Since the dawn of cinema 120 years ago, directors have cast actresses as the Virgin Mary in a wide range of films. As the varied titles ascribed to the Blessed Mother in Catholic theology suggest, hers is a personality as multifaceted as it is ultimately mysterious. Here’s a brief survey of some memorable portrayals of Mary on film, all of which can be streamed online. As with many biblical motifs, the portrayal of the Blessed Mother on film dates back to the earliest years of the medium. A 1903 French silent production, originally titled “La Vie et la passion de Jésus Christ” and given the simpler English title “The Passion Play,” may take the palm as the earliest example. In what now seems an antiquated form of identification, the actress portraying Mary, under the direction of Lucien Nonguet and Ferdinand Zecca, was credited rather formally as Madame Moreau. (Aptly enough, St. Joseph was played by Monsieur Moreau.) If the movie was oldfashioned in this respect, however, it was quite innovative in another: It may have been the first feature ever colorized. By John Mulderig LIGHTS! CAMERA! MARY! Monica Bellucci (Mary Magdalene), Maia Morgenstern (Mary), and Hristo Jivkov (John) in a scene from 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ.” (Courtesy Icon Productions) 28 Marian Helper • Winter 2022-23 • Marian.org
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