Pier Pasolini's Masterpiece.This atmospheric telling of the story of the life of Christ won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Pasolini did not approach this film as an epic like KING OF KINGS or THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, but films it as if a documentary crew were following Christ around the countryside. There was no screenplay – every word spoken in the film comes directly from the Bible.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW was produced in the Italian district of Basilicata – the very same location where Mel Gibson would film THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST four decades later.