#or would he frightened? fearing that jesus would be as cruel as his god? obviously caine would be worried. jesus is supposed to be god's
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Jesus Christ Superstar is Very Good
[I'm familiar with the 1973 film version, so that's what I'm talking about here. This may or may not apply to other renditions.]
I.
Jesus Christ Superstar is an...interesting rock opera interpretation of the gospel narrative.
If I had to describe it with one word, it would be "juxtaposition". Ancient Roman guards wielding AK-47s coexist with afro-hippies living in adobe huts. King Herod sings a whimsical falsetto tune just minutes before the thirty-nine lashings of Christ are counted off in an agonized voice by a guilt-ridden Pontius Pilate. 'Tonal whiplash' is perhaps putting it a bit lightly.
But somehow, it works. The anachronisms give it a sort of magical realism which suits its timeless theme. That theme is "idealism versus pragmatism", or perhaps "kindness versus effectiveness."
The opera opens with a song by Judas, of all people. Judas is depicted here not as a greedy turncoat, but as someone who cares deeply about Jesus, Jesus' ideals, and the welfare of others.
Listen, Jesus, I don't like what I see
All I ask is that you listen to me
And remember
I've been your right hand man all along
…
And believe me
My admiration for you hasn't died
But every word you say today
Gets twisted 'round some other way
And they'll hurt you if they think you've lied
…
I am frightened by the crowd
For we are getting much too loud
And they'll crush us if we go too far
…
Listen, Jesus, to the warning I give
Please remember that I want us to live
He points out that money spent on expensive perfumes for Jesus could have been used to feed the poor (a topic close to my own heart). We have every reason to believe what he says - that he only wants what is best for Jesus and the occupied Jews.
But his desire for the movement to succeed pragmatically, for Jesus and the apostles (and himself) to stay 'safe' leads him to be cold, uncaring, and of course, a murderer.
While he obviously cares for Jesus, it's undeniable that there's resentment and even anger in his dialogue (performed amazingly well by Carl Anderson here. Seriously, listen to it, it's incredible).
Nazareth, your famous son
Should have stayed a great unknown
Like his father carving wood
He'd have made good
Tables, chairs, and oaken chests
Would have suited Jesus best
He'd have caused nobody harm, no one alarm
He is overly concerned with how Jesus appears to others, urging Jesus to associate less with prostitutes for the sake of his public image. He prioritizes looking good over actually being good.
At best, he could be said to "indulge" Jesus' claims about being the son of God, and at worst he's outright skeptical of them.
I remember when this whole thing began
No talk of God then, we called you a man
Judas is characterized so heavily because the film revolves around the ideological conflict between him and Jesus. While Judas is pragmatic to the point of being cold and cruel, Jesus is idealistic and trusting to a fault. He refuses to explain himself to others or take any measures to ensure others understand what he means.
So why would the viewer like or sympathize with Jesus? Because he is shown, not as a divine chessmaster who knows everything, but as an honest and conflicted servant to a higher being he doesn't understand. When a crowd asks him to die for them, we see the fear in his eyes.
At the garden of Gethsemane, he has a gut-wrenching solo performance where he desperately begs God to let him live, or at least explain why he has to die (another amazing performance, this time by Ted Neeley).
Why, why should I die?
Why should I die?
Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain?
Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain
Show me there's a reason for your wanting me to die
You're far too keen on 'where' and 'how' but not so hot on 'why'
And that is why Jesus' struggle here is emotional and moving, maybe even more than the canonical Christian Jesus!
The canonical Christian Jesus knew that he was the Son of God, knew that he had to die to redeem mankind's sins, and knew that he would live forever in Heaven after his Passion [1]. He experiences fear and pain, of course, but the guaranteed eternal paradise and his direct line to God the Father give him a kind of solace that no other mortal has ever had access to.
