Theology Judas Iscariot - Essay Example

For that reason I chose to have Judas Iscariot, their treasurer who was also the man who in the end sold him to the Romans for a mere 30 pieces. In the film industry, Judas is portrayed in traditional terms - as a betrayer and an instrument of Satan. This is in line with the belief of many modern Christians, whether laity, theologians or clergy, who consider Judas as a traitor and a synonym for betrayer - a belief which has perpetuated Christian society for hundreds of years. Yet there are some scholars who argue that Judas was merely acting as a negotiator in a prearranged prisoner exchange.

Judas is said to have acted and betrayed Jesus with full knowledge and consent of his master. It is in light of this controversial issue that I will be analyzing what the scholarly world and the film industry has to say regarding the character of Judas as compared to what the Gospel of John has to say. I will be starting with a discussion of the way two films, The Gospel of John and The Last Temptation, portray Judas and proceed to a historical and cultural analysis of why the character of Judas is being reevaluated.

"The Gospel of John" directed by Philip Saville was a brilliant and an appealing depiction of the last moments in Jesus' life because of the use of imagery and symbolism. The language was a little unconventional in comparison to today's over-glamorized film making styles and was noticeably scripted from what seemed chunks of the bible but in spite of these, it was still very enlightening. The way the collaboration of images was accomplished was very effective in explaining the parts of the story that were tedious to understand.

I found it amazing the way the camera shots would slowly pan out and we could see all his disciples surrounding him, gazing in awe. Great respect towards him was evident when some wouldn't look him in the eyes or question some of his actions. The lighting too played a huge role in setting the mood for the film- the somewhat dim lighting that may have lasted throughout the entire film gave the impression that it was set in a much earlier time period, and the remarkable costumes corroborated this as well.

The camera work on the imagery and the centering of the movie on Jesus Christ was magnificent. He is all knowing, respected by his disciples and full of faith, although not everyone has full faith in him. The people question his holiness because he is the son of Mary and Joseph who are humans just as everyone else is. He confidently assures them: "I am who I am, Jesus of Nazareth, a teacher and the only Son of God." From the film as well as the bible readings in the book of John (6:64-71), Jesus makes it clear to his followers that one of them has ulterior motives, yet he does not mention who it is for the time being.

Here I began to notice further use of the camera to give an idea of who it may be. For someone that is familiar with the story of his betrayal we already know it is Judas, but to others it gives a small hint of who it may be because in some instances the frame freezes on two or three of his disciples. Furthermore, since many of them have the same hairstyles, body types, eye color and such, it could be a little hard to keep up with at the beginning, but this effect