The Gospel According to St. Matthew (film)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Original Italian release poster
Directed by	Pier Paolo Pasolini
Screenplay by	Pier Paolo Pasolini
Based on	Gospel of Matthew
Produced by	Alfredo Bini
Starring	Enrique Irazoqui Margherita Caruso Susanna Pasolini Marcello Morante Mario Socrate Settimio Di Porto
Cinematography	Tonino Delli Colli
Edited by	Nino Baragli
Music by	Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Production companies	Arco Film Lux Compagnie Cinématographique
Distributed by	Titanus Distribuzione (Italy) Lux Compagnie Cinématographique (France)
Release dates	4 September 1964 (1964-09-04) (Venice) 2 October 1964 (1964-10-02) (Italy)
Running time	137 minutes[1]
Countries	Italy France[2]
Language	Italian

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Italian: Il vangelo secondo Matteo, lit. 'The Gospel according to Matthew') is a 1964 epic biblical drama film in the Italian neorealist style, written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a cinematic rendition of the story of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew, from the Nativity through the Resurrection.

In the neorealist tradition, the film utilizes a cast of non-professional actors, and is filmed entirely on-location throughout Southern Italy. The dialogue is taken directly from the Gospel of Matthew, as Pasolini felt that "images could never reach the poetic heights of the text."^[3] He reportedly chose Matthew's Gospel over the others because he had decided that "John was too mystical, Mark too vulgar, and Luke too sentimental."^[4]

The film is considered a classic of world cinema and the neorealist genre. After initial release, it won the Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, and three Nastro d'Argento Awards including Best Director. It was nominated for three Oscars - Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Score. In 2015, the Vatican City newspaper L'Osservatore Romano called it the best film on Christ ever made.^[5]