IL VANGELO SECONDO MATTEO
The Gospel of St. Matthew (1964)
Pier Paolo Pasolini

There is something moving about Pasolini's filmic adaptation of Matthew's Gospel. It is stark. There are lots of studies of faces. The Jesus is a bit stoic - maybe that is an understatement. There is something to the tone set by music, the gritty black and white and the location.

Notes
Pier Paolo Pasolini
The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Opening titles with African music. To classical choral arrangement.

Music featured in the film from Bach, Mozrt, Prokofiev and Anton Webern
+ Original Music by Luis Bacalov.

Open shot of Mary - in her teens. Joseph - in his late thirties. Face
to face. Reveal she is pregnant. He walks away. In the doorway behind
her there are three women. One ith child - possibly Elizabeth.

Joseph wanders off to the hillside village. There are children playing.
He kneels down to rest. Gabriel appears to him. The African music
begins. Joseph returns to Mary. Face to face. Smiles from each.

In the busy village of Bethlehem. Marketplace. Haggling over goods.
Women traveling on donkeys - veiled. Plain chant. The wise men ask
Herod, "Where is he who is called the king of the jews."

Pasolini is a master of facial studies. We see all these rich peasant
faces. As Pasolini did not hire actors.

The wise men walk through hillsides populated with many people and they
come across Mary and Joseph. Song "Motherless Child" - ".a long way
from home."

Again awkward exchange between Mary and the wise men. Joseph steps back
out of the picture. There is a certain controlling sense one gets from
this Mary. She gives over the baby for the men to hold. They offer up
prayer for the child. One of the wise men kisses his feet. Mary
smiles. There are peasants and children looking on. One boy with his
donkey. The children are smiling. Gifts are brought forth by young men
traveling with the Magi.

The wise men leave. There is a wind. The angel Gabriel appears to the
wise men. There are not words. We see panoramic shots of the path
ahead. Gabriel shows them the path they are to take.

The baby sleeps next to the mother mary. A study of the baby's face.
The angel Gabriel appears to Joseph to tell him to flee. Famous
classical piece which I cannot place. Face study of Mary. She mounts
the mule and they set forth. Vacuous gaze as she looks back knowing she
is leaving this place behind.

Herod's soldiers and recruits await an order. We see them charge down
the hill swords raised. There is screaming and cacophony. Grabbing
babies from women and killing the children. Babies flying from the
mothers arms. Bloody bodies on the ground.

The death of Herod. His ministers surrounding him.

Gabriel appears to Joseph again to let him know that it is okay for them
to return. Scenes of the desert landscape they might have lived in.
Face to face exchange between Joseph and Mary. Jesus the young boy
walking up the hill to Joseph who awaits him with open arms.

River flowing. John the Baptist. Many people surrounding the
proceedings. Again, "Motherless child" plays. The people come and bow
before him and he baptizes with a handful of water. Not by submersion.
"Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Pharisees with their
elaborate hats in the hillside looking on. Crowds press in as John
preaches about the one who is to come.

Our first shot of Jesus - a tight shot of his face slightly off to
screen right. Much like the first shot of Mary. John looks closely
with a 'is that him' kind of look. Face to face exchange between Jesus
and John. "It is I who should be baptized by thee."

Jesus kneels down before him. Is baptized. The shot pulls way out.
"This is my son with who I am well pleased."

Series of ambient scenics of vast wasteland. Christ praying in the
desert. Figure appears walking spreading dust. Jesus stands. ".turn
these rocks to loaves of bread." ".cast yourself from this point." ".I
will give you all of this if you worship me."

The one thing the dubbed version is that it allows you to take in fully
the visuals.

John in prison.

Jesus returning from dessert. Male choir. Passing the farmers ".repent
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Fishermen putting our their lines. Jesus walking along the beach.
Calls out to Peter and Andrew. Tight face shots. "I will make you
fishers of men." They abandon duties and chase after Christ. "James
and John.come and follow me."

Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Simon, Bartholomew, Thaddeus,
James, Matthew, Judas, Iscariot. "It is not you who speak.but the
Spirit of your Father who speaks through you." Face studies of the
disciples as they walk through the streets.

Walking through the streets teaching.

Jesus goes to the place of the sick and demon possessed. Kneels and
prays. Faces of these men now at peace.

