Day of Triumph

It is an irritation to read reviews of films about the life of Christ, whether on IMDb or anywhere else: most of the reviewers are ignoring everything distinctive about the film, focusing on an opportunity to deliver clever put-downs of "biblical extravaganzas." Or they're getting this film mixed up in their minds with other films on the same theme (e.g., one IMDb reviewer compliments the film for never showing Christ's face, showing that he has it confused with Ben Hur). A few realize the merits of Day of Triumph: its take on Judas is a very interesting one indeed, and the parts of Judas, Nicator and Zadok are not only brilliantly acted but brilliantly written. This film's Pontius Pilate is rather interesting too, in fact this is the second-best Pilate I have seen (after Telly Savalas in The Greatest Story Ever Told); he actually talks and acts like the racist colonial administrator Pilate was: "Sabbaths! Passovers! These Jews waste more time on one god than we do on a hundred!", he exclaims after being told that the Jewish priests want to talk to him but refuse to pollute themselves by entering a pagan's house during a holy time, so he has to come to the door to see them instead!). Exactly as in the case of Greatest Story Ever Told, there are some deftly dramatic and original touches; and also as in that case, there are loads of clichés to excite the derisive hoots of folk who are all set up to trash a "biblical spectacular". Yes, I too found the Jesus of this film rather bland and conventional, but (despite some of the comments posted on this site) Judas was certainly not "melodramatic". Indeed, I wish we could have a film combining this Judas with Max von Sydow's earthy Jesus. Altogother, an uneven film--but then, villains are always easier to make interesting than heroes are.

I had the pleasure of attending a seminar this weekend given by the producer's son, Father Jim Friedrich. The seminar was "Jesus in the Movies." This film was blacklisted in the 1950s, so it was not widely seen. It is quite true to the scriptures. Christ looks "older" than 33, in fact,t he whole film has a very 1950s feel to it. But it is quite enjoyable. There is an especially wonderful scene between Mary Magdalene and her servant. Lee J Cobb and Mike Connors give very good performances. In the opening scene, the first word is said by Jesus, "Listen." It is powerful and compelling. This film is not easy to find, but worth looking for.

One more take on the Gospels , without the cinemascope and the usual hollywoodian lore,a la "greatest story ever told" ;the prologue sets the tone:it's the parable of the sower and the seeds everybody who attended Sunday school knows.

The most interesting side is the time given over to the Zealots : Judas Iscariot is some kind of go-between with Jesus and his twelve ;he's given a political role -which Franco Zephirelli would use again in his own "Jesus from Nazareth"(1976); he sees Jesus as a rebel who could lead a revolt against the Roman occupants ; he has him arrested to urge the Jews to start a riot to free him;oddly he is present (and injured) in Pilate's passover grace scene :"shall I free Jesus or Barabba?"

All that concerns Jesus is edifying ,it's the merciful Lord ;all the episodes included are well known,although the adulteress ' case is passed over in silence.

On the other hand, Mary Magdelene is subject to cliché :she was not the woman who washed the Lord's feet ; the Gospels tell us that Jesus saved her from "seven devils who possessed her" (in "the king of kings "(1927) Cecile B De Mille's depiction was accurate.)

"Day of Triumph", a low-budget, church-sponsored film about the life of Christ, was the first Technicolor, English-speaking sound film in which one actually saw and heard an actor playing Jesus Christ (whose face was never shown in such films as "Ben-Hur" or "The Robe".) Once shown on TV annually, it now seems even worse than ever. Filmed on cheesy-looking sets, "Day of Triumph" features unknown Robert Wilson as a Jesus who looks like somebody made up for a small town religious pageant. His performance is completely forgettable and makes Jeffrey Hunter in "King of Kings" look like Laurence Olivier (not that Hunter was bad at all in "King of Kings"; in fact he was quite good; he just wasn't an Olivier).

Noted actor Lee J.Cobb, who gets more screen time than anyone as Zarok, confidant of Judas, and a sort of well-meaning high priest, makes a heroic effort under the circumstances, demonstrating how a great actor can bring class to a religious film that looks and sounds like a cheap B-movie. Judas is played like a villain in a silent melodrama (his "I have sinned!" after his realization that Christ is to be crucified takes first prize for melodramatic overacting) and everyone else is just plain bland. One wonders what director Irving Pichel could have been thinking.

At the firat sigh, a comfortable film. Because you know the story, because Robert Wilson has experience of his role in some other films, because , after so many adaptations of the Gospels, nothing can be new in 2020, from a movie made in 1954. But , it has few great virtues. The first is honesty. It is a profound honest film, not looking for easy solutions or to impress but for rebirth the faith and consolidate it. It is well acted, too,giving a real realistic Pilate of Pont, an interesting webb frame for well known events . It is provocative in the sense of remind the pieces defining the faith and the illusion to controll the other. And it has an inspired intro. So, just beautiful.