Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786301275392
Format: NTSC
ISBN: 630127539X
Label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 1989-05-03
Running Time: 108
Studio: Warner Home Video

Customer Rating:
Summary: Jesus conspiracy movie
Comment: THE PASSOVER PLOT
directed by Michael Campus
approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
based on the eponymous book by Hugh Schonfield

This is an interesting look at the crucifixion story in that it emphasizes the "Jewishness" of Jesus' followers. However Zalman King's portrayal of Jesus is somewhat erratic... he is either stone faced or he is screaming! Zalman is better known today for soft-core sexual movies in the Skin-o-max mold. Donald Pleasance (from the Halloween movies) does a pretty good job as Pontius Pilate though. Director Michael Campus is probably best known for the 1970s pimp movie THE MACK!

The movie takes us back to the first century and puts us right in the heart of the Jewish political underground. The more revolutionary Jews are shown as being fed up with the high priests, whom they consider corrupt and weak in the face of Rome. A band of agitators is trying to rile up the masses to rebel against Herod and Pontius Pilate. Pilate is shown as being an impatient authoritarian who is more concerned with punishment than the rule of law.

We follow Jesus and his entourage as they travel around the countryside and delivering a message of love and peace. This is frustrating to the more political faction of Jews, who want to provoke a direct confrontation with the authorities. In the movie, both sides agree that their movement is one of Jewish liberation and that they should keep the future of the Jews in mind first and foremost. In fact, the disciples later strike up a deal with this group of agitators, an event which eventually leads to Jesus' turning over the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple.

The scandal of the movie is that it suggests that Jesus, his brother James and Judas Iscariot were part of a conspiracy to manufacture a Jewish messiah. According to this theory, Jesus asked Judas to report him to the authorities so as to give the appearance of a betrayal. Jesus knew that the Roman court system would sentence him to die by crucifixion. With this foreknowledge, he asked his brother James to prepare a special mixture that would give him the appearance of an early death on the cross. That way, after the Romans "tested" Jesus' body to make sure that he was dead, they would then allow his next of kin James to take the body preemptively and attempt to restore him to health. Both Judas and James feel uncomfortable about going along with Jesus' "passover plot". The best tension in the movie comes from the characters worrying about what they believe is inevitable.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A profound film
Comment: This film explores fascinating concepts about the political and social significance of Jesus'choice to create the illusion of his resurrection in order to increase his credibility with those that had come to value his message. A wonderfully done film adapted from an incredibly astute book.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: READ THE BOOK MISSED THE VIDEO
Comment: FEW YRS BACK I BELONGED TO THE BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB AND HAD GOTTEN THE PASSOVER PLOT I DON'T REMEMBER THE AUTHORS NAME ONLY HE WAS JEWISH,& A PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA U. IN NYCI LOANED IT TO SOMEONE THAT NEVER RETURNED IT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LATE 60s IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING FOOD FOR THOUGHT. I'M A ROMAN CATHOLIC AND IT DIDN'T CHANGE MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN THE RESERECTION OF JESUS, , BUT IT WAS A INTERESTING CONCEPT I WOULD LOVE TO FIND A COPY OF THE OLD BOOK ALSO HOW CLOSE THE NEW BOOKS PLOT IS TO THE OLD ONE? IS THIS A VIDEO OR BOOK?

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A plausable alternate view.
Comment: I viewed this movie in San Diego in 1976 at it's release. To my knoweledge, it was the only viewing. Many clergymen from the Christian/Catholic diosese were present in an official capacity. I spoke to several of them after the showing. They made it clear that the "church" was opposed to the release of The Passover Plot. One of the priests commented, "This is not the sort of thing a Christian should see."
I have been searching for The Passover Plot since the 1980's. It not only offers a reasonable alternate view of Christ's crucifixion, but was actually nominated for an Academy Award in the costume design catagory in 1976. Harry Andrews and Donald Pleasance gave exceptional performances. For many reasons, The Passover Plot is a film worth seeing. It is unfortunate that this film is not easily available to the public, for whatever reason. In fact, it is not even listed in any of the actors profiles, nor is it listed with REEL.COM. It would be interesting to learn more of the "church" connection.

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