Yeah, I think that makes sense. He does seem like he's going mad/losing it. I've always kind of thought that, too. I think Judas' Death is one of the most difficult, draining sequences to get through. It's incredibly intense, and hearing these anguished, strangled cries of "you have murdered me!" in between the choral track is haunting. Am the only one who stops and thinks about how powerful that statement is: "You have murdered me."?
In the film version, Carl Anderson has a real dark intensity. To me, there's something almost frightening about 'Heaven on their Minds' the first time he sings/screams "Jesus!" Of course, that's also good music/lyric composition for you.
'Irregardless' is not a word
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gabby_bm
12 years ago
it's only madness if god doesn't exist. Otherwise, i just see him feeling equally used and betrayed, angry that he was made a pawn in the lord's little game without understanding the rules. Was it his destiny to do this? Was he tempted by self-interest? Was this all a farce?
He felt he had been made to betray Jesus and because of that, his self-torture was justified.
Of course, if there is no god, then Judas was just a civic-minded nutjob.
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Troll_Dahl
12 years ago
I think what the OP and I are seeing is a nervous breakdown of sorts, resulting from his situation whether or not the hand of God was involved. And Judas does seem to believe that God or fate set him up to do this. In other words, the whole thing seems to make him lose his grip as the story progresses. But, of course, most people who commit suicide are probably losing their grip in some capacity or other. I should also concede that a nervous breakdown is different from "madness". Nonetheless, it seems like he is being driven over the edge by the fact that he is trapped in the situation that, as you point, God is quite possibly involved in.
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gabby_bm
12 years ago
Well, it's obvious (in the film, at least) Judas believes he was manipulated and used to further God's agenda. His anger, his resentment, his guilt and regret... yeah, I would consider the gamut of emotions to be considered a nervous breakdown.
And for him to consider that he would be "damned for all time", what the hell difference would it make for him to kill himself at that point? He was in hell already. Damned as Lucifer was damned.
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