There have always been film adaptations of the Bible since the early days of cinema. One may optimistically assume that there is a genuine interest in spreading the good news, or speculate that the producers were more interested in the commercial possibilities of such a world-famous story. In addition, the Bible offered plenty of exciting narrative material, many centuries of pictorial invention in painting and sculpture could be drawn upon and, last but not least, thanks to widespread passion plays and processions, costumes were already available in sufficient quantities.
Early film adaptations of the Gospel story from Italy and France had enjoyed great international success, and this may have been one of the reasons why people in Germany during the years of inflation saw an opportunity to go international with a major biblical production. The newly built halls in Staaken in the west of Berlin were quickly transformed into the promised land with tonnes of sand, cardboard pillars and fabric palms, and filled with top-class actors from the Berlin stages. Henny Porten played Mary, Asta Nielsen Mary Magdalene, Werner Krauß Pontius Pilate and Alexander Granach Judas. The leading role was played by the Ukrainian Grigori Chmara. The film was directed by Robert Wiene, who became internationally famous with 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' (D 1920).
The screenplay was based not only on the Gospels, but above all on the novel 'I. N. R. I' by Austrian author Peter Rosegger from 1905, which embeds the Passion story in a frame story in which an anarchist is converted with the help of the biblical message. This frame story is missing in the film copies preserved today. Instead, we see a 'best-of' of the Gospels in fast-forward. The film begins with a tableau of Christ's birth, as is familiar from countless depictions, and ends with an equally familiar tableau of the crucifixion. Not much happens in between either, apart from a few crowd scenes.
Set against stage-like backdrops, 'I. N. R. I.' largely freezes in awe, showing us the transfigured face of the Saviour and dragging itself towards the story's universally familiar conclusion. What is particularly interesting here is the way the roles are played, for example by Henny Porten and Asta Nielsen in close interaction or by Werner Krauß and Alexander Granach, who are always worth seeing.
'I. N. R. I.' was released in cinemas on Christmas Day 1923. Three weeks earlier in the USA, Cecil B. DeMille's film 'The Ten Commandments' had had its premiere. This film also embeds biblical stories - in this case from the Old Testament - in a contemporary framework, but is less concerned with intimacy and more with spectacular effect: Temples collapse, the plagues come upon Egypt, the Red Sea parts and swallows the Pharaoh's army. Four years later, deMille also filmed the life of Jesus in 'The King of Kings'. If you compare this film with 'I. N. R. I.', it becomes painfully clear how much the German production lacks vibrancy and intensity.
