Customer Reviews

Messiah

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

George Frideric Handel's most famous work, the inspired 1741 oratorio, MESSIAH (Koch Lorber) is taken from Judaism and Christianity's interpretation of the prophesied "anointed one;" that is, Jesus, the Savior, Prince of Peace and God in the flesh.

Originally conceived for performance at Easter, with a text taken from the King James Bible, the work has become a staple of Christmas celebrations in the English-speaking world.

Filmmaker William Klein's audacious take on Handel's Messiah -- performed in full -- mixes a potpourri of images both sacred and profane that keeps the central message of both the oratorio and Jesus' life front and center.

The stirring narrative of Christ's life from birth to death to resurrection is performed by an extreme mix of human types, and heard over images of humanity at its worst. I especially liked the shirtless guy singing alone in the desert, the prison chorus, the gay and lesbian interracial choir and the chorus of Dallas cops.

VERY moving AND very disturbing presentation of a classic and very complex piece of music which does it proper justice in a way that typical Christmastime religious presentations of the work do not.

I saw this on the big screen in Columbia, SC on Good Friday with the concertmaster of the South Carolina Philharmonic. The performances are a mixed bag, with some top notch world class and some amateurish but moving. It shows the nuttiness of American holy-roller megachurch religion silently and without comment juxtaposed on Handel's score.

People who take all the religious bull$#!+ seriously AND don't have a very high I.Q. will be highly offended. Those religious people who are not complete morons will really like this film and find that it adds depth to their faith.

In either case, it's better than 'Avatar.'