Superstar Jesus Christ? He's plagued by uncertainty, unsure of what his greater role is in God's plan. He is privy to no private information and has no guarantees whatsoever. For all he knows, he'll suffer and die for nothing, leaving his people to be dispersed and oppressed long after he's gone.
Just like with Judas, we have a character with a truly human blend of mixed emotions. Devotion and faith to God, fear of pain and suffering and failure, and a desperate desire to know why God won't tell him any more, and perhaps even some spite toward that same God he trusts so much:
Alright, I'll die!
Just watch me die!
See how, see how I die!
Oh, just watch me die
…
Why, then, am I scared to finish
What I started?
What you started!
I didn't start it!
His doubt has him end his prayer in Gethsemane with the tragicomic line:
Bleed me, beat me, kill me, take me now
Before I change my mind!
II.
I know that "idealism versus pragmatism" isn't the deepest or most complex theme in the world, but it's portrayed beautifully here. Two people who ultimately want the same thing, who should be the closest companions, are forced against each other by different beliefs about how to achieve their goals under an oppressive regime that hates both of them.
It's a story that avoids easy black and white morality, despite the fact that one of the characters is literally Jesus! The fairness with which it portrays the different "ideologies" makes it popular even among atheists (according to my surveys of Youtube comment sections).
This entire philosophical conflict comes to a head in Superstar, sung by the ghost of Judas and an angelic choir to Jesus right just he is crucified.
Why'd you choose such a backward time and such a strange land?
If you'd come today, you would have reached a whole nation
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication
...
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ, Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are?
…
Tell me what you think about your friends at the top
Now who'd you think, besides yourself, was the pick of the crop?
Buddha, was he where it's at? Is he where you are?
Could Mohamed move a mountain, or was that just PR?
The premise of this song is unique and emotional. Someone who believes in Jesus, and trusts him, wondering how this could possibly be part of a reasonable plan? Wondering why God would send his son to die, and then spend 2000 years doing not much at all? Wondering why there are other religions, with messiah figures who seem just as confident and spiritual and humble as Jesus, while being mutually contradictory with what Jesus preached?
This entire perspective, well...I empathize with it!
I used to be Christian, and these are the exact kind of questions I struggled with. Through Judas' character, this opera is willing to bring up the hard questions you have to answer when you're a modern, critical, utilitarian-minded Christian.
But it's not a shallow gotcha, trying to expose how dumb Christianity and Jesus are. Both Judas and Jesus are flawed, emotional, deeply sympathetic characters who have remarkably similar tragic fates. One takes his own life from guilt, and one lets his own life be taken from him through inaction and silence.
And remember: this is the same musical with the hippies and the AK-47 Roman guards and the falsetto King Herod song! The light-hearted aesthetics lure you into a genuinely moving story about the hard choices you face when trying to be a force for good in a complicated, deeply imperfect world.
And did I mention that it has some banger songs? Hosanna, Damned for All Time, and the Last Supper are all great songs in their own right.
What I'm trying to say is - Jesus Christ Superstar is very good.
[1] Okay, that's Catholicism, probably some other branches of Christianity believe slightly different things. But the basic point still stands.
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Disney, a Little to the Left pt.1
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Archdeacon thought he had inspired a true come-to-God moment in the Judge, but the man’s fear lasted only long enough to hear the consequences of his actions. “Saddled with this misshapen creature” was a telling enough reaction. Immediately abandoning the child to the church’s custody could be the act of a busy old man with no childcare experience, but demanding the infant be locked away where no one else could see it was not the action of a man truly intending to raise a child. The way he called it a foul creature and said it may someday be of use to him was the final nail in the coffin of the Archdeacon’s trust.
The cruel name he tried to give the boy rang in the Archdeacon’s ears as he carried the infant inside, louder than any bell. He snorted to himself. “The bell tower indeed,” he muttered. A good place to drown out the cries of an unwanted child, not a soothing place to help a newborn sleep. The boy would be deaf in a month if he lived there.
