[Borges]

In the 'Who'd a Thunk it' Dept., 'Salo' director Pasolini earlier made a film called 'The Gospel According to St. Matthew' which is regarded as one of the most reverent religious films ever made...and he was a homosexual and a Marxist!

[wideawake]

True - but it definitely played up the "social justice" angle, and it was pretty experimental for its time in setting and cinematography.

[Sans-Culotte]

I've seen "Gospel According to St Matthew", and it's over-rated to me. It's sort of like watching a Passion Play, rather than a real movie. It plays to me like a group of costumed people dropped off on location. The actors were amateur locals. The guy who plays Jesus really races through his lines in rapid-fire fashion, as if he was told he had a time limit to his speeches.

I believe it was filmed in the same area as Gibson's "Passion". It probably was so acclaimed because it was filmed in a more gritty style than the usual Hollywood epics with their hosanna-ing scores and studio sets in those days. It's worth seeing once for a few good moments, but is not a keeper IMO.

[karnage]

Jesus in "Gospel" was portrayed kinda fruity IMHO.