Check this out over the boring "Greatest Story Ever Told" any day. The entire cast right down to the bit players who portray the beneficiaries of Jesus healing are all effective and extremely moving. The script moves quickly and adeptly between story lines involving a Jewish insurgency against the Romans, King Herod's court, and the story of Jesus Christ. King of Kings may or may not be historically accurate, but makes for great entertainment. That said, the scenes with Jesus are almost all derived from the Gospel. Jeffrey Hunter is an excellent Jesus,emphasizing the gentleness and conveying the inner spiritual strength that the real Jesus must have possessed.Another of the many acting highlights is Brigid Bazlen as a wickedly sexy Salome. I can't fail to mention the Oscar worthy performance of Rip Torn as the spiritually "torn" Judas. Fans of the Larry Sanders Show should look for Torn in another overlooked performance in the movie "Pay Day". I believe Martin Scorsese said Jesus must have been the equivalent of a rock star in his time and this film affirms that idea.
This movie has something for everyone and scores on many different levels. First as historical fiction it's compellingly told,second there's plenty of heroic action involving Barrabas uprising against the Romans, and then the moving display of mysticism involving the scenes with Jeffrey Hunter (Jesus) and the inspiring majestic score of Miklos Roza. Nicholas Ray an unlikely choice for director tackles the subject with aplomb.
This movie has something for everyone and scores on many different levels. First as historical fiction it's compellingly told,second there's plenty of heroic action involving Barrabas uprising against the Romans, and then the moving display of mysticism involving the scenes with Jeffrey Hunter (Jesus) and the inspiring majestic score of Miklos Roza. Nicholas Ray an unlikely choice for director tackles the subject with aplomb.