“I tried,” he sighed as he lit a candle for the soul of the mother, her body still cooling on the front steps. He would need to rouse the gravedigger. “Jesus, Mary and all the saints as my witnesses, I tried to help him atone.” So saying, he prayed a quiet curse upon the Judge, and a plea for forgiveness for his own actions that night. Following the gravedigger to the cemetery, he prayed as many blessings as he could think of over the child. The church at least would guarantee him a pious life full of light and music, scriptures and psalms surrounding him every day of his life...but not safety. The Judge was a murderer, and appealing to his piety had failed. It was naive of him to try, but one must be a little naive to have faith, the Archdeacon mused as he left the gravedigger to his work. He would return to preside over her rites, but for now...
“At least you will have some miracles in your life, little one,” he whispered as he pressed in a stone on the mausoleum and descended the stairs into the crypts. It wasn’t long before he was accosted by the gypsies, but his garb afforded him certain protections. “One of yours,” he said, holding out the quietly snuffling bundle. “The mother is upstairs, soon to be downstairs.” He tried to smile as he tacked on “And soon after, hopefully, further upstairs.”
The masked man chuckled, causing the others surrounding the pair to laugh as well. A little gallows humor was always well received in the catacombs, and in such grim times even a priest’s poor attempt at a joke was cause for mirth. He prayed another silent prayer of forgiveness for the mother’s soul, as though he could deliver her to the gates of Heaven by will alone. Dying to protect her child was surely enough blood to cover even the most egregious of sins. The Virgin Mother would understand, he believed. A strange gulping noise drew him back to the moment.
The jester’s face below the mask was stretched out in a rictus of a grin, frozen for just a moment as he gazed into the bundle. The Archdeacon stopped himself from snatching the child away from the uncertain reception, and for the second time that night, trusted.
“Ah yes, I recognize him immediately!” the jester burst out, and the Archdeacon relaxed. There was some good in humanity after all. “Why this is my nephew...!” The Archdeacon shrugged at the split-second glance. He would not repeat the insult the Judge tried to saddle the boy with. “...Ruskin! Who could forget him, with such lovely red hair!”
“He doesn’t look like any of your nephews,” said a skinny boy with straight black hair, clad in an outfit to match the jester’s, peering around his father’s side to frown at the infant.
“Fool!” shrieked a puppet that manifested above his head, bringing down a small wooden mallet upon said head. “He is obviously the son of our great-aunt’s father’s third cousin’s best friend’s brother’s niece-in-law!” “Be nice to your cousin,” added the jester in his normal voice as the boy whimpered and rubbed his head, handing the bundle down and shooing the children away into the darkness.
The Archdeacon could pass no further than this, he knew. The tentative peace between the gypsies and the church only stretched so far. Still, he watched until the child’s shadow melted away in the flickering light of the torches, knowing this could well be the last time he saw the boy. The jester coughed and raised an eyebrow at him, and the Archdeacon flushed. So many sins to atone for tonight, he thought guiltily as he pulled a candelabra from under his cloak. There were muted exclamations from the men around him as the gold glinted in the firelight. The jester’s eyes sharpened, gaze going calculating and wary, but face still smiling.
“To cover the cost of his upbringing,” the archdeacon said, heading off any questions and doing his best to anticipate potential arguments. This was the most dangerous thing he had ever done, and he felt it in his bones. One wrong step and his skeleton would join the piles around them. “The donor recently passed away, it will not be missed,” he said carefully, feeling for the right words and trying to instill them with authority. “I give it freely, under my authority as archdeacon, to match your generosity in caring for the poor orphan left on our doorstep.”
“Whyever would I need such a gift, for caring for my dear darling nephew, my own flesh and blood?” the jester chirped back at him. The archdeacon steadied his breath and willed his outstretched hand equally steady, feeling the strain, both the weight of the candle holder and the gazes of the thieves surrounding him. He had not been cut down yet, he reminded himself, and that was as good as invitation. He chose his words with even greater care.
