Mexico has produced more than its share of films about Jesus Christ and here we have a version by one of its finest, Julio Bracho.
An intelligent and widely cultured director who has been given the ultimate accolade of 'auteur', he has certainly stamped his individuality on this modest but thoroughly absorbing film. Evidently made on a limited budget it succeeds by virtue of its sense of immediacy, stunning simplicity and excellent casting.
Here we have the mature and thoughtful Pontius Pilate of Julián Soler and the touching Claudia Procula of María Teresa Rivas, both of whom are still haunted by his role in the sentencing of Christ. Their memories are awakened by meeting Simon Peter who has been brought as a prisoner to Rome. This has been added for dramatic purposes as there is no record of Peter and Pilate ever having met although the so-called Gospel of St. Peter exonerates Pilate and places the blame squarely on the shoulders of Herod who is here portrayed as a buffoon by Alfredo Barrón. His scene with Christ is one of the finest in the film. The excellent Andrea Palma, sister of the director, does a brief turn as Herodias.
There are many mesmerising scenes here, notably Christ's denunciation of Judas at the last Supper; the raising from the dead of the daughter of Jairus and the anointing of Christ's feet by Mary Magdalene. She is played by Maura Monti, a splendid specimen of womanhood who was in great demand throughout the late 1960's and whose main claim to fame was playing the title role in the awful Mexpoitation 'Batwoman'.
The flagellation and crucifixion are as brutal as the cinema of the time would have permitted. This brings us of course to the Christ of Enrique Rocha who is without doubt one of the most impressive I have seen, in terms of presence, expressiveness and overpowering spirituality.
The available print leaves a lot to be desired but the cinematography of Alfredo Uribe still shines through.
Yes, we have been here so many times and can practically speak the lines along with them but Julio Bracho, not unlike a brilliant conductor with an all-too familiar composition, has given us a strikingly original interpretation of this greatest of all stories.