Man with deformed face/leper approaches Christ and his disciples. "Be
though cleansed." And the man's face turns normal. "Tell no man."

Beatitudes. "Blessed are the."

Small group assembled. Tight face shots of Jesus. Jesus face in
different environments - day and night, indoors and outdoors, on land
and by the sea, calm and windy, sunny and stormy. Various teachings,
the words of Christ. Lords prayer. Teachings continue. Series of
changing face shots.

Wide shot of men traveling together. Christ's voice in the distance.
Picks up child, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Pharisees approach as disciples are snacking on olives/dates. "Look the
disciples are doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath." Jesus, "There is
one standing here who is greater than the temple."

Lame man approaches. Again there is a southern blues song. Pharisees,
"Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?" Jesus - ".sheep." Heals man.
"Behold my servant."

Jesus, "The gentiles will put their trust in his name.."

Pharisees, "He has to be done away with."

Feeding of the masses with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Baskets shown filled
so that the many people might eat.

Jesus. "I wish to pray. Go. Cross to the other side before me."

The men see something on the water coming toward them. Faces of the
disciples. Zooms to the figure on the water. "Have courage. It is I.
Do not be afraid."

John still imprisoned, "Is it he? Or must we wait for another?"
Messengers from John ask Christ these questions.

Jesus, "What was it you expected to see?" Shots of people in the
marketplace as Jesus is talking. Women's faces. Children. The faces
of various people who have gathered round Jesus.

Young man, "Could this be the son of David?"

Shots of the ancient city. Capernum (?) Christ preaching in the city.
"3 days and three nights."

In the middle of his teaching he is interrupted to be told that his
mother and brethren are there.
Mary now the older. Face to face between Jesus and Mary. "Who is my
mother and who are my brethren?" Face of messenger also interjected.
"Whoever does the will of my father in heaven, that is my mother and my
sister and my brother."

Cinema Verite where verite = "truth" of Jesus Christ.

Jesus in Nazareth. "Isn't he the son of a carpenter?"

Rich man approaches Jesus. "What more do I lack?" Jesus tells to "Give
away all though hast. So that the Kingdom of Heaven may be where thy
treasure is." The man goes away.

"Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then for a rich
man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

Children come to him. "Let the little children be.for it is such as
these who belong the Kingdom of Heaven."

Bustling street scenes. Young girl being attended to. John in prison.
Young girl again. mother brings her dress. Face to face - girl and
mother. Young woman and mother. She asks for John's head on a plate.
Brooding music. Soldiers raise sword.

Christ by water with many people surrounding. Tears. "Let us depart to
some deserted place to be alone. Come let us cross to the other side."

Hand held camera puts the viewer into the scene.

"The son of man has nowhere to put his head."

Sweeping landscape. Jesus and disciples walking through mountainous
terrain. Wind sounds.

"Who do men say the son of man is?" "Who do you say that I am?"
Walking with disciples out in the wilderness. Simon, "Though art the
Christ, the son of God." Simon is renamed Peter. "Upon this rock I
will build my church."

Tells disciples of impending death and resurrection. Looks upon a child
playing with his father. "He is greatest in the kingdom is he who
humbles himself like this little child."

"If any man wishes to come my way let him renounce self, let him take up
his cross and follow me." Speaks of betrayal, his killing and alludes
to resurrection.

Documentary style shots of children.

As Jesus teaches we get face studies of each of his disciples. Theses
faces are solemn. Perplexed. Truly hints at the lack of full
understanding by the disciples of the situation they were place in.

Shot of an ancient city. Christ and the disciples decent to this place.
Closeup of Christs face. Stern. "We are going now to Jerusalem. There
the son of man will be given up to the Chief Priests and the scribes."

The disciples appear stunned. In shock. That this king was going to be
killed.

Again the filming of the parade of peoples marching into Jerusalem is
documentary style. Something we see today in movies like City of God or
The Constant Gardener where documentary and acted narration blend
together.

The men run and fetch a donkey. The music - a children's choir. The
covering of the donnkey. Women with covered heads and sad faces.

Animals, children jeering, people laying down clothes as a path for
Christ as he makes his way into the city.

Jesus lays his had upon a child - captured by the camera.

