As would be expected, the majority of movies about the life of Jesus occur during late antiquity when he actually lived. The one unique aspect of The Judas Project places the story during the late 20th century in an unspecified location (but presumably somewhere in the US). In this narrative the Christ-like character is named Jesse (John O’Banion) and sent to Earth by God as his only son — to save humanity from its impending doom. Despite the cheesy special effects and generally low production values, this doesn’t detract from the timeless power and importance of the story.
Although the film is not specifically about the second coming of Christ, it’s still intriguing to imagine how the modern world might react to such a momentous event. While The Judas Project doesn’t offer anything new or profound we didn’t know before – the story still sharply presents the contrasting purity, humility and simplicity of Jesse as untainted by the wickedness of the world. On the other hand, Jesse’s main antagonist Poneras (Jeff Corey) makes for an utterly repugnant, egomaniacal villain. As a main fixture of the “powers that be” structure — anyone who cannot be bought, bribed, or manipulated must be erased from existence.
As writer and director of The Judas Project James H. Braden reinforces the seeming immutability of human nature that allows power to always lead to one level of corruption or another. Some of the most egregious abuses of that power are promulgated by those who claim to be Christlike but who are the absolute antithesis of what his teachings are. Poneras is the epitome of the domineering, sadistic anti-Christ interested only in rigidly maintaining his own power, cruelly eliminating any and all who would seek a path in opposition to him. His elimination of Jesse does not have the desired effect of wiping out the light of divine goodness, purity, and the sacred.
Rather, Jesse’s betrayal by Jude (Ramy Zada) and subsequent execution instigated by Poneras through his unholy alliance of politics and religion strengthens the resolve of his true followers. These followers continued to spread his enlightened teachings just as the genuine followers of Christ’s words affirmed him as a revolutionary force for the possibilities of change that strove to result in a better world over two millennia ago.
