Rating: 
Summary: Is It A Story or A Statement?
Review: Basically, the title is self-explanatory: the gospel according to the Scriptures, about Jesus, in the book of St. Matthew. This was Pasolini's first major production - Accatone was his debut. St. Matthew utilizes a throng of unknown Italian actors that acquired recognition after the film was released. However, amid this interesting quality there seems to be a clashing between the Latin physiognomy in a Biblical Jerusalem. Nevertheless, the film appears to exhibit many anachronisms: A Blues singer humming incidental music, traffic sounds in the distance, street settings resembling 1960 Rome, etc. Likewise, the actor playing the Son of Man looks like a cross between Andy Garcia and Al Pacino ---get a load of the heavy brows. Despite these minor traits, altogether, the film stands as another great retelling of the birth, death, and resurrection of the Messiah himself. In addition, the film presents a more profound examination of the gospels. Is Pasolini offering a straight-faced story of the Lord or is he telling it with biting scorn? These questions are brought up and the viewer can look at it as either "the greatest story ever told" or as a satirical metaphor on Christ and dogma. To my knowledge, Pasolini had always questioned theology. Be it his famously controversial (some say blasphemous) lament for the near-death Pope or his subsequent film Theorem: these both revealed Pasolini's steadfast philosophy. Having some knowledge of the Scriptures would definitely help getting through St Matthew. Although, after seeing the film, one may want to go back and reread parts of the New Testament and then re-watch the film. My only complaint about St Matthew is that the subtitles are barely readable, although the re-mastered version may have remedied this flaw - beats me, I only own the original edition. Above all, St. Matthew works as both a creative adaptations for art-house film lovers (or Pasolini fans) and as a family film.
Rating: 
Summary: a literal, riveting telling
Review: Filmed in Southern Italy in rocky hillside villages and along the coast, Pasolini's "Gospel" has the feel of a silent film, with its long close-ups of its cast of non-professional actors, which include Susanna Pasolini, the filmmaker's mother, and how the camera loves these rough, beautiful and distinctive faces...it is like a moving tapestry of Renaissance paintings, and a visual artist's dream film.
Enrique Irazoqui's Jesus, with his lofty forehead, thick eyebrows that meet over his nose, and coal black eyes, is stern and compelling, and recites the Gospel with strength and mettle. Released forty years ago, the quality of this black and white film is gritty, which adds to the harsh depiction of the life and the landscape. Though much less ambitious, it reminds me a little of Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev", and it has the same pacing (especially in the first hour) and gravity. The soundtrack also shows signs of age, and includes Bach, Mozart, Prokofiev, Webern, some American spirituals ("Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" during the Manger scene), Kol Nidrei during the Last Supper scene, and Missa Luba. There is also a biting wind, whooshing and whistling though much of the film. The tape that I own is dubbed, and this is the only instance where I don't find dubbing intrusive. Since the dialogue is literal and familiar, and many scenes are purely visual, the dubbing frees one to just take in this marvelous interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel, which is sometimes simple and sometimes quite savage (the Massacre of the Innocents is chaotic); a must see for anyone interested in Christianity, and students of film and the graphic arts.
Rating:
Summary: a literal, riveting telling
Review: Filmed in Southern Italy in rocky hillside villages and along the coast, Pasolini's "Gospel" has the feel of a silent film, with its long close-ups of its cast of non-professional actors, which include Susanna Pasolini, the filmmaker's mother, and how the camera loves these rough, beautiful and distinctive faces...it is like a moving tapestry of Renaissance paintings, and a visual artist's dream film.
Enrique Irazoqui's Jesus, with his lofty forehead, thick eyebrows that meet over his nose, and coal black eyes, is stern and compelling, and recites the Gospel with strength and mettle. Released forty years ago, the quality of this black and white film is gritty, which adds to the harsh depiction of the life and the landscape. Though much less ambitious, it reminds me a little of Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev", and it has the same pacing (especially in the first hour) and gravity. The soundtrack also shows signs of age, and includes Bach, Mozart, Prokofiev, Webern, some American spirituals ("Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" during the Manger scene), Kol Nidrei during the Last Supper scene, and Missa Luba. There is also a biting wind, whooshing and whistling though much of the film. The tape that I own is dubbed, and this is the only instance where I don't find dubbing intrusive. Since the dialogue is literal and familiar, and many scenes are purely visual, the dubbing frees one to just take in this marvelous interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel, which is sometimes simple and sometimes quite savage (the Massacre of the Innocents is chaotic); a must see for anyone interested in Christianity, and students of film and the graphic arts.
Rating: 
Summary: Holy boring Batman!
Review: Hit the snooze button cause I'm dozing off here
Rating: 
Summary: dubbing [leaves something to be desired]
Review: I loved this film - I only gave it three stars because of the dubbing. Pasolini had a different actor play the voice of Jesus than the man portrayed - this disconnect between sound and sight is, I think, very important and it is totally lost when everyone is dubbed. But on the whole, if you can get the subtitled version, I say go for it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful !
Review: I loved this video because the words on the Bible were used only. So many movies and videos of Jesus Christ exist but its makers, producers, writers and Hollywood to destroy the simplicity of the Gospel with errors and personal beliefs. But here you get the truth from the Lord's own words and His only Apostles. The scenery also works wonders because it seems as though it could've been the Holy Land 2000 years ago. I recommend it to ALL.
Rating:
Summary: Stark naked truth
Review: In contrast to the american technicolor esthetisized versions of the life of Jesus or other Biblical atories, this is presented respectfully, without sentimentality or James Bond-type special effects. Instead, we see glimpses of a gripping tale cut to the bone, insistent in its humbleness. Especially telling are the simple faces of the minor players - for instance the spine-chilling scene where we see close-ups of each soldier`s face before they charge ahead to kill all newborn boys at king Herods command. One of the few films that live on in the mind, continuing to tug, nudge and create unrest, no matter if it is watched several times.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie with a mocking Waterberer Logo and front picture
Review: It is a great movie.
I think the cover of the DVD should be relevant to the film.
the same movie in Europe has Jesus's picture with a cross !!!! As you play the film, the first thing you see the Waterberer Logo
scrolling on the screen with giant letters and inside the letters you'll see a naked man running then a woman kissing a woman !!!!!!!!
I think somebody trying to mock this film.
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical religious film
Review: No religious film library is complete without Pasolini's Matthew. The opening (wordless) sequence where Joseph discovers Mary's pregnancy is superb and prepares one for this unique rendition of Christ's life.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, poor DVD
Review: Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" is one of the great Italian director's most accessable films. It is also one of the few films about the life of Christ that looks and feels as if it was filmed during the time that Christ lived - this is no Hollywood production - this feels like the real thing (the one star is not for this 5 star film.) However I want to warn potential purchasers that this Water Bearer version is a high priced non-anamorphic, poor quality print (although it claims to be digitally remastered), it has burned in subtitles with no chapter stops. I had thought DVD production and quality had improved greatly in the last couple of years, this is an unfortunate (1 star) exception. If you want to see another great Pasolini film with a great anamorphic almost pristine transfer I would direct you to MGM's version of his "The Decameron".
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