I am not ashamed to say that as a man in my mid thirties I cry like a baby every time I watch this epic. Robert Powell's portrayal of Jesus was exquisite, I've said Powell looks more like Jesus than Jesus did. Of course, in this day and age, people say things like "Oh, Jesus didn't have blue eyes". I know many Hebrews, and some have blue eyes. But this isn't important. What is important were his teachings. Love, love, and more love, to each and every man, pagan, enemy, or friend. Jesus even showed love to outright sinners and especially the Romans, which to my mind would have been utterly unthinkable and absolutely an astounding idea at the time. It's this doctrine that is so profound, so original, so revolutionary that convinced me that Jesus was indeed a man sent by God to show us the way how to live in harmony with our fellow man and how not to destroy ourselves.

I haven't seen every single Hollywood and television interpretation of Jesus's life, but I have seen quite a few of them, and by far away Jesus of Nazareth, the six-and-a-half hour miniseries from 1977, is my favorite. I don't think it's possible to cast a more believable, more trustworthy, more authentic-looking lead than Robert Powell. He truly emits a spiritual aura, and his multi-layered emotional performance is incredibly moving. Pain, hope, trust, acceptance, and above all, love, are constantly visible in his beautifully expressive eyes. It's a wonder anyone even bothered to make another Jesus movie after Franco Zeffirelli's masterpiece.

Much like Roots and The Thorn Birds, countless A-list actors flocked to be a part of this fantastic miniseries. With Olivia Hussey as Mary, Ian McShane as Judas, Laurence Olivier as Nicodemus, Anne Bancroft as Mary Magdalene, Christopher Plummer as Herod, Rod Steiger as Pontius Pilate, Michael York as John the Baptist, Anthony Quinn as Caiaphas, James Mason as Joseph of Aramathea, James Earl Jones as Balthazar, Stacey Keach as Barabbas, Ernest Borgnine, James Farentino, Peter Ustinov, Claudia Cardinale, John Duttine, Ralph Richardson, Valentina Cortese, Ian Holm, Ian Bannen, Nikki Van der Zyl, Donald Pleasence, and Cyril Cusack, every scene is well acted and filled with star presence.

Jesus of Nazareth holds a special place in my family's heart. It was this miniseries-and I'm sure Robert Powell's performance in particular-that inspired my dad to become a Christian, so if you have a different favorite film version, I'm sure you'll understand why this version will always get my most heartfelt praise. Also, in an incredible coincidence, my brother happens to look exactly like Robert Powell-particularly in this program, as he chooses to sport long hair and a beard-so whenever we watch Jesus of Nazareth, it's as if my brother is speaking to us from the television set.

Chances are, if you like to watch biblical movies, you've probably seen this one. If you haven't, or if you're wondering which would be the best to start with, rent this version over Easter weekend and split it up over two or three days. Even if Robert Powell doesn't look like your brother, it's still powerful, emotional, and inspiring

It is such a powerful series that it probably will never be matched in accuracies and presentation. I just can't see a remake that can even come close to this. Many have tried... all have failed. I believe This is by far the best representation you will ever see on the life of Christ. The Passion is about the death of Christ. This series is about how He lived. Robert Powell is simply perfect in this role and is simply outstanding. This series will never become outdated or irrelevant and will always stand the test of time... A true classic...