“Flesh and blood needs food and drink to sustain it, and the boy may not be able to earn his keep.” The outside as twisted as it is, there is no telling what ailments lay inside. “And being born in such a cold season, it may prove...unhealthy for the child to be upstairs.” It’s not safe for him in Paris proper. “Such a pale child needs sunlight to blossom, though. You may find, when he gets older, that he requires a warmer climate to survive.” Living in the catacombs forever is not an option for a growing boy, but better to pack him into a southbound caravan than risk sending him out to be discovered by the Judge.
The jester pinned him with another long stare, but then the weight in his hand was gone and the candelabra was a glinting, golden spiral as the jester twirled it, cackling madly. The tension in the air was also gone in a rush, laughter and whoops filling the silence. At least two sharp points were suddenly absent from his back, the Archdeacon realized belatedly. He hadn’t even noticed they were there. Hopefully he would not have spots of blood on his clothes to account for later.
“Such a generous gift, but alas, we have no use for candleholders, being torch people ourselves,” the jester said with a grand wave of his arm and a wink. You’ll never see this again, it will be broken and melted by the end of the night. The Archdeacon could read between the lines too. He nodded his head, relief almost turning the dip into a half-bow, and tried not to gasp as the torches all went out at once.
Not even the sound of splashed could be heard and the gypsies abandoned him in the dark, and he was left to grope his way back to the stairs by touch alone. Unpleasant enough in a stone church, but surrounded by the dead, with not even a whisper of moonlight to guide him, it was the stuff of nightmares. He mentally subtracted ten Hail Marys from his running total for the night. Twelve, he thought with a shudder as his fingers caught in an eye socket, feet stumbling upon the stone steps that lead him back up to the safety of the graveyard.
How could anyone call it dark or frightening, he wondered as he climbed out of the grave and scurried a little faster than dignified back to where he left the gravedigger. It was positively bright with silver moonlight and friendly with familiar headstones, the layer of snow casting a heavenly white blanket over the scene. He reached the side of the gravedigger, who quirked a look at him but otherwise kept his mouth shut. An admirable trait in any man, the Archdeacon thought gratefully as he launched into the most heartfelt rites he’d given that year, prayers and blessings pouring over the woman’s shroud as they lowered her to her final rest, the Archdeacon a bit more carefully than the gravedigger.
“-forever and ever, amen. I’ll have a warm meal for you when you’re finished,” he promised the gravedigger. The man merely grunted and picked up his shovel, cold soil cascading back into the hole as he returned to work. The Archdeacon returned to his own work, numb feet carrying him back to the church. First wash the blood from the steps, lest it offend the eyes of the Holy. Then the meal, and perhaps a hot drink for both of them. And then...penance. For this night, and the day that would surely come, when the Judge returned to see his creature. Alas, the poor blighted thing did not survive, its ailments too great, only the love of its mother sustaining it outside the womb for so long. The lie was already fixed firmly in the Archdeacon’s mind, and though he hoped it would bring the Judge even a shred of guilt, he knew in his heart that it would not.
The Archdeacon would waste no more prayers on the man after this night. Judge Claude Frollo was bound for Hell.
#writing#fic rec#disney#the hunchback of notre dame#AUs are still my favorite thing#this is going to be a series#not necessarily happy endings#just how things might have gone differently#a little to the left#I know practically nothing about Catholicism#feel free to correct me on any major mistakes
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Secret Ending 1 Time! I'm a bit overwhelmed. Secret Ending 2 coming later on before I go to bed, probably.
Doing this by episode instead of character for once.
also, please note that anything I write concerning mental health, mental illness and therapy is done based on my own (limited) experience with such things. As such, these opinions may sound limited and condescending due to my own biases. Nothing is meant to offend.
Episode 1
Rika and V are SERIOUSLY codependent, it sounds like.
Jumin's plans for the RFA are A++.
Meowy is fucking savage, even when it's not meant to be . I love it so much.
is2g, I hope MC knows how to use a gun.
