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Bookmark this pageKing of Kings (1961)
Director: Nicholas Ray
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Despite being churlishly described at the time as 'I Was a Teenage Jesus' (in reference to the youth rebellion of Rebel Without a Cause), this is one of the most interesting screen versions of the Gospels. As so often in the work of script-writer Philip Yordan, the central conflict is seen in terms of political struggle and betrayal; detailing the Jews' rebellion against the oppressive power of Rome, it elevates Barabbas in particular to the status of an almost proto-Zionist nationalist leader, and the dynamics of the narrative are presented as the consequence of wide-ranging historical movements rather than the whims of charismatic individuals. As a result, some of the performances appear to lack depth, but one can't deny the effectiveness of Miklós Rózsa's fine score, and of Ray's simple but elegant visuals which achieve a stirring dramatic power untainted by pompous bombast. Despite producer Samuel Bronston's meddlesome editing, in fact, it's an intelligent, imaginative movie devoid of conventional Hollywood pieties.Author: GA
Cast & crew
Director: Nicholas Ray
Producer: Samuel Bronston
Cast: Jeffrey Hunter, Robert Ryan, Siobhan McKenna, Frank Thring, Hurd Hatfield, Rip Torn, Harry Guardino, Viveca Lindfors, Rita Gam, Orson Welles full cast
Genre(s): Epics
Duration: 168 mins
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