The King of Kings (1927)

So much average

Fresh and Exciting

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Compelling depiction of Christ's final days.I agree with an earlier reviewer that H.B. Warner possesses the gravitas of Jesus but is a generation too old for the part. (Scenes between Jesus and his mother seem more like a husband and wife.)The supporting cast is also strong, including an almost elderly looking Ernest Torrence as Peter, Jacqueline Logan as Mary Magdalene, Rudolph Schildkraut as Caiaphas, and Victor Varconi as Pilate.This film quotes liberally from the Bible in formulating its dialog, and, if you are a fan of harp music, you'll really love the plink-plunk score."The King of Kings" excels in portraying well-known anecdotes from Jesus's life, such as the raising of Lazarus -- stunning as his winding cloths are unfurled -- the healing of a "lunatic" child (he'd be diagnosed with ADHD today), and the cast-no-stones episode involving an adulteress.The scenes involving the mortification of Jesus, his crowning with thorns, and his crucifixion are hard to watch yet still very poignant and powerful."The King of Kings" is a little long and drags in places but nicely encapsulates some iconic moments in cultural history.

Monday July 30, 7pm, The Paramount, Seattle The life of Jesus from the conversion of Mary Magdalene to the crucifixion is revealed in beatific splendor.Directed by Hollywood's master of the spectacle, The King of Kings (1927) featured Cecil B. DeMille's by then standard combination of moralizing melodrama played against dizzying production values, monumental sets, and a cast of thousands. Outwardly expressing disdain for Sunday-school stereotypes, DeMille cast fifty-two-year-old H.B. Warner in the title role, dressed him in flowing robes and bathed him in glowing light, while art directors constructed scenes reproducing the work of 298 old masters. To sanctify Jeannie MacPhereson's anti-Semitic, evangelical Christian with-a-showbiz-twist screenplay, DeMille invited members of the clergy to visit the set, and received the stamp of approval from Will Hayes. Highlights include the spectacular palace of Mary Magdalene, the Calvary tempest and bookending Technicolor scenes.Grauman's Chinese Theatre held the West Coast premiere for their grand opening, charging $22 a seat!

You can't help but love this movie, for the story, the acting, the effects, the drama, the Biblical quotes. It all comes together so well to tell the story, and does it much better than the Jeffrey Hunter version (which I nevertheless like). In many silent movies, the actors seem to over play their roles to convey the message, but in this movie they are spot on; how could a person over play a scene when he/she first sees a person walking, talking, eating who had been killed three days ago before their very eyes. These actors act in a way that mirrors how normal people would behave when witnessing the miracles and actions reported in the Bible. They are convincing. Make no mistake, this movie is a Christian story; it takes the story of Jesus literally and portrays it. No doubts, no cut-aways, no shadows; its the story of Jesus as told in the Bible put in film. Warner is great in his role, he really does a great job of portraying a believable, accurate Jesus that is majestic, moving, noble, loving, generous, and forgiving as well as Godly. A remarkable performance that seems to have been forgotten merely because it is a silent movie. The music fits the action very well, and the text inserts do not detract from telling the story. I wish they would show this movie more often, I think it would develop a following as it is a truly remarkable movie that takes on the impossible task of portraying the life of Christ as told in the Bible, without gimmicks and without ducking the hard questions, like the Resurrection, and very nearly accomplishes the task. The whole cast is to be lauded for their performances, and of course DeMille does a magnificent job as director, I can hardly wait to see the movie again.

Just watched on a 2-disc DVD both the 112 min. and 155 min. versions of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings. While the shorter one is touching in its own right, the longer one doesn't occasionally seem rushed so it's more effective especially with the restored Peter sequences severely cut in the short one. In the longer one, the beginning sequence with Mary Magdalene, in addition to Jesus' resurrection, is also in early Technicolor. With the shorter one, I did like Hugo Riesenfeld's original score as well as the sound effects concerning the storm and earthquake as well as when Jesus knocks some tables at the temple. Timothy J. Tikker's organ score for this version sounded okay for the few minutes I heard of it. Donald Sosin's composition for the longer one was also good. While I felt some of the performances were maybe a bit exaggerated considering this was a silent picture, many of the leading ones were dramatically compelling especially H.B. Warner as Christ (who I mainly know as the much older Mr. Gower the druggist in my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life). As expected in these DeMille epics, the storms and earthquakes during the Crucifixion bring much excitement that must have looked really spectacular on the big screen. So if you're Catholic like I am and is very familiar with the Jesus Christ story that I've read in church during Easter all these years, Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings should provide ample enjoyment for you. Ratings-112 min. version: *******, 155 min. version: ********.