Jesus' moment of anger as he upsets the carts of the money changers.
Pigeons fly away. The priests gather in the windows to see what he is
doing.

Children waving palm fronds run into this place. Christ smiles. The
children understand who this is. Contrasted with the priests who do
not.

Face studies of the disciples. Some sleep. Others pray. Some weep.
Christ is out of bed. Praying. The camera stays on his face for an
extended period of time.

Jesus moment of frustration with a fig tree. He curses the tree. It
withers. The disciples witness this. They gather up and follow him
away.

There is a natural sensibility to the shots Pasolini chooses. On the
other hand there is a very composed sense as well. Each shot like a
painting or posed photograph.

Face studies of the Pharisees as Jesus and the priests volley back and
forth with words. The children sit at Christ's feet and seem to
understand.

The disciples continue to look perplexed, confused, no in true
understanding of what is going on with the Christ.

Christ elevated, teaching, in front of an ancient building. The crowds
close in around him. He is looking back at something. We get a pan of
the city. "There will not be one stone left remaining in this place."

The priests conspire.
Shot of the wilted fig tree.

Gathering of Jesus and his disciples for a meal. A woman anoints Jesus
hair with oil. Again those gathered with him look on in shock and
dismay.

Judas and the Priests.

"One of you will betray me." - "Lord is it I."

The Lords Supper. NOT presented DaVinci style. Rather Jesus goes as a
servant around the circle handing over the elements.

Inter cutting between Christs face and those of the disciples.

Their faces move towards being in shadow. Christ, shrouded, moves down
the path to pray. Asks Peter, James and John to join him. Three faces
walking down path. Christ hugs one of them. Then solitary face,
looking down , sweating, city scene, he is walking again, he prays, more
city scenes, he walks more, praying face dark until he turns his head
down.

Shot of the disciples sleeping. Jesus returns to them. Christ weeps.
Disappointed. He walks away. Prays. Then the sound of crowds
shouting. Jesus runs to the disturbance.

Betrayal by Judas is played down. Next we see Christ in the street
being escorted by soldiers.

Solitary Judas. Covered in robes. Moves through city streets. Scared.
Eyeing Christ off in the distance being led away.

The scene in front of Pilate is shot from a distance from the point of
view of an onlooker. The audio we hear is distant as if overheard.

Jesus is mocked.

Denial of Peter. Each of his accusers in extreme close-up shots. Peter
runs and realizes that Christ's prophecy has come to pass. He stops and
weeps. Falls to his knees. Empty walled street.

Judas attempts to appeal to the priests who refuse him. He runs off.
Undressing himself he hangs himself with his own clothes from a tree.
Shot like those of lynchings.

Two veiled women. A young boy turning his head.

Extreme close-up of eyes crying.

Release of Barabas. Pilate releases himself from responsibility.

Roman soldiers eating and throwing dice. Christ led into room. They
dress him and ridicule him. Place crown of thorns on his head. Inter
cut with the crying eyes.

The crowded streets. Christ carrying full cross. "Hey you! Come help
carry this cross." Cacophony of voices in the street. Confusion.

Not a lot of blood and gore in the Pasolini portryal.

There is a sudden silence. Wind and orchestral music as the parade of
soldiers, Chris and others makes its way up the hillside to Golgotha.

Another man's cries in pain as they hammer his hands to the cross. Shot
of his face.

The three women. Shrouded in black.

Christ's robe is removed. He is placed on the cross. Cry as his had is
pierced. The cross is raised.

The three Mary's. Weeping. In shock. Again very documentary like.
People running up to witness this.

Darkness.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." The soldiers mock Christ.
He call out. There is an earthquake. Walls tumble. Fires. Smoke
settle across the city and blots out the sun.

Again documentary style footage as people rush into the ruins of the
city.

Christ's face.

The removal of his body from the cross. Choir singing.

The women come forth and make ready the shroud which they will wrap his
body in.

A small procession of 10 people carries off Christ's body. Shot of toes
emerging from bottom of shroud. Face of Mary. Young boys lift the body
into the tomb.

Guards. One sleeping. A couple drifting off. Spot the women
approaching the tomb. The rock falls forward. The angel Gabriel
appears to the women. African tribal chant.

The great commission is delivered by Christ to the disciples.

THE END.