Jesus Christ Superstar 4K 1973 Ultra HD 2160p

Gillan is amazing. The first time I heard Gillan’s signature… well, let’s call it a “squeak” was in “Child in Time.” But I didn’t expect there’d be a place for that sound in an opera, too. There was! And just how organically that “squeak” fits into the music when Christ asks God, “Why should I die?” or when he casts out Judas. I could listen to this for hours!!

I really love how the singers use vocal modulation, highlighting certain words with a different timbre (sorry, I’m not very familiar with vocal terminology) . And the dancing was very fitting—it brilliantly conveys the characters’ inner states and their emotions: I can’t forget how Judas practically writhes in “The Last Supper” while screaming, “You sad, pathetic man…”

At first, seeing the apostles dressed like hippies, I detached myself from the biblical story we all know, but after a while, as I listened to the words and got used to the setting of the film, I began to perceive it as that very story about Christ, known to nearly every person on Earth.

I’d like to praise not only Weber’s music but also Rice’s lyrics. How difficult it is to find a rhyme in English—and yet to so magnificently convey the doubts of Christ, Judas, and Pilate; the crowd’s malice; Caiaphas’s treachery; and Christ’s serenity and meekness.

I don’t know how I’ll rate the film once the emotions have gradually faded, but I’m certain that *Jesus Christ Superstar* is the best rock opera to date!