DESPITE being one of the least religious people I know, I have always had a fascination with the ‘Jesus movies’ that would be played on local television channels around Easter every year.

Coming from a family made up of avid movie-watchers, there was very little stemming from Hollywood and Bollywood that was off limits for us. Despite coming from a family that indeed had very little to do with Christianity itself, movies based on biblical characters and themes were encouraged viewing not necessarily for their religious content, but for the plot; for the eloquent and charming men; for the epic scale of the stories that were being told; for the element of the supernatural that ran through each one, and, of course, for the emotional kernel that each one of these films contained. I have always maintained that the Bible- with its sex and murder and warfare and God- has always been one of the sources for some of the best stories ever told in mankind’s history, and those old Biblical epics, especially the movies released in the 50s and 60s are proof of this.

“The Ten Commandments” directed by Cecile B. Demille is one of the most iconic of the Biblical films that are played around Easter. With amazing performances from Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Anne Baxter, “The Ten Commandments” represents that rare film that almost seems perfectly cast. Its visual effects (for the time) and lush production design were undoubtedly some of the elements that helped it to stand out in the decade in which it was released, but what is it about the film that makes it such an enduring production? How has this film about oppression and faith, set in ancient Egypt, managed to survive into the technological era that we are currently in? The answer, I do believe, lies in the fact that there is so much heart in the tale. Moses as the central figure who is lost and then found and then finds himself a long way from who he thought he was is a hero whose journey, perilous and filled with surprises, is one that causes the audience to both empathise and root for him. Even the supporting characters, such as Ramses bristling with jealousy and Neferteri brandishing anger and seduction are well-developed and add to the well-roundedness of a cast that seems to not have a single character that is underdeveloped. The way all of the players represent the various virtues and vices; the way the film caters to the universal humanity within us all is undoubtedly one of the features that have helped this particular movie to secure itself a place as a classic, in the genre of Biblical films and in the genre of films as a whole.

“Ben-Hur” the 1959 film – we will ignore the recent remake – also starring Charlton Heston in the lead role and directed by William Wyler, is another iconic film with Biblical references and themes. While mostly known for the infamous chariot scene in which Ben-Hur emerges triumphant over his former friend, now sworn enemy, Messala (Stephen Boyd), my favourite scene is actually one that features a different kind of spectacle from what is presented in the chariot scene. Because Ben-Hur spends most of his life attempting to seek out his long-lost sister and mother, it is a crushing revelation to behold when he finally learns that they are alive but have been banished to the leper colony because they have contracted the illness. All hope is lost and it seems as if everything Ben-Hur has done in his life, everything he has sought to achieve has been for nothing because the people who are most important to him have been doomed to a life of poverty and illness. It should come as no surprise then that my favourite scene is the one in the rainstorm – heavy with the kind of magic and might that would herald a miracle – when the mother and sister are healed by the blood of Jesus Christ and Ben-Hur is reunited with them. The rainstorm scene is a wonderful scene – fear-inducing and yet hopeful; thoughtfully executed to, perhaps, serve as a reminder that according to the Christian belief, Jesus, even after dying, will continue to save the world.

Moving forward to the modern era of filmmaking, we still have faith-based films being produced. Perhaps the one most directly related to Easter is Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”, starring Jim Caviezel as Christ and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. The film was controversial for a number of reasons, including the copious amounts of violence that were included. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why “The Passion of the Christ” may not achieve as iconic a status as the other two films mentioned here in the years to come. However, in-between all the controversy, there is an important element to discuss when it comes to violence in films. In this particular case, my original interpretation of the excessive violence was initially that the blood and gore, particularly the scene where Christ is whipped, would serve as a reminder to Christians of the horror and terrible ordeals he experienced as he died for their sins. The violence, in a way, would remind them of everything Christ endured for them, therefore, hopefully, ensuring that they are also reminded to be good Christians who remain cognizant of what is expected of them. It is a good lesson in reminding people of what Christ allegedly endured, but perhaps it is true that the violence was indeed a bit excessive.

When I was growing up, these films were awaited during Easter and everyone would congregate in the living room and watch these and the other classics, such as “The Robe”, “Samson and Delilah”, “Barabbas”, etc. As I think about them now, I risk sounding like an old man, as I am forced to contemplate and to ask, how many of those in the younger generation even know about these important films, much less having seen at least one of them?