The Gospel According to St Matthew...

I got a copy of Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1964's 'The Gospel According to St Matthew' . It's cinematic presence was 1960's through and through but I found was that I was drawn more to the intrigue of what Pasolini as a Marxist would make of the Gospel and particularly Jesus.

It was a very 'aggressive' character I encountered, walked angrily, spoke angrily as his disciples seemed to follow him with his words drifting over his shoulder as they struggled to keep up with his relentless pace.

It was interesting to see Jesus as one of the people, on the margins for those on the margins. There was no Hollywood glamour. The 'woes to you.. hypocrites' discourse was unrelenting and pointed. It left me in no doubt that Pasolini felt the opulent church had let the gospel down.

Unfortunately the head gear that the Pharisee's in particular were wearing became an on-going distraction for me.

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