There are no miracles depicted in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the rock opera that sets the last week of Christ’s life on Earth to a rocking score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice. First released as an album in 1970, the production opened on Broadway in 1971 and was followed by a filmed version shot on location in Israel, directed by Norman Jewison, and released in 1973.
In all versions of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” there’s no Lazarus, no healing the sick, no water into wine, no walking on water, none of it. Jesus is a religious leader who sings of a kingdom far beyond, but the musical does not explicitly depict Him as the Son of God.
Even some of his followers aren’t sure about who he is.
“He’s a man, he’s just a man,” sings Mary Magdalene.
Judas sings, “I remember when this whole thing began / No talk of God then, we called you a man,” and brings their movement into explicitly political terms. “We are occupied / Have you forgotten how put down we are?”
The framing is a great way to open the story to audience of all backgrounds, really. If you’re a believer, you bring that to the musical. If otherwise, “Jesus Christ Superstar” can read as an allegory about what happens when a growing political movement starts to frighten the powerful elite. It’s a musical that was birthed not only by the rock sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the power of protest.
Interestingly, “Jesus Christ Superstar” is seen primarily from the point of Judas, who thinks his boss might be losing his focus amidst the growing adulation as depicted in songs like “Hosanna” and “Simon Zealotes.” But Jesus himself counters those sentiments, singing “Neither you Simon, nor the 50,000, nor the Romans, nor the Jews… understand what power is, understand what glory is… understand at all.”
Jesus may know something of his destiny, but at the same time, Webber and Rice present the man behind the Superstar, who also expresses doubts and fears, never more so than in the powerful “Gethsemane” number, where Jesus asks God to “take this cup away from me / for I don’t want to taste its poison.”
Ted Neeley (a Texan, I will note!) gives an amazing performance as Jesus throughout the film, and in “Gethsemane,” hits a G above high C, and makes it sound like a note, not just a scream. At that moment, the film cuts away for the only time from its location setting to a series of Renaissance paintings of the crucifixion, powerfully foreshadowing Jesus’ agonizing death.
Matching—if not surpassing—Neeley is Carl Anderson as Judas, who plays audience surrogate as we struggle to understand the divine plan. Anderson’s performance is soulful and powerful, skeptical, loving, and tortured. One really feels sympathy for the man as he laments to God, “I'll never ever know / why you chose me / for your crime / your foul, bloody crime.”
Yvonne Elliman, as Mary Magdalene, has a cooling presence in her voice, and as Herod, Josh Mostel steals the scene, holding court over a campy revue.
Shooting on location in Israel brought an amazing level of realism to the project. Douglas Slocombe, known for his work at Ealing Studios in Britain, used Todd-AO 35 lenses to capture the immense landscape in startling detail. The photography is particularly effective in the opening number, “Heaven On Their Minds,” as Judas is framed at a distance by at least four different camera angles, zooming in on his isolated figure as he warns Jesus of the dangers that could befall their fledgling movement if they get “too loud” in front of the Romans and high priests.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” has long been available on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as on compact disc soundtrack, and for a rock musical that depends on its bold, soulful score, it’s never really sounded great. Previous releases place the vocals far too high in the mix, making it sound as if the singers and band are in entirely different rooms. The band itself didn’t have much stereo separation, leading to a somewhat flat listening experience. And for the filmed version of “Superstar,” composer and pianist André Previn was commissioned to write and conduct an orchestral score that expands the sound of the musical without losing the rock aspect. That, too, was flattened on previous disc and streaming presentations.
For this latest release on 4K Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, audio producer Brian Kehew, whose credits include work with Fiona Apple, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, and more, has remixed the original soundtrack, and it sounds better than ever. The film sounds a lot more like a rock album. The vocals and band are integrated, and instruments (like electric guitar and organ!) that were buried in the mix are brought forward. The drums have more stereo separation and overall, it sounds punchy.
As a movie experience, there are occasional losses of some sound effects, such as in “The Temple” sequence, as Jesus thrashes about and turns over merchants’ tables. The hand claps are a little quieter on occasion. But overall, the soundtrack is a major improvement.
In a similar fashion, the 4K scan of the film offers a richer display of color, and naturally sharper image. Those grains of sand underneath the characters’ feet (or dusting the hippie cast) feel tactile.
Carried over from previous releases is an interview with lyricist Tim Rice, and a heartfelt commentary track featuring the late director Norman Jewison and the film’s star, Ted Neeley. The audio was recorded shortly after co-star Carl Anderson’s untimely passing in 2004 at age 58, and Neeley gets emotional more than once while remembering his friend, whispering at the very end of the movie, “I miss you, Carl.”
Two new commentary tracks on this disc feature film critic/historians discussing the movie. Gary Gerani does a great job of going into the film’s political and religious themes, as well as the production techniques. Simon Abrams’ track is mostly devoted to sharing archive news clippings, writings, and other reactions from critics and religious leaders to the film that he reads verbatim. I like Abrams’ writing elsewhere, but this track is not as interesting and he mispronounces a few names that made me wince.
If I’ve gone on long with this review, really, it’s only because “Jesus Christ Superstar” is my favorite stage musical, and in my Top 5 movie musicals of all time. I love it for the songs, from the rocking power of “Heaven On Their Minds” to the gentle beauty of “Could We Start Again Please?” which was written for the film, and expertly placed as a breather, just before the “Trial Before Pilate.”
Finally, as someone whose own faith journey has taken its own meandering path, never quite settling… I gotta say I also like that way “Jesus Christ Superstar” brings the Greatest Story Ever Told to us in the most human of terms. With a badass guitar riff.
