Then the play ends, and all the players leave the area. But, for artistic reasons, we never see the actor who plays Jesus leave.
Yeah, I'd like to say something about how we don't get to see the actor who plays Jesus leave.
There was a showing at a community center and I decided to bring my four year old son to see the movie because I thought he'd enjoy the singing and dancing on a big screen. He hadn't seen the movie yet.
At four, kids are not entirely clear on the difference between Live TV and filmed productions so I spent a lot of time explaining to him that it was a performance and no one would really get hurt. They were PRETENDING (which is a concept four year olds know very well.) I made sure he was ok with the whole violence thing - and he had seen violent movies earlier anyway so he knew it wasn't real.
It helped that the movie started out with actors getting off a bus and dressing up in play clothes (in his view). He knew they were just pretending. When it got to the violent parts, I pulled him onto my lap and said, "No one gets hurt. They are pretending." He was a champ all the way through it - he knew they were pretending so it didn't bother him. The movie was ending and I put him back in his own seat.
THEN...
The actors put on street clothes and started getting back onto the bus.
My four year old son became completely
HYSTERICAL when the guy who played Jesus didn't go back to the bus.
He spoke about them as if they were on Live TV:
"Are they going to leave that man???"He went completely berserk wanting to know if they were going to get the man from the hill and take him home with them.
The director did the thing where the Jesus-actor didn't get on the bus for dramatic purposes and it had the absolute maximum effect on my poor little crying son. I spent the next ten minutes assuring him that the actor who played Jesus was at home right at that moment with his Mom.
He finally accepted my word on this (from his own Mom) and quieted down. Empathetic little guy - I had no idea the bus effect at the end would get to him like that.
After it was all over, I asked him if he liked the movie. He said he liked it a lot except for the bus part at the end.
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larrydutton5250
9 years ago
Your four year old son has eyes of an eagle! As many times I've seen this movie, and I'm 52 years old, this is the first time I've realize that Ted Neely (Jesus) didn't go back in the bus with the other performers. What an eye.
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Alyse_MA
9 years ago
Your four year old son has eyes of an eagle! As many times I've seen this movie, and I'm 52 years old, this is the first time I've realize that Ted Neely (Jesus) didn't go back in the bus with the other performers. What an eye.
Thanks! It surprised me, too.
I think four year olds may be more in tune with the scariness of being lost or left behind somewhere, though. So I think he was watching to make sure the main star of the movie got back on the bus (especially after all the stuff he'd been going through).
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Qanqor
9 years ago
You and me both! I'm also 52, and have seen the movie many, many times (I own it on VHS), and yet I never noticed about Neely not getting on the bus until I read it on the internet, maybe a couple years ago.
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florin-fg
9 years ago
Me too, even I'm over 50 years, I was very impressed seeing the actor remaining on the cross at the end of the movie. It was a very good idea, it makes a lot of sense. I like this movie, great music.
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cooker-5
9 years ago
Here is an interesting comment from the trivia section:
"According to Ted Neeley and Norman Jewison on the DVD commentary, the shepherd walking across the frame in the final shot of the film was never intended to be there, and just happened across the shot as they were filming. Because of the significance of a shepherd in the teachings of Christ, Jewison and the crew were struck profoundly by the timing of this shepherd crossing the field, and kept the shot. They got a perfect sunset, as well as a subtle depiction of the resurrection."
I got a chance to talk to Ted Neeley when I was working security at a production in Indianapolis shortly before Carl Anderson died. I brought up the image of the shepherd walking across the screen in the sunset at the end of the film when Anderson looks back and the camera pans back into the sunset. I said I thought it was a cool representation of the resurrection and of Jesus leading his flock, and I asked Ted if it was done on purpose, and he said that it was -- that he and Norm Jewison wanted to put a more secular ending into the film.
Now I read this conflicting account, and I wonder why Ted told me what he did at the time -- it was in the mid-90s at Deer Creek.
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atlasmb
7 years ago
The shepherd was not an actor and, in fact, should not have been in the shot. One of the staff spotted him and said they would have to reshoot the shot, but Jewison said no, they would leave it in.
Did he think, in that instant, that it would be a symbolic appearance? Maybe, but I doubt it. It was at sunset--the most beautiful sunset of the months of shooting (according to Ted Neeley). Could he recreate that moment on film? The appearance of the shepherd and his flock are barely seen. Most people do not notice it, especially due to the darkening of the screen as the sun sets. But if you watch closely, it is discernible.
And they could have removed the intruding figures in post production quite easily, if they wanted to. The decision to leave it in was a dramatic decision at that point. Jewison now considers it a significant part of his experience of the film, from a spiritual viewpoint.
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ExTechOp (2737)
6 years ago
I've also read that Ted Neely's non-appearance during the set-up was a mistake.
After Neely was in Jesus clothes, they realized they had no shots of him in his street clothes.
Only then did they decide it played better that way, and made it a point NOT to show Neely getting back on the bus.
The latest Wikipedia writer had an interesting take on it, believing that the actors playing Pilate, Mary and Judas are still looking for Neely as they get on the bus. Personally, I think they're just looking up at the cross(es) reflectively, letting the image sink in, not literally wondering where Neely's character is (since he's clearly no longer on the cross).
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