Jesus Christ Superstar
4
It was in referrence to "Jesus Christ Superstar" that the term "rock opera" was first used. In true operatic tradition the music, a very tightly constructed rock and roll score, carries the storyline. Not one word is spoken.
"Jesus Christ Superstar" began life in the late 1960's as a double "concept album" utilizing talents from different bands popular at the time, such as Deep Purple and Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The composer and the lyricist were a very young Andrew Lloyd Webber ("Phantom Of The Opera", "Cats") and Tim Rice ("The Lion King", "Aida"). Once dismissed rather offhandedly by Rice as "A musical about a famous person who died", it is questionable just how much of a force in musical theatre, American or otherwise, either would have become if "Jesus Christ Superstar's" potential as a powerful theatrical experience had not been recognized. But in the early 1970's, this potential was indeed seen, and the humble rock opera became a Broadway show. A bizarre and overly stylized Broadway show, to be sure, but graced with a talent like Ben Vereen in the role of Judas Iscariot, and successful enough to lead to a film adaptation in 1973.
The controversies and anecdotes surrounding the movie are well known--John Lennon, who a few years previously had stated publicly that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ was considered for just that role. Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart were also considered, as was David Cassidy, recently popular star of "The Partridge Family". Around all of this swirled the disapproval of parents and church. This was not "The Sound Of Music" with sweet Julie Andrews! No, this was rock and roll! It dared to deal with sacred subject matter in a way that was LOUD and probably blasphemous! Interestingly, this last is still heard occasionally today when the movie is mentioned, and it's fairly obvious upon viewing the film that those who believe that it is in any way irreligious or meant to trivialize the story of Jesus have never actually paid attention to the material.
"Jesus Christ Superstar" tells the story of the last week in the life of Jesus Of Nazareth (Ted Neeley). Judas Iscariot (Carl Anderson), the historical betrayer of Jesus, sets the tone for us at the beginning, telling us his of his concerns:
"I am frightened by the crowd,
for we are getting much too loud.
And they'll crush us if we go too far!"
Judas stands outside the circle of those who blindly admire Jesus. He sees the danger coming, but increasingly realizes that both he and Jesus are caught in forces beyond their control. The Judas presented in "Jesus Christ Superstar" is complex, thoughtful and ultimately, sympathetic. He recognizes that he and Jesus are both basically the same--pawns in some celestial game. Each is being forced, without being allowed to understand why, toward his own fate. Before his arrest, a very human Jesus, so unlike those silently suffering Jesuses from decades of film before, desperately questions a God whose presence is nebulous at the beginning and shockingly callous by the end:
"Why should I die? Why should I die?
Can you show me now that I
would not be killed in vain?
...show me there's a reason
for your wanting me to die!
You're far too keen on 'where' and 'how',
but not so hot on 'why'!"
Judas has similar feelings, expressed later and even more strongly prior to his onscreen suicide.
The movie, under the direction of Norman Jewison ("Fiddler On The Roof", ""Rollerball [1975]")is presented as a show-within-a-film. It begins with a busload of young actors arriving in the desert. They put on costumes and perform "Jesus Christ Superstar". Sets are virtually non-existant. The film is set against the barren backdrop of the landscape outside Jerusalem, with only an occasional setpiece, such as King Herod's (Josh Mostel) tacky barge or an occasional piece of scaffolding used for effect (at one point the Jewish priests, their black robes blowing in the wind, line up along a piece of scaffolding above Jesus and his disciples looking like huge birds of prey). This tends to remind us throughout that we are watching a performance--modern day actors performing an ancient story. This suggests that the story is timeless. There are other, more blatant touches through the film that reinforce this idea: The costumes the actors wear are a mix of period and contemporary clothing. Some of the Roman soldiers carry spears while others carry submachine guns. At one point, the demanding and impersonal presence of God is demonstrated through the appearance of tanks and fighter jets! Now that takes guts! But this is what is central to "Jesus Christ Superstar"--the notion that the story is without a fixed time period; as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago.
At the heart of all of this is the music. Regardless of how it is presented, it is the music that IS "Jesus Christ Superstar". Forceful in composition, lyrically strong, the songs sweep the story along with a force and clarity that is surprising upon first hearing them, and grows more so upon subsequent listening. For this reason, none of the many re-interpretations of the material that have been done in the almost 30 years since this film was released, including a major Broadway revival in 2000 which was filmed and is also available on dvd, can be said to have been total failure. Whatever their individual strengths or weaknesses, it is the music that makes "Jesus Christ Superstar" what it is. Everything else is just eye candy.
