In the video lecture John the Baptist In Film, Professor Brian walks you through three different cinematic depictions of John the Baptist. We would now like you to do consider the similarities and differences in the depictions of Jesus speaking on the mountainside in Ben Hur and The Last Temptation of Christ.
1. Pick a shot from this scene in Last Temptation of Christ that shows a person in the crowd reacting to Jesus words. Describe this shot in 150-200 words what kind of shot is it, what is the camera angle, where is the person in the frame, how is it lit, what else do you see in the frame in the background and on the sides. This descriiption should be written so that someone who hasnt seen the film can understand how the person in the crowd is depicted.
2. Pick a shot from this scene in Ben Hur that shows a person responding to Jesus words. Once again, describe this shot in 150-200 words what kind of shot is it, that is the camera angle, where is the person in the frame, how is it lit, what else do you see in the frame in the background and on the sides. This descriiption should be written so that someone who hasnt seen the film can understand how the person in the crowd is depicted.
3. Write a paragraph that describes the differences between these two shots. Describe specific similarities and differences between the two shots. Describe how these similarities help establish Last Temptation of Christ within the tradition of ancient world films and how the differences sets the Last Temptation of Christ apart from the genre.
