Skip to main content

A Conversation With the Man Who Played Pasolini's Christ

There have been countless cinematic interpretations of the books of the Bible, but few have stood the test of time. One that qualifies as a classic is Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1964 “Il Vangolo secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew).

Considered by the Vatican to be among the best film adaptations of one of the Gospels, Pasolini’s 1964 film was shot in the regions of Calabria, Puglia and Basilicata. In an interview with RAI television while on location in Matera, Pasolini talked about the reasons for shooting there. “I chose two or three places in Basilicata. One is Barile, a town of Albanians. I needed a place for Bethlehem. Another location is Matera because it reminded me of Jerusalem,” he explained.

Pasolini’s interpretation of St. Matthews’s Gospel is pure, with no added commentary. He said that he followed the Gospel word for word without adding a single syllable. He explained in the interview that his idea to make the film happened by coincidence. “In October of 1962, I was in Assisi exactly the day when Pope John XXIII arrived in Assisi. All of the events and confusion surrounding the Pope’s visit caused a traffic jam. So, I was forced to stay at home with my guests who belong to the Pro Civitate Christiana of Assisi. Held up inside with nothing to do, I picked up the Bible on the table and started reading. I began with St. Matthew because it was the first, and then came the trauma of the story. Then I read the others but the intense trauma that gave me the idea for the film came from St. Matthew. So I stayed loyal to that first feeling of inspiration.”

Spanish actor Enrique Irazoqui was cast in the role of Jesus. He was just 18 years old when he landed the part. He had been in Rome at the time of casting. Acquaintances arranged a meeting between him and Pasolini. When Pasolini saw Irazoqui, he knew right away that he had found his Christ.

I had the opportunity to interview Irazoqui just a few months before he passed away in 2019. We talked via Skype. His recollections were tender and nostalgic. He spoke with great enthusiasm and a touch of humor as he described this unforgettable, life-changing experience.

Watch our Skype interview on YouTube or read the copy below..



What stands out in your memory of working on this film and shooting in the Sassi of Matera?
Matera became Jerusalem. We spent about a week to 10 days shooting there. In the Sassi of Matera, I experienced a bit of irony on the set because when we were filming, every 10 or 15 minutes of every day, seeing that I was dressed as Christ, wearing the clothes of Christ, certain men and women, when I was talking with the apostles, asked me if I could perform a miracle for them. I didn't know how to perform miracles. I said, "I am not Christ. I am an actor that is portraying Christ." They didn’t understand anything. They didn’t understand anything because the difference between an actor and that which I was portraying didn’t exist. After dinner, I went for a walk with St. John the Evangelist and I smoked. They became angry with me and said, “Christ, didn’t smoke!" 
Irazoqui and Pasolini on set in the Sassi of Matera
Photo by Domenico Notarangelo

 Do you have a special memory, something that you will always hold close to your heart?
Yes, certainly. Something exceptionally special, above all, is Elsa Morante. Elsa Morante is my first image from "The Gospel According to St. Matthew." Then there is also Pasolini, Pier Paolo Pasolini.

How did this role change your life?
It changed my life in every sense.  For example, when letters of recommendation were needed to enter a university in Minneapolis, I made a phone call to Elsa Morante and she told me that she would take care of everything. So, I had letters of recommendation by (Jean-Paul) Sartre, (Simone de) Beauvoir, (Elsa) Morante, (Alberto) Moravia, Pasolini, etc. I don't think there was another with those letters of recommendation. The University of Minnessota sent me a telegram: "Offer follows". This is an example. Making the film was an extraordinary influence on my life.

Why do you think this film from 1964 is still so popular today?
I don't know. I think that maybe, and I don’t know for sure,  it’s because of the Vatican. The Vatican said that there’s never been a Christ like mine portrayed in a film.

It's worth noting that to this day, Irazoqui is still very much adored in Basilicata for this role. The city of Matera made him an honorary citizen. "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" is available to stream on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu and YouTube. 

Check out my 2019 Holy Thursday video, which features the sacred architecture of the Sassi of Matera..

- Jeannine Guilyard

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Anthology Film Archives Presents: The Italian Connection: Poliziotteschi and Other Italo-Crime Films of the 1960s and '70's

June 19 – June 29 Influenced both by 1960s political cinema and Italian crime novels, as well as by French noir and American cop movies like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection," many Italian filmmakers in the late-60s and early-70s gradually moved away from the spaghetti western genre, trading lone cowboys for ‘bad’ cops and the rough frontier of the American west for the mean streets of modern Italy. Just as they had with their westerns, they reinvented the borrowed genre with their inimitable eye for style and filled their stories with the kidnappings, heists, vigilante justice, and brutal violence that suffused this turbulent moment in post-boom 1970s Italy. The undercurrent of fatalism and cynicism in these uncompromising movies is eerily reminiscent of the state of discontent in Italy today. ‘The Italian Connection’ showcases the diversity and innovation found in the genre, from the gangster noir of Fernando Di Leo’s "Caliber 9" ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife).  Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time.  Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love.   Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty.  He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence.  Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait  “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann.  Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Timeless Vision of Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pondering his films and poetry, I wonder if the uniqueness of Pier Paolo Pasolini's films was rooted in his unconventional childhood. Born in Bologna in 1922, Pasolini's father was a lieutenant in the army, and his family was always moving. He grew up in various small towns in Northern Italy. After his parents separated, he spent most of his time in his mother's hometown of Casarsa, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. There, he grew to respect the area's peasant culture and began to write poetry in the region's dialect. He studied literature and art history at the University of Bologna and was drafted into the army during World War II. The war proved to be especially tragic for his family as his younger brother was executed by Communist partisans. Following the war, he returned to Casarsa where he worked as a teacher and ironically became a leading member of the Communist party there. Pasolini was later expelled from the party due to allegations of homo...
Post a Comment
Read more