Jesus Allegory Films

I’ve seen a lot of films which are allegories based on the Jesus myth. Most of them were quite good movies. I’m going to list my five favorites here.

First and foremost is BLADERUNNER. Rutger Hauer made a very strange Jesus figure, but an effective one nonetheless. As I tell everyone, BLADERUNNER is my all-time favorite movie, so I dissect it every time I watch it (about six times a year).

Second on the list is the absolutely kickass film, COOL HAND LUKE. Paul Newman is the most human of all of the allegorical Jesuses. This movie also had the neatest film version of Pontius Pilate (Strother Martin) and Apostle Paul (George Kennedy). For a thinly veiled religious movie, this one seems to be on everybody’s favorites list.

Third is the recent, but no less impressive NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Now, to my way of thinking, it’s more of a Satan movie (Javier Bardem), but Josh Brolin puts in a very good turn as the Jesus figure (Llewellyn Moss), and is probably the most stubborn of the bunch of cinematic Jesus dudes.

Next is Keanu Reeves as Neo, in the most heavy-handed Jesus allegory of them all in THE MATRIX. You have to be total dunce to miss the religious imagery and references in this one. I have to say, though, that Lawrence Fishburne made one hell of a John the Baptist (he even got to keep his head).

Last on my list is Christopher Reeve as Superman/Jesus. Probably the most noble of all of the Jesus folk. He’s pretty much the god aspect of Jesus with not much of the human side visible (except when he’s being Clark). And who better to have portrayed God, than Marlon Brando?


Well, there it is: the list of my all-time favorite Jesus Allegory Films.