Easter weekend means different things to different people, and it has become a famous nondenominational celebration in its own right.
But it’s not necessary to be religious to appreciate the artistry of the older Biblical epic movies, several of which are considered classics.
This Easter, Amazon Prime Video users have access to a handful of those epics and the ability to rent the films that aren’t directly on the service.
To celebrate the holiday this year, Watch With Us has put together our picks for the three great Amazon Prime Video movies to watch this Easter. Two of the films are epics and the third is a fantastic musical.
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‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ (1965)
The Greatest Story Ever Told was a big-budget production for its day and one of the Biblical epics produced during a golden era in Hollywood. It’s an ambitious retelling of the life of Jesus Christ (Max von Sydow) from his birth to his final days and ultimate resurrection.
Several cinema legends had supporting roles in the film, including Charlton Heston, Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, Claude Rains, Donald Pleasence, Sidney Poitier and Roddy McDowall. Putting a cast of that caliber together was practically a miracle in its own right. Collectively, these actors bring the film to life with their compelling performances and their efforts still hold up six decades later.
The Greatest Story Ever Told is streaming on Prime Video.
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ (1973)
Over five decades ago, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar was considered controversial for its rock opera take on the life of Jesus. The musical and the film aren’t trying to proselytize or win over converts, and it’s interesting in the way it humanizes Jesus.
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The film has a clever way of staging the musical by beginning with a troupe of actors in the desert who lose themselves in their characters. One of the 12 Apostles, Judas Iscariot (Carl Anderson) is particularly afraid that Jesus Christ (Ted Neeley) is losing sight of his own message and spending too much time with Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman). The story that unfolds has been told many times, but the music is incredible and always worth revisiting.
Jesus Christ Superstar is streaming on Prime Video.
‘Ben-Hur’ (1959)
The 2016 remake of Ben-Hur is streaming on Prime Video’s standard tier, but the 1959 film is the one that deserves to be revisited this Easter weekend. Ben-Hur has been adapted several times, but none have recaptured the epic scale that director William Wyler brought to the big screen.
Charlton Heston takes the leading role of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who refuses to betray his people during the time of Jesus Christ (Claude Heater). Ben-Hur has his own encounter with Jesus, even though he doesn’t initially realize it. For his refusal to bend to Roman rule, Ben-Hur is cast into slavery before eventually earning his freedom.
One of the most famous sequences in the entire film focuses on Ben-Hur’s attempt to win a chariot race, and it’s a thrilling piece of cinema history.
Ben-Hur is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
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