Marxist, atheist, social critic and homosexual, the great poet-writer Pasolini was full of unorthodox convictions, so it's really no surprise that he chose such a controversial subject to film in his ardently Catholic home country. What's particularly striking is how he makes the life of Christ, memorably enacted by Economics student Irazoqui, feel totally authentic and also relevant to the burning issues of the day. Shot in Southern Italy and dedicated to Vatican II reformer Pope John XXIII, “Gospel” is tense and penetrating, an adaptation of Christ’s life that feels at once psychologically rich and refreshingly unadorned.