Cyrus and Jesus

[Coney Island Baby]

I've heard this mentioned a few times before, and I was just wondering what you lot thought about it.

Some people compare Cyrus to Jesus. He's definitely a kind of religious figure in the film, Rembrandt calls him 'The one and only' and he preaches and talks about miracles. And when Luther shoots him, his arms are outstretched like Jesus on the cross.



I find this picture quite eerie for some reason. Anyway, I've heard there's a Cyrus in the bible, anyone know anything about him?

Cheers

[jjchampion]

There are some allusions to Jesus in the bits that you point out, but actually the film (and Sol Yurick's book) are pretty clearly based on a classic Greek book called Anabasis by Xenophon. Check out this description from Amazon.com:

Xenophon's vivid eyewitness account of the expedition of the Ten Thousand Greek mercenaries who fought under Cyrus is now available in a fully revised edition. ... Xenophon's Anabasis is an engrossing tale of remarkable adventures, as the Greeks retreated through inhospitable lands from the gates of Babylon back to the coast after Cyrus' death. It is also an invaluable source on Greek military forces.

[Coney Island Baby]

Yeah, I know it was based on Anabasis, I've read it, it's just that movies can be interpreted in many ways and I was just wondering if any of you had noticed the Christ comparisons.

[Ranchgal]

While trying to act like a profit, and I too have seen the comparisons, in truth, Cyrus always strikes me as a "wanna be" sort of like David Koresh, He really only had one idea, and the ending would have been to HIS finaniacial and power benefit, but he really didn't have any real power to back it up unlike the real thing----his miracles were mostly based on luck and timing.

He liked having his people thinking of him as "the one and only"
But he never did have much follow through on that part.

[Coney Island Baby]

Well, he didn't really get a chance to follow through and turn his dream into a reality thanks to Luther, but yeah Cyrus was just a bloke in the end, a dead bloke. But not only did he act like a prophet, he managed to convince most of the gangs that he was one as well, even Cleon seemed to look up to him like he was some kind of holy messiah, good 'ol Ajax was having none of it though. You gotta love him.

[LizzyBorden]

A Leper Messiah at best...

[Coney Island Baby]

A Leper Messiah at best...

Hey, are you a Bowie fan? 'Cos him and Cyrus, sorry I mean Jesus, are tight.

[LizzyBorden]

I think everyone is a Bowie fan...whether they admit to it or not...but I don't understand your statement

[SoldierHeavyMuscle]

A Leper Messiah at best...

bow to??

[PadLock]

Who would Luther be then?

[Coney Island Baby]

Sorry, I thought you got the leper messiah thing from a Ziggy Stardust lyric (I forgot about Metallica's song, cheers SHM ).

Who would Luther be? Surely Satan himself.