread as much Greek culture as it was previously believed.  All in all, Alexander the Great was not as great as he seems. 

Works Cited

“Alexander the Great.” Alexander the Great. www.in2greece.com, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://www.in2greece.com/‌english/‌historymyth/‌history/‌ancient/‌alexander.htm>.

“Alexander the Great of Macedon Biography.” Alexander the Great of Macedon Biography. historyofmacedonia.org, 2001-2003. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/‌AncientMacedonia/‌AlexandertheGreat.html>.

Alexander the Great Quotes - BrainyQuote. BrainyQuote.com, 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://www.brainyquote.com/‌quotes/‌authors/‌a/‌alexander_the_great.html>.

Dye, Lee. “Study Suggests Alexander Not So Great.” ABC News. abcnews.go.com, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://abcnews.go.com/‌Technology/‌story?id=97611&page=1#top>.

Lendering, Jona. “Alexander the Great: His Towns.” Alexander the Great. Livius.org, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://www.livius.org/‌aj-al/‌alexander/‌alexander_z2.html>.

“Philip of Macedon.” historyofmacedonia.org. historyofmacedonia.org, 2001-2003. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/‌AncientMacedonia/‌PhilipofMacedon.html>.

Simpson, John. “Alexander the Not-So-Great.” ScienceNOW. AAS.org, 14 May 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://news.sciencemag.org/‌sciencenow/‌2007/‌05/‌14-01.html>.

Whitten, Chris. “Alexander the Great.” interesting.com. interesting.com, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2011. <http://www.interesting.com/‌stories/‌alexander/>.

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Greek Woman

          I am so excited!  Today is one of the few times of the year when I am allowed to leave the house and go out in public with my husband!  I know that, me being a woman, means that I am inferior to the men, and it makes perfect sense for me to stay in the house all day.  I mean, I'm a woman!  Who would cook, clean, weave, and look after the children if not for us - certainly not the men!  For once, I won't be kept busy all day with my chores.  I can go out, watch some theater, and enjoy myself!
         The festival in honor of Dionysus starts today, and I will be able to see all sorts of plays, composed by writers from different parts of Greece.  I do hope that good tragedies are performed.  I absolutely adore a nice, heart-wrenching tale of some sad warrior trying to get home after war and things like that.  They are just so realistic!  The comedies are o.k, but I don't enjoy them as much.  I bet everyone feels the same way as me - that must be why there are three days of festival for tragedies and one day for comedy!
          I need to get ready and primp up.  I go dress in my best tunic, and when I emerge from my rooms, I find my two children, one boy and one girl, eagerly waiting for me.
          "Papa told me to tell you that he is going to have some friends over for dinner, so you cannot eat with him tonight," my elder daughter informs me.  I feel a small twinge of disappointment.  I had been hoping to dine with my husband, but, as I am a woman, I must do what he tells me, and if he wants company, who am I to complain?  However, I am still so pleased about going out today, and I will not let this evening spoil how much fun I will have at the festival.  I smile down at my children and take their hands.
           "Let's go find Papa so that we can go to the festival!" I say, happily.  My five-year-old son cheers, and my eight-year-old daughter breaks into a grin.  I am glad that they are so joyful today, just like me.  I think everyone should be able to feel this light on a beautiful, sunny day like this.  I feel as though I am dancing on light, I am so jubilant.

          My smiling husband greets us at the door to our house.  He holds open the door and motions for us to leave.  I wish that I could jump and leap over the threshold as my children do, but I must contain my excitement.  I am a grown woman.  We do not do such things.  My children release my hands to run ahead of us, and my husband takes my right one.  We smile.  We walk out into the beautiful, sunny day, to enjoy ourselves.