Le roi des rois

'King of Kings' features Jeffrey Hunter's finest performance, as a young, dynamic Jesus of Nazareth, and his interpretation, open and earnest, is the best part of a movie both uneven and flawed.

Produced by many of the people responsible for 'Ben Hur', the film utilizes some of the same sets, actors (Frank Thring appears in major roles in both films), and composer (Miklos Rozsa, whose score for 'King of Kings' was one of his finest). The cast was fleshed out by respected actors (Robert Ryan is too old but charismatic as John the Baptist, Siobhan McKenna is a glowing, if also too old Mary, Brigid Bazlen, a deliciously wicked and oversexed Salome, Harry Guardino, an 'over-the-top' Barabbas, a VERY young Rip Torn scores as Judas). While the cast didn't have the 'star power' of 'Ben Hur', or many other Christian epics, the actors, by and large, perform credibly in their roles, particularly Hurd Hatfield and Viveca Lindfors, as Pilate and his wife, Claudia, and Ron Randell as Tribune Lucius.

The film was a MUCH less expensive project than 'Ben Hur'; the budget restraints show most glaringly in recreating Jesus' ministry (most of Christ's miracles are only referred to, not shown), and extras casting (non-professional Spanish townspeople, overdubbed with some truly RIPE dialog!).

The film works best when focusing on Jesus; unfortunately, it frequently veers off into distracting subplots about Barabbas and the zealots, and the decadence of Herod's court. These stories consume a LOT of screen time, and damage the overall impact of the film.

Yet rising above all this is Jeffrey Hunter's interpretation of the Savior. Easily the most audience-friendly of all the actors who have assailed the role, Hunter took a lot of flack for his 'matinee idol' good looks, and piercing blue eyes, but his kindness, sincerity, and the complete believability with which he delivers Christ's words overcome any qualms about his appearance. The Sermon on the Mount is a film high point, and magnificent; the Crucifixion and Resurrection have the kind of power that can bring a lump to your throat, even after repeated viewings.

While 'King of Kings' lacks the big names and budget of 'The Greatest Story Ever Told', or the emotional core of 'Jesus of Nazareth' or 'The Last Temptation of Christ', in Jeffrey Hunter, the film presents possibly the most compassionate of all screen Messiahs, and makes this film a very moving experience!

There is a lot of great talent here in King of Kings and on the most part it is well-used. King of Kings does have some unevenness, with the Barabbas and Herod subplots taking too much time and there should have been more of Jesus. There are a few performances that didn't quite do it for me, Frank Thring and Harry Guardino go overboard in the hammy camp department as Herod Antipas and Barabbas and Royal Dano has some very awkward, emotionless dialogue delivery that was suggestive of him not knowing what to do with it. A lot of King of Kings is very good though, Robert Ryan is subdued at times but is a charismatic John the Baptist, Rip Torn is a moving Judas, Hurd Hatfield plays Pontious Pilate with authority and Brigid Bazlen's Salome is sexy and wicked. The film is intelligently scripted and directed with skill by Nicholas Ray who knows how to do majestic spectacle and character relationships, there's proof of knowing how to balance the two as well. The story sustains its running time very well, and while not completely successful with the aforementioned distracting subplots but the Dance of the Seven Veils, the Last Supper and Gethsemane scenes are very well done. Jesus' relationships with the apostles and his mother are believably portrayed too. Jeffrey Hunter is surprisingly excellent, the quiet dignity he brings is perfect for Jesus and his eyes communicate so much. There are several fantastic things too, the best asset being Miklos Rozsa's score which is just marvellous and essentially IS the film. Rozsa was a truly great film composer with some equally great scores under his belt, and he provides some majestic and beautiful moments, the hauntingly beautiful yet uplifting scoring in the ending scene in my mind is some of the best he ever did. The ending honestly left me floored, it should be emotional and it was, devastating even and the score has a lot to do with it. Orson Welles' narration, which added a lot to the story actually, is distinctive and understatedly powerful, and the film is very lavishly mounted in detail and scope with the cinematography just as sumptuous. Overall, King of Kings is far from perfect with the story needing more balance and a few performances underwhelmed but there are a lot of good things, with Hunter, the ending, the production values, Welles' narration and the music especially working. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

A few years earlier than George Stevens mammoth all star film about the life of Jesus was this film by Nicholas Ray. Taking, it's title from the Cecil B. DeMille silent film, this version of King of Kings is in no way a remake of the DeMille epic. This King of Kings is a moving reverential account of the life of the obscure carpenter from Galilee whose thoughts still move millions today. The voice you hear doing the narration bridging of the various episodes of Jesus's life is the familiar one of Orson Welles.

