King of Kings (1961)

★ 7.1 2h 51m 233 votes IMDb

Who is Jesus, and why does he impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and accused, beloved, betrayed, and finally crucified. Yet that terrible fate would not be the end of the story.

King of Kings

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Cast

Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus Died 1969 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Jeffrey Hunter (November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was a versatile American actor who made a significant impact on the film and television industry. He is best known for his portrayal of Martin Pawley...
Siobhán McKenna
Siobhán McKenna as Mary Died 1986 · Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK Siobhán McKenna (May 24, 1922 – November 16, 1986) was an Irish actress acclaimed for her captivating stage and screen performances. Her accolades include three Irish Film and Television Awards and a...
Hurd Hatfield
Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate Died 1998 · New York City, New York, USA William Rukard Hurd Hatfield was an American actor, best known for often playing characters of handsome, narcissistic young men, most notably Dorian Gray in the film The Picture of Dorian Gray. Hatfie...
Ron Randell
Ron Randell as Lucius Died 2005 · Sydney, New South Wales, Austrailia Ron Randell (1918-1994) was an accomplished Australian actor who enjoyed a prolific career in film, television, and theater. Born in Sydney, Randell discovered his passion for acting at a young age an...
Viveca Lindfors
Viveca Lindfors as Claudia Died 1995 · Uppsala, Uppsala län, Sweden Viveca Lindfors (1920-1995) was a renowned Swedish-American actress known for her versatility and captivating performances on stage, in film, and on television. Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Lindfors devel...
Rita Gam
Rita Gam as Herodias Died 2016 · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Rita Gam (1927-2016) was an American actress who enjoyed a prolific career in film, television, and theater. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gam developed an interest in the performing arts at a you...

Audience Reviews

John Chard 8/10 Jan 02, 2019
The best of the Christ story epics.

King Of Kings is a good film, and certainly one that is better than its reputation suggests. It's for sure better than the poorly put together The Robe from 1953 and the gargantuan excess that would be The Greatest Story Ever Told four years post this MGM piece.

Produced by legendary Samuel Bronston and directed with assurance and imagination by Nicholas Ray, the film tells of the 33 years of Jesus Christ's life. From his birth in Bethlehem to his Crucifixion, to the Resurrection and finally the Ascension. A familiar story that is nicely spread to a movie under three hours long, takes in the Apostles selection, John The Baptist, 40 days in the desert, the miracles (though we are short changed here), Sermom on the Mount, Judas' betrayal and of course The Last Supper.

The film contains a narration by Orson Welles, which was written by Ray Bradbury. It's a wise move for it helps the narrative immensely, while lets face it here, Orson had a great voice, perfectly biblical and it lends a touch of class to the material. Of the cast, Jeffrey Hunter has the glory role of Christ. A relative unknown (this helps I feel), Hunter is effective with his steely blue eyes, while Robert Ryan is first rate as the doomed John The Baptist. Also turning in good performances are Harry Guardino (Barabbas), Viveca Lindfors (Claudia), Royal Dano (Peter) and Rip Torn (Judas). Though not hurting the movie, Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate is a touch too animated, while Frank Thring as Herod Antipas takes the woe is me mantra a step too far.

Naturally with a budget of $8 million the film has considerable scope. Thousands of extras are a given of course, all captured among the Spanish locations in 70mm Technicolor (Cinematography by Manuel Berenguer, Milton R. Krasner & Franz Planer). While the sets (almost 400 used) are very pleasing on the eye and Miklós Rózsa provides a suitably effective score. The writing from Philip Yordan is lean, there's no heavy filler and for a film of this type it's a pleasant surprise to see such restraint. Ultimately it's just real good story telling given a good technical work out. The appearance of Judas for the first time still sends a shiver down the old spine and the Crucifixtion instills a sadness that is hard to shake off once the credits have rolled. Job done really. 8/10

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