This movie falls somewhere in between "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and "The Gospel According to Saint Matthew" as far as movies about the life of Christ go. It's not as slow and solemn as the first movie, but it doesn't follow the Gospel narrative as closely as Pasolini's film does. Nevertheless it's a very good film. Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Ryan may not bring the iconic dimensions that Max von Sydow and Charlton Heston bring to the roles of Jesus and John the Baptist respectively, but they look good and are never less than believable. Hunter is an outstanding Jesus, emphasizing the human rather than the divine nature of the Saviour; his Jesus is more the gentle redeemer and less the stern judge (unlike Enrique Irazoqui). Siobhan McKenna is perhaps the definitive screen Virgin Mary, and Ron Randall as the Roman officer Lucius provides the average man's perspective on events. Frank Thring as Herod Antipas, Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate, and Rip Torn as Judas all make their characters believable; Brigid Bazlan, as the jailbait Salome, is such a hottie it's a shame she was never in any other movies. The beautiful Spanish landscape makes an appropriate stand-in for first-century Israel; the widescreen photography and Miklos Rosza score are breathtaking. Orson Welles' narration alone is worth the price of admission. This movie was unfairly tagged as "I Was a Teenage Jesus," perhaps because its director, Nicholas Ray, had also directed "Rebel Without a Cause," but it's an excellent movie that has stood the test of time.
Review of King of Kings
