Anyone Seen Godspell?

[Chrystal-J]

I'm trying to use my Amazon gift card and would like to buy some DVDs. I noticed Godspell and wondered if it was any good. I know it's the hippy version of the life of Christ, but not much else.
If you saw it--did you like it or not?

 

[wayfaring man]

It came on TV a while ago...I couldn't stand it after about 10 seconds...it seemed like they were 'tripping out'...not a good way to represent.

 

[Dale]

I saw it years ago. I enjoyed it at the time but in retrospect I don't think it has a great spiritual message. I saw it performed on stage locally.

As someone said to me at the time, the actors didn't seem to be that sincere. Being in the play was just a job.

 

[Chrystal-J]

I saw Jesus Christ Superstar and liked it. But, just watched Godspell's version of "Day by Day" on YouTube--and it seems a little far out. (I liked the song though.)

 

[Davidnic]

Musically it is dated. I have no theological issue with it per se but its not my favorite. Some good songs but some dated imagery and focus. It has survived as a musical because it is fairly easy to put on on a budget.

I will say the Jesus Christ Superstar movie remade in 2000 is a very good version of the musical with some interesting artistic choices in staging. It very much highlighted the conflict between the desire for a military messiah as opposed to what Christ was. That was always in the musical but this one really was able to draw a stark line with it. Particularly with their staging of the Simon and the Zealots song.

Outside of a discussion on musicals the best movie on Christ available on DVD to me is the older Miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

 

[Miss Shelby]

I'm trying to use my Amazon gift card and would like to buy some DVDs. I noticed Godspell and wondered if it was any good. I know it's the hippy version of the life of Christ, but not much else.
If you saw it--did you like it or not?

I did not like the tv movie version but I like seeing it live.

 

[Chrystal-J]

Musically it is dated. I have no theological issue with it per se but its not my favorite. Some good songs but some dated imagery and focus. It has survived as a musical because it is fairly easy to put on on a budget.

I will say the Jesus Christ Superstar movie remade in 2000 is a very good version of the musical with some interesting artistic choices in staging. It very much highlighted the conflict between the desire for a military messiah as opposed to what Christ was. That was always in the musical but this one really was able to draw a stark line with it. Particularly with their staging of the Simon and the Zealots song.

Outside of a discussion on musicals the best movie on Christ available on DVD to me is the older Miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

I did buy Jesus of Nazareth. I also like that version. I was a little leery about Jesus Christ Superstar, but was pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for the input everyone. Godspell's only $6, so I guess it's not that big of a gamble if I do decide to buy it. I just hate looking forward to getting a movie and it's a bore.

 

[Chrystal-J]

I went ahead and bought the movie. It turned out to be pretty good, but I didn't like how they used the same actor playing John the Baptist to play Judas. But, it was mostly bible verses interspersed with songs--and lots of dancing.

 

[iarwain]

I saw Jesus Christ Superstar and liked it. But, just watched Godspell's version of "Day by Day" on YouTube--and it seems a little far out. (I liked the song though.)

I've seen Godspell a few times, and my memory of it is that it was horrible. I wouldn't mind giving it another chance though, I haven't seen it in a looong time. I want to like a movie about Jesus and hippies, it just didn't do it for me. I do like Jesus Christ Superstar, though I have some problems with it.

But I've been watching Day by Day on YouTube recently (great song!), and as a video I thought it was very cute. Like the part where the two followers each have found a skate, and one of them gives it to the other so she can have a full pair. The "miracle of the plant" now seems cute to me, whereas before I thought it was kind of a cheap denial of Jesus' miracles. The lead singer girl seems to show love both for Jesus and the other disciples. So even if I didn't care for the musical, I thought this holds up as a video.

I was surprised to see Jesus was played by Victor Garber, who was in Titanic as Mr. Andrews, the ship designer - the one who tells Rose there aren't enough boats. I didn't care for the clown shoes on Jesus, but I wondered if the red balls were supposed to represent the wounds on his feet? Wasn't Godspell written by a Jewish man, Stephen Schwartz, who also wrote Wicked? Not that I care about that, but it might help explain why the resurrection wasn't depicted.

 

[Michie]

Never seen it.