In Search of Historic Jesus

I always like it when Hollywood tries to make a film with a positive mesasge about religion in it. Sunn Classic made this documentary about Christs life and death and the mystery of the Holy Shroud. It is very well done and acted and very respectful in terms of how it depicts our savior. They re-enact his journeys, healings and crucifixion. Brad Crandall was a great nararator with a wonderful storyteller voice. He made Sunn Classic Pictures come alive the way that Leonard Nimoy made In Search Of... or Robert Stack makes Unsolved Mysteries come alive. About nine years after this film came out however, there were scientific tests done on the Shroud that seemed to prove it was nothing but a medievil forgery.

I remember that this movie was specifically singled out as "Dog of the Week" by S & E. They had an absolute disdain for Sunn Classics pictures anyway, and felt that this was a ripoff to people looking for a faith strengthening documentary but instead getting ripped off by an el cheapo con job.

These were the same guys who made a lot of low budget family films that were shown in the "second run" theatres back in the 70's (remember those?). Some were OK, but most were grade z. The blockbusters like Star Wars pretty much killed the market for these at the movie house, but you see a lot of stuff like this in the straight-to-video market these days. I guess they can spend more on the production, less on the distribution...

As a documentary, this is laughable in a campy sort of way -- a schlocky collection of re-created Biblical tableaux mixed in with solemn interviews of so-called "experts." Think of it as an infommercial which pushes Jesus instead of thigh-masters.

However, the detailed crucifixion scene is, in terms of historical accuracy, superior to similar scenes in such widescreen Hollywood extravaganzas as "Ben-Hur," "King of Kings," and "The Greatest Story Ever Told." Rather than dragging his entire cross to Golgotha, for example, John Rubinstein simply carries his crossbeam strapped across his shoulders to his outstretched arms. Nails aren't driven through his palms but instead through his wrists. His feet aren't nailed separately but one is placed over the other so that just one nail need be used. Incidentally, Rubinstein's flogging prior to his crucifixion ranks 35th in the book, "Lash! The Hundred Great Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies."

Of course, Rubinstein and the two thieves wear modest loincloths, which probably isn't true to the shameful reality of Roman crucifixions, but allowances must be made. Curiously, the "good" thief is positioned on the left hand of Jesus, which goes against a long-standing tradition. Just why this thief is played by a pudgy, overweight man is, however, a mystery, especially in view of the fact that the "bad" thief is something of a "hunk."

The biggest problem with "In Search of Historic Jesus" is that there is very little search to it at all. Shick-Sunn produced these "documentary" films in the 1970s and just into the '80s, which featured interviews with "experts" and discussion of "science" and "facts" to make a case for whatever the title of the film was looking to cash in on.

Sadly, "Historic Jesus" is really little more than a third-rate dramatization of the life of Christ. Unlike Shick-Sunn's more superior "In Search of Noah's Ark" which spends the majority of its running time discussing the possibility that the ark is resting on the earth today and where that might be, this film is basically the story of Jesus with no effort made to prove or disprove his existence. The famed Shroud of Turrin is mentioned, but little other detective work is given much screen time.

For fans of these quasi-documentary films like "Jupiter Menace" and "In Search of Bigfoot", etc., this movie doesn't offer much.

This comment, even though it is about "In Search of Historic Jesus," is a rather short one. However, it does have a point, and I'll get to it in a moment. First, my brief memories of "Historic Jesus." Only Schick Sunn Classic Pictures would bring together John Rubenstein, Nehemiah Persoff and Brad Crandall together in the same documentary. My particular --- and, frankly, my only real --- memory of the film occurs as follows: During the Crucifixion sequence recreation, Rubenstein, starring as Jesus, utters: "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" At that point, the unseen voice of Peter Mark Richman kicks in, saying: "Do not despair, my Son. You have fulfilled Your mission well. And soon, You shall take Your rightful place at My side." Apparently emboldened (hard to believe that Jesus would experience feelings of boldness while still nailed to the Cross!), Rubenstein utters, "Into Thy hands, my Father, I commend my spirit." It signifies his very last seconds of life. So much for my memories of seeing "In Search of Historic Jesus." What I really want to concentrate on, as I comment here, is Brad Crandall, a veteran television announcer and narrator. Brad Crandall was the one element without whom the Schick Sunn Classic documentaries would not have been granted their apparent 'credibility,' or lack thereof. Yet when NBC first premiered each of these documentaries for the first time on TV, or whenever they were rerun on NBC, I always looked forward to watching them, if only for the purpose of checking out Brad Crandall, and hearing what he had to say. As a matter of fact, I remember attempting to write a documentary of my own. I was going to call it "In Search of Uncle Jimmy Thompson," because it would have told the story of the hard-livin', hard-drinkin' old coot of a fiddler whose music helped launch the Grand Ole Opry. My plan was that I was going to have Brad Crandall host and narrate the documentary, because I had become such a fan of his. Alas, Brad passed away before I could even contact him about the idea. So I just thought how nice it would be here to say a few words about Brad Crandall, and to find out if there were other people in cyberspace who were just as hooked on Brad as I was. If you're out there, and if you ever read this, please e-mail me. 'Nuff said.