While there are tons of Christmas classics to tide us over cinematically in December, there are seemingly less films to keep us company during Easter weekend. However, below are ten films that either relate to Easter directly, happen around Easter time, feature an Easter scene or relate on a more philosophical level. No matter what mood you find yourself in this Easter weekend, one of the Top Ten Easter Films listed below is sure to please.

And in the spirit of Easter and learn how you and your family can spend Easter volunteering (before you watch a film of course).

1. The Passion of Joan of Arc : Carl Theodore Dreyer’s story of a young woman who sacrifices everything for her beliefs easily connects with the themes of forgiveness and sacrifice that define Easter:

With its stunning camerawork and striking compositions, Carl Th. Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc convinced the world that movies could be art. Renée Falconetti gives one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film, as the young maiden who died for God and France. Long thought to have been lost to fire, the original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981″in a Norwegian mental institution. [Criterion]

Even the story of the films “rebirth” seems appropriate for the holiday.

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2. Annie Hall: Woody Allen’s famous New York romantic comedy may be more about being neurotic than Easter, but it features a great split screen between his character Alvy’s family and Diane Keaton’s Annie at Easter. The scene defines a lot of what the film is about and also speaks to the different ways we all celebrate holidays:

[Annie's family and Alvy's family converse through a split screen]
Mom Hall: How do you plan to spend the holidays, Mrs. Singer?
Alvy’s Mom: We fast.
Dad Hall: Fast?
Alvy’s Dad: No food. You know, to atone for our sins.
Mom Hall: What sins? I don’t understand.
Alvy’s Dad: To tell you the truth, neither do we.

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3. The Last Temptation of Christ : Martin Scorsese’s take on Jesus Christ calls into question the issue of Christ’s role as a God and a man. A great film that will make your Easter a tad more controversial:

Written in 1955, The Last Temptation of Christ, according to its author, shows that “that part of Christ’s nature which was profoundly human helps us to understand and love him and to pursue his passion as though it were our own. If he had not within him this warm human element, he would never be able to touch our hearts with such assurance and tenderness; he would not be able to become a model for our lives.” [David Ehrenstein]

For more on the religious controversy read David Ehrenstein’s complete essay HERE.

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4. Ben Hur - This movie is always on around Easter. The plot of William Wyler’s tale of Judah Ben-Hur makes this a classic Easter film:

After his boyhood friend Messala’s fanatic loyalty to Rome makes him a powerful enemy, Judah Ben-Hur is found guilty of an attempted murder he did not commit. His family is banished and he is enslaved on a warship. Through his ferocity in a raging sea battle, he is able to escape and become a horse trainer. To exact his revenge, Ben-Hur decides to compete against Messala in the Roman chariot races. They race, locked in a battle to the death. Barely surviving, Ben-Hur forsakes the sword for Christ and finally finds redemption. [Amazon]

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5. Diary of a Country Priest : Robert Bresson tells the story of a new priest arriving in rural France at his first church. From here on out the community rejects him and the priest experiences a crisis of faith. He documents this crisis in his diary. Being that Easter is primarily about faith, I would recommend spending some time with Bresson this holiday. It may not be the most uplifting journey you could take, but it makes you think - and I find that always to be uplifting!

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6. The Ten Commandments : Another Easter time classic, Cecil D. DeMille’s epic film about Moses features an amazing cast and with a 3+ hours running time, you’ll be able to make a serious dent into that Easter candy:

Moses: No son could have more love for you than I.
Sethi: Then why are you forcing me to destroy you? What evil has done this to you?
Moses: The evil that men should turn their brothers into beasts of burden, to be stripped of spirit, and hope, and strength - only because they are of another race, another creed. If there is a god, he did not mean this to be so.

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7. Breaking the Waves : Lars von Trier’s difficult story of a young woman who turns to whoring herself out as a matter of faith may not seem appropriate for a holiday film, but it deals with questions of faith in a way that no other film I have ever seen does. Emily Watson gives a tour de force performance as a young woman who believes what she is doing is what God wants her to do.

Bess McNeill: Everyone has something they’re good at. I’ve always been stupid, but I’m good at this.

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8. Jesus’ Son : Beyond the title, Jesus’ Son is a film about redemption and community. Even though the main character is a drug addict (in a great performance from Billy Crudup), he defines someone that is searching. The moments in the film featuring a Mennonite family also relate to the holiday at hand:

FH: All these… weirdos, and me… getting a little better every day right in the middle of ‘em. I had never known… I had never even imagined for a heartbeat that… there might be a place in the world for people like us.

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9. The Decalogue : Think of this as The Ten Commandments for folks who want something a bit darker and more on the art house front. Krzysztof Kieslowski 10 part series, features a new commandment for each part. The first episode for example centers on this:

I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other God but me.” Ten-year-old Pawel and his father Krzysztof run their lives on their beloved home computer, while Pawel’s aunt worries that his spiritual education is being neglected. But Pawel is too busy enjoying life, not least thanks to his father’s Christmas present of a pair of ice skates, because the computer has calculated that the frozen lake is safe to skate across…

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10. Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey : I know it’s a bit silly, but the film does feature an evil Easter Bunny - and if you need a silly laugh instead of some of the seriousness above, this may be the film to do it! Take a look: