The
history of Jesus as he appears in film has been white-washed for a century.
Certainly white-supremacist attitudes in the motion picture industry are an
explanation for this injustice; however, one explanation that has not been
fully explored is the reality that whites have always felt a sense of purity
concerning their racial self-view. This paper explores that possibility with
the help of important thinkers who have discussed the notion of purity.
Offering an answer for what motivated directors throughout the course of
cinematic history to exclude actors of color from playing the historical Jesus,
the research methodology herein includes the following: the incorporation of
film theory; close examination and analyses of historical and rhetorical texts;
one-on-one interviews; and, an inclusion of media sources to contextualize the
central issue of the dangers of racial purity. Unfortunately, this appeal of
purity continues presently, and must be exposed any time it is attempted,
because of its rhetorical danger.
