The Gospel According to St. Matthew
Recommended. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Pasolini was an atheist and a Marxist, and he made one of the most faithful films about Christ ever shot. He added no invented dialogue. The Sermon on the Mount lands with full force, and the Resurrection is proclaimed. One reservation: this Jesus is stern and urgent, with little of the tenderness the other Gospels show. Read it as one true portrait, not the whole one.
For parents
Best for ages ten and up, since it is long, subtitled and slow. Preview the massacre of the innocents. Read a chapter of Matthew first. Ask: which words of Jesus hit you hardest? Why is he so severe with the Pharisees and so gentle with the sick?