Main Cast: David Haskell, Merrell Jackson, Victor Garber, David Haskell, Jerry Sroka, Lynne Thigpen, Katie Hanley
Release Year: 1973
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
Directors David Greene and John-Michael Tebelak collaborate with composer Stephen Schwartz to bring his wildly successful Broadway musical, Godspell, to the big screen. Told almost entirely in song, Godspell presents the gospel of St. Matthew updated to New York City of the late '60s/early '70s, featuring Jesus Christ as a wandering minstrel dressed like a circus clown. By blowing on an instrument that reaches only the ears of a select few around the bustling city, John the Baptist (David Haskell) summons nine simpatico hippies to a fountain in Central Park, where they revel in the waters of their baptism. When Christ (Victor Garber) joins the group, the free-flowing fraternal love solidifies into a desire to spread the word of God around the city. Outfitting themselves in a nearby junkyard that bursts with color, the lively group makes its way around a sparsely populated fairy-tale version of the city, re-enacting Biblical parables with great enthusiasm and flamboyance. Opting for a lighter yet more devout approach than its thematically similar Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell features an equivalent number of hummable hit songs, notably "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)," "By My Side," and "Day by Day." ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Review
Those who prefer their religion served with a side order of skepticism may find themselves feeling uncomfortable during Godspell -- at times, it's a lot like going to church. Conversely, those with an earnest view of faith will find joyous celebration in this giddy, straight-faced musical that has no place for irony. Unlike Jesus Christ Superstar, which is superior storytelling but inferior recitation of chapter and verse, Godspell floats along with little forward momentum, using only the lesson-intensive gospel of St. Matthew for its minimal plot. While not quite preachy, it's still arcane enough to lose viewers unfamiliar with the Bible. Godspell is full of color and a dear hippie mindset, but it is often too quirky for its own good, full of characters acting so goofy that it seems they've been brainwashed rather than willingly converted. Steadfastly unhip, the movie has to get by on its nonstop energy and enthusiasm, which is neither as contagious as it should be, nor satisfying enough to those looking for a satirical undercurrent. Directors David Greene and John-Michael Tebelak do get thematic resonance from making New York City into an additional character, but it remains on a surface level. The songs of Stephen Schwartz lack the incisiveness of those of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, but they have a totally different agenda and are equally rousing on their own terms. The hit singles ultimately provide the movie with its winning buoyancy, forcing even the cynics to indulge in unself-conscious toe-tapping. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parables interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around New York City. John the Baptist (David Haskell) gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus (Victor Garber). These disciples then proceed to form a roving acting troupe that enacts Jesus's parables through the streets of New York. They often make references to vaudeville schtick.
Differences from the musical
The song Beautiful City was written for and first included in the film, while the songs Learn Your Lessons Well and We Beseech Thee were left out. Learn Your Lessons Well's melody is used briefly in an early scene of the film and again as incidental music. We Beseech Thee is heard in the scene inside Cherry Lane Theatre where Jesus plays its melody on the piano during the story of "The Prodigal Son".
The film is deliberately less "stagy" than the musical with more dramatic emphasis put on the location shots, such as the band shell at Lincoln Park. The cinematography does much to emphasize the architecture of the New York City of the early 1970s, with a prominent performance of "All For The Best" atop the recently completed World Trade Center. However, except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city appears devoid of other people.
While the film still presents the group in the form of a roving acting troupe, the characters overall are made out more as flower children and less as edgy social rebels.
While not visible, Tebelak voiced the Pharisee Monster.
Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical, notably in All Good Gifts where Lamont Alford had used a dramatic tenor voice, Jackson uses a lighter voice and falsetto for the high ornament. By My Side is perhaps the vocal, if not the dramatic, high point.
Godspell received generally positive reviews in 1973. Allmovie Guide currently gives the film a three out of five rating. Various bands have covered songs from the film/musical. The film Jesus Christ Superstar was released that same year as Godspell.
Cast
For the eight (soon becoming nine) apostles, the role name is simply the actor's name. In the opening scenes, each of the eight apostles is presented in New York City as having an occupation. Several members of the cast were from the Off-Broadway show and attended Carnegie Mellon University. This was the first film role for many of them. With only ten actors, each was allowed to develop a distinct personality within the film.
Below is a list of the characters and their songs, sorted by order in which the songs occur in the film.
^ “Tebelak and I are enjoying an ideally smooth working relationship.… But he is not codirecting the film with me. He did not write the screenplay. He participated only minimally in pre-production planning and discussions, and attended very few rehearsals." — Letter by David Greene to Variety, Dec. 6, 1972.