Nicholas Ray shot this film in Spain with the broad central plain serving as Judea in the early years of AD. Unlike Stevens, Nicholas Ray used second line players for the most part, the biggest name in the cast is that of Robert Ryan as John the Baptist.

Jesus is played by Jeffrey Hunter and if you were to ask today's movie fans what they most remember about Hunter, they will either say his role in the original Star Trek pilot as Captain Christopher Pike, or his two roles in John Ford films, The Searchers and Sergeant Rutledge. Some reviewers have remarked about Hunter's blue eyes, personally I think Nicholas Ray might have cast Hunter with those baby blues to mark Jesus as indeed unique among the populace of Judea. In any event it's a sincere portrayal that Hunter gives. He's most effective in the Sermon on the Mount scene.

King of Kings takes a great deal more liberties with the four Gospels than does the Greatest Story Ever Told. It fleshes out the peripheral characters in the Bible giving them more identity than Scripture does. Barabbas as played by Harry Guardino is a guerrilla leader rather than a bandit and Rip Torn who is Judas is one of his associates who leaves Barabbas after the Sermon on the Mount.

Judas's motives for betrayal are explained as an effort to force Jesus's hand. He wants Jesus to use his power of miracles to aid in the freedom fight against Rome. I think most people view Judas as doing what he did because he totally failed to understand the mission and nature of who he was following, What Ray does here is deepen that context.

There are a few scenes in their besides this part of the storyline that are not biblically found. After Jesus saves Mary Magdalene, Carmen Sevilla as Mary goes searching for him and visits with Mary his mother who is played by Siobhan McKenna. They talk for a bit, McKenna describes some of the miracles attributed to her son.

Jesus himself drops out of biblical dialog in a scene where he asks to visit John the Baptist. The scene is with the Centurion Lucius who was present at the massacre in Bethlehem and later would pronounce His epitaph at the cross. Ron Randell plays Lucius and his Lucius is a world weary professional soldier, sickened by the court of Herod the Great and his successor Herod Antipas. He hates having to serve these people because Rome is backing them as surrogate leaders. Randell has a key role here, he serves as a prototype for the gentiles who Jesus says his disciples must minister to.

Being inveterate star gazer I am, I do like The Greatest Story Ever Told better. But King of Kings is still a fine retelling of that selfsame story.

The story of Jesus has been told many times from the very beginning of the movies, but this version, underrated when first released, is one of the best.

KING OF KINGS creates and sustains a dignified yet highly entertaining tone that is unique among biblical epics. The screenplay is extremely intelligent and effective, concentrating not just on Jesus, but on the society and personalities that surround him. Pilate, Caiaphas, Mary, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, the apostles, and a sublimely oversexed Salome are all well-drawn characters and well-cast, especially in contrast to the uncomfortable "superstar cameo" approach George Stevens used in his inferior "Greatest Story Ever Told".

The political background is well handled, making clear the wish of Judas and others that Jesus foment a revolution to free the Jews from Roman rule.

Handsome, myopic Jeffrey Hunter may not be a great actor, but his low-key, measured performance matches the overall design of the film very well. Orson Welles' rapt, mellifluous narration is a plus, as is Roschka's passionate musical score.

Definitely see this letter-boxed to appreciate the gorgeous scenery, photography, and spectacular scenes.

There certainly has been a plethora of films about Jesus over the years, from deMille's silent "King of Kings" up to the present day TV mini-series. I feel that this version is clearly the winner. The film is never sensational or vulgar, as are so many biblical "epics," but is extremely moving in its dignified manner. The screenplay is intelligent, the photography gorgeous, and the acting, by an unusual cast not known for its stellar draw, is uncommonly good. Nicholas Ray's direction is first-rate, and the soaring Miklos Rozsa score is unforgettable. Jeffrey Hunter was unfairly ridiculed when the film was first released, and I believe gives a highly underrated performance as Christ. Even the minor players are superb, with the late Brigid Bazlen a frighteningly disturbed Salome. Compared to "King of Kings," George Stevens' "The Greatest Story Ever Told" is embarassingly bad. All in all, a highly worthwhile film experience, told without the glitz and excesses native to so many of those of its ilk.