I want to say I'm surprised by how much Saeran hates Saeyoung, but all things considered, I am not.
...How often has Saeran dreamt of Saeyoung dying? Wait. I don't want to know.
I feel like Saeran and Vanderwood would actually get along better than Vanderwood and Saeyoung? If only because they'd have fun bitching about Saeyoung
So... Vanderwood feels like Saeyoung was being reckless with his life while he was under their supervision?
Personal loyalty is TOTALLY Saeyoung's fatal flaw jfc.
Although, I love how Saeyoung managed to manipulate Vanderwood.
And yeah, serious!Saeyoung is hella attractive.
We totally owe you one, Vanderwood.
The things Saeyoung does for his twin... knocking him out I mean
DID YOU ACTUALLY GET SHOT!? If I didn't already hate that damn agency, I certainly do now
Oh thank god he’s okay for now
lololol, we're not married.
...I am not surprised that Saeran just called us into his cult, but I'm strangely hurt? Why? I don't understand why this hurts.
V!? WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK. WHY. WHAT. My brain. It hurts. You know, along with my feelings.
Episode 2
Rika and V's first meeting is surprisingly cute. And V is surprisingly smooth.
I really wanna know where the hell they get V from Jihyun Kim.
Wait, so you're blinded, but your first priority is still Rika? That's some serious love/loyalty there.
Thank you Vanerwood, for asking the real questions here.
Who is this fucking Savior!?
Wait, what did Saeran do to their mom? I feel like that was an implied "Saeran had her killed"
Episode 3
Therapy? What therapy?
isn't therapy is designed to make you face the parts of you you don't accept? because you need to accept the flawed parts of yourself so you can try to make them better?
...you have a HORRIBLE therapist, Rika. You know, unless you're lying. I wouldn't be surprised if you were lying to get out of therapy.
So Rika's depressed and has anxiety AT LEAST. Well, no wonder the RFA is full of damaged souls, if Rika brought them all togethr. Like calls to like after all.
I realize you want to know more, V, but that's such a rude way of asking. And it sounds less like you care about her and more like you care about her suffering specifically.
Pretending doesn't help anyone!
Forgiveness is not for the other person though! It's for you! So the person you forgive no longer has a hold on your life. Why waste time on those people and how they hurt you? You're worth more than that.
V... that is... that sounds like you're romanticizing her pain jfc. Even Rika noticed.
So, on top of the anxiety and depression, there's suicidal ideations. And V is basically NOT EQUIPPED for this.
Jesus, these two are twisted.
If this is love, I want no part of it.
NO V. YOU SHOULD NOT BE WILLING TO LET YOUR S/O HURT YOU AND STILL LOVE THEM. THAT IS ABUSE AND NO ONE DESERVES THAT.
THIS IS EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION ON BOTH PARTS AND THIS IS AN UNHEALTHY WHY ARE YOU TWO TOGETHER!?
RELATIONSHIP AND I AM SUDDENLY VERY FUCKING FRIGHTENED OF ANYTHING THESE TWO DO TOGETHER.
I feel like Rika's the real sun here, which warms and gives life, but can also burn anything that touches it.
FUCKING... RIKA'S THE SAVIOR. GODDAMN.
You know, given her "love" for V, and how he claims to be her sun, I am not surprised she named a goddamn cult after him. who else in this fucking game has mint green eyes? Saeran does, but I'm 110% sure that's contacts.
MC IS SO FUCKING PASSIVE OMG. Although, her taking the wheel last episode was awesome
Thank god the RFA has our backs.
So... Saeran is basically Natasha Romanoff in the Winter Soldier, but with less benign intentions.
Rika, for all that you claim to love V... this is not convincing me of that "fact."
Also, if I needed more evidence that Saeran's being manipulated, this conversation is it.
Episode 4
yes, negligence is a crime, but honestly, the direction your putting that fact in is scaring the shit out of me
Oh thank god that V recognizes those thoughts of Rika's sound more like a dictatorship.
Wow Rika... if you think V doesn't have any fears and that he doesn't understand, you are DEFINITELY not in the right relationship.
Rika... saving people who don't want to be saved doesn't help. Just makes them more likely to rebel. And now I'm getting CACW!Captain America vibes from her
You are about as stable as the San Andreas fault line, Rika.
V, PLEASE DO MORE TO CONVINCE RIKA TO STOP. although you obviously fail.
...V sounds like a masochist.
So... V is doing this to protect the RFA? And omf, yeah, V is DEFINITELY where Saeyoung got his self sacrificing tendencies from
Saeran is about as free from pain as I am from confusion at the moment. That is to say, he's a fucking wreck.
Yeah, I'm pretty fucking sure you don't love V. Just what he can do for you.
RIKA DID EVERYTHING WRONG. EVERYTHING IS RIKA'S FAULT. or just about. Although I do blame V as well.
I understand that bae wants to kill V for this, and honestly, that he's more upset about Saeran than himself, but there's no way I'm letting him kill someone for it
I love (not the sarcasm) how V's entire idea for saving everyone is so dependent on Rika going back to her previous self. Which... will never happen. You can't go back. Only forward.
Yes, let's get out of here first before we try to kill/blame each other.
Episode 5
RIKA BLINDED HIM!? WHAT THE EVER LOVING... I mean, I guess she's just trying to get him to put his money where his mouth is. But that's just cruel. also, this is the moment he should have realized he wasn't enough to help her, and that maybe this is an unhealthy relationship
Jumin Han and bodyguards to the rescue, I hope?
Meowy to the rescue! Also, Tomatohead programmed a cat that fetched them tomatoes. That is actually kind of hilarious, if it weren't for the situation they're in.
BE MORE ASSERTIVE V JFC.
Episode 6
You know, if I had any doubts this was a goddamn cult, the opening scene shattered all of them.
Yup, Rika just manipulated and used Saeran. I am not surprised.
Saeran... despite all the bullshit he's done, I feel bad for him now.
Ayyyyy, she even admitted it's goddamn brainwashing.
Saeyoung... I knew you'd do that.
Goddamnit, get up! you're not dying on us!
...Where the fuck did Saeran hide a goddamn gun?
The opposing thoughts of smol!Saeran and MintEye!Saeran are jarring. Also really depressing.
Medicine of salvation? more like brainwashing drugs. You've already said it out loud once.
Ahahaha... I am not surprised Saeran blamed V? I am somehow ALSO not surprised V got shot? Just... really sad, because he's a kind of a tragic character.
Hindsight's a bitch, ain't it V?
Episode 7
Yo... so she actually DOES still love him? I mean, if she's going into shock with him dying and all that?
Hey look, it's Jumin's guards. took em long enough
So yeah, that was probably assisted suicide on V's part? Like, I can't see him being willing to live while Rika treated him like crap and basically was going to kill him anyway?
Also, the fact that she now has aphasia actually calms me a bit, because she can't manipulate people with her words anymore unless she's like, typing or something.
But why are Zen and Yoosung being kept out of the loop? I'm confused, since the RFA is all about trust and everything now.
yeah, if Saeran isn't getting ALL THE FUCKING THERAPY, i'd be having WORDS with everyone. Quite loudly.
lololol I was right, Zen was shocked by Vanderwood.
Also, Vanderwood with OCD is probably a result of picking up after our favorite mess.
the messenger should be truthful, but this group is just really bad at doing so
I hope Saeyoung takes his own advice and tries to live a selfish life now
I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE ISN’T BEHIND BARS WTFH!?!?!?
I am not satisfied with Rika being free, even if she’s mute. But I’m glad Saeran was saved, and sad that V is now dead. But goddamn, no one should have let V and Rika stay together. They’re... really bad for each other honestly. That was not a healthy relationship.
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