With the public crucifixion of Barack Obama this weekend on cable TV and talk radio, I couldn’t help but think of my favorite movie ever made about the Christ. Let me say at the beginning that I am in no way comparing Senator Obama to Jesus Christ. But with all the false outrage filling the airwaves and online concerning the overblown reaction to the comments by Obama’s pastor, I just can’t help but see a disturbing trend and comparison.
Made in 1979 and directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Jesus of Nazareth was an all-star mini-series offering a reverent depiction of the Christ story using stories from the Gospel. With a lush score by Maurice Jarre, and featuring a hypnotic performance by British actor, Robert Powell in the title role, Jesus of Nazareth was one of the best films to tell the Christ story. But what made me think about the film in reference to Barack Obama, was the film’s focus on the political and religious hierarchy, as well as the social and economic state of the Jewish and Roman citizens of the time. The depiction of outrage spurred on by religious zealots on both sides in bringing down this upstart who dared to preach about what was only prophecy in the minds of many and dangerous political rhetoric to others has a familiar ring this weekend. And I don’t mean because it’s Easter.
Obama’s speech on Tuesday was one for the record books. Does anyone remember George W. Bush or Bill Clinton ever being so honest and forthright in a major address before? I certainly don’t. While watching and then reading the speech again online, I couldn’t help but think about some of the scenes in Zeffirelli’s film. The ones depicting Christ’s dealings with doubters and hypocrites and the honesty in which he was depicted in doing so. And then following the speech came the expected reaction by professional media pundits whose cynicism and denial of any inspiration gained from the address seemed all-too planned-in-advance. But what truly amazed me was the increase in vitriol for the Senator by those in the media who are determined to not only destroy this upstart who dares us to talk about such taboo topics as race but who also threatens an establishment who would rather lead out of fear than with intelligence. Many of the scenes of Christ appearing before the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate in the film could be played along side cable news or talk radio clips dealing with the Obama speech and one would think you were watching the same movie.
I believe that Senator Obama has the possibility of being a rare gem in a chorus of duds who make up our politics today. He is a flawed man just like the rest of us. But his calm, cool, thoughtful way of dealing with the issues ahead of this country as well as his unique understanding of what divides and joins us together as a people is as inspiring to me as that British actor portraying Christ on TV almost 30 years ago.
Made in 1979 and directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Jesus of Nazareth was an all-star mini-series offering a reverent depiction of the Christ story using stories from the Gospel. With a lush score by Maurice Jarre, and featuring a hypnotic performance by British actor, Robert Powell in the title role, Jesus of Nazareth was one of the best films to tell the Christ story. But what made me think about the film in reference to Barack Obama, was the film’s focus on the political and religious hierarchy, as well as the social and economic state of the Jewish and Roman citizens of the time. The depiction of outrage spurred on by religious zealots on both sides in bringing down this upstart who dared to preach about what was only prophecy in the minds of many and dangerous political rhetoric to others has a familiar ring this weekend. And I don’t mean because it’s Easter.
Obama’s speech on Tuesday was one for the record books. Does anyone remember George W. Bush or Bill Clinton ever being so honest and forthright in a major address before? I certainly don’t. While watching and then reading the speech again online, I couldn’t help but think about some of the scenes in Zeffirelli’s film. The ones depicting Christ’s dealings with doubters and hypocrites and the honesty in which he was depicted in doing so. And then following the speech came the expected reaction by professional media pundits whose cynicism and denial of any inspiration gained from the address seemed all-too planned-in-advance. But what truly amazed me was the increase in vitriol for the Senator by those in the media who are determined to not only destroy this upstart who dares us to talk about such taboo topics as race but who also threatens an establishment who would rather lead out of fear than with intelligence. Many of the scenes of Christ appearing before the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate in the film could be played along side cable news or talk radio clips dealing with the Obama speech and one would think you were watching the same movie.
I believe that Senator Obama has the possibility of being a rare gem in a chorus of duds who make up our politics today. He is a flawed man just like the rest of us. But his calm, cool, thoughtful way of dealing with the issues ahead of this country as well as his unique understanding of what divides and joins us together as a people is as inspiring to me as that British actor portraying Christ on TV almost 30 years ago.
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