Customer Reviews

King of Kings [VHS]

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Calling The King of Kings a cinematic masterpiece barely begins to do it justice, and this Criterion Collection release is absolutely beautiful, turning the widespread notion of silent movies completely on its head. This print looks like it could have been made yesterday, not 1927, boasting some incredible special effects for its time. Cecil B. DeMille was a genius who helped turn moviemaking into an art form. With The King of Kings, he also retold the story of Jesus Christ in a serious and emotionally powerful way that has effectively helped spread the Gospel for over seventy-five years. This Criterion Collection release is itself a heavenly release that gives viewers the chance to own the film in its original, uncut form for the first time.

While DeMille's film is a reverent retelling of life and heavenly mission of Jesus, it does take some liberties with the Gospel accounts, sometimes combining different events into one and introducing several of its own elements in an attempt to emphasize the linear nature and importance of the story. Mark, for example, is presented as a child healed by Jesus who is there to witness the ministry and ultimate sacrifice of Christ. Judas Iscariot is constantly shoved to the forefront of events, heavily emphasizing his misinterpretation of the Messiah's mission and ultimate betrayal of Jesus. He is depicted as a selfish and ruthless man who only joined Jesus' band of followers because he expected to be made a great man in the traditional kingdom he expected Jesus to found on earth. Most interestingly, Mary Magdalene is depicted as a consort to Judas who first comes to Jesus in order to confront Him for having stolen Judas' attention away from her. The film also shows Judas witnessing the events his kiss of betrayal set in motion, hanging himself only after witnessing Jesus' death on the cross.

The film begins strangely, with an extended scene of Mary Magdalene living lavishly among a group of male admirers and then zooming out on her zebra-driven chariot to steal her man Judas back from Jesus. As for Jesus, His first appearance could not be more beautifully done, as we first see His face through the eyes of an adorable blind girl as she is healed by the Master. H.B. Warner looks a little too old to be playing Jesus, but he gives a masterful performance, one heightened by the constant aura of slight luminescence DeMille gives him throughout the film. One of the most memorable scenes is the release of the seven demons from Mary Magdalene - the special effects are just incredible and seemingly decades ahead of their time. Speaking of incredible special effects, one has to mention the earthquake scene that follows Jesus' death on the cross - again, it's just incredible to watch. The resurrection scene is also memorable for the Technicolor aspects DeMille gave it to emphasize the awe-inspiring magnificence of Jesus' victory over death.

The 1928 general release of The King of Kings was 112 minutes long, but the film that first debuted at the opening of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1927 was 155 minutes. Both versions of the film are included in this set, and I must say the original, uncut version of the film, rarely seen by the public over the decades, is the definitive version presenting a much richer, detailed account of Jesus' ministry. This Criterion Collection release boasts a number of extras, including new film scores alongside the originals, documentary materials on the making of the film and its reception by the public, trailers, portrait galleries, and a 40-page commemorative booklet on this Biblical masterpiece. Have I mentioned how pristine the digital transfer is? This film looks better than many films I've seen from the 1970s and 1980s.

Christians will be awe-struck and inspired by the wonderful message of The King of Kings, but no one can watch this film and not be impressed by the cinematic artistry and genius on full display. This is easily the most impressive silent movie I have ever seen.

Having just seen an advance copy of the two disc DVD set of Criterions release for Cecil B. DeMille's 1927 THE KING OF KINGS, I can tell you that you don't know just how great this film is until you have seen the uncut 155-minute roadshow version as first shown at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in LA and the Gaiety Theatre in New York.

Running 37-minutes longer then the fine 1928 shorter version (also included in this set with the original Hugo Riesenfeld score and sound effects as released in 1928, and an excellent newly recorded pipe organ score by Timothy J. Tikker), this is a marvel to experience! Beautifully preserved by the DeMille family, it has been transferred complete with two Technicolor sequences (rather then just one as we are used to seeing), and it has an outstanding orchestra score by Donald Sosin, that adds a new dimension to the film.

THE KING OF KINGS in its longer version is a far greater film then it ever was in its shorter form. This is easily the finest rendering of the Life of Christ ever put on film. A reviewer for The Saturday Evening Post (1927) correctly stated that:
"DeMille has achieved a masterpiece...a picture that is worth more than all the sermons ever preached. It is Spirit, on the screen."

The Criterion Collection DVD release includes 2-versions of the film with three music tracks, a wealth of "Extras", including almost 15 minutes of wonderful behind-the-scenes on the set footage, reproductions of press books, the theatrical program, a trailer for the NY run of the film, stills, sketches, and a booklet.

This is the finest DVD to date on a silent classic, even surpassing Fox's excellent job on F.W. Murnau's SUNRISE. This is a MUST HAVE DVD!

Imagine seeing this film, in a small theatre with folding chairs, at the age of seven, or six. It was around 1968, during the Christian season of Lent. This imaginative little boy believed that, since it was a silent film, and silent films were made in the olden days, this film must've been shot starring the actual Jesus and his disciples. Now, over thirty years later, I saw this spectacu- lar again, with a live organ accompaniment in San Diego. If one is either a film buff, a DeMille fan, a Christian, or a seeker, buy this video. CB DeMille uses drama, lighting, action, and sets with "reverent" (the oft-used adjective for this movie) restraint and artfulness. This film is also a lesson in itself of premiere silent acting style, early (and believeable) special effects, and wonderful scoring. This home video version also features sound effects and the legendary technicolour sequence of the Resurrection morning. This Jesus movie is surpassed ONLY by Zefirelli's 6-hour opus (trimmed from a reputed 12 hours) miniseries "Jesus Of Nazareth". Buy them both.

I hadn't seen this movie since I was a little girl; then, I saw on my way to a church hall party that the film was going to be shown later in the church that very night with live organ accompaniment. Well, I left the party early to see "King of Kings" and that was no mistake! HB Warner turns in a sensitive performance as Christ, one of the best I've seen. His Jesus is gentle without being weak, which so often happens in other films. There's also a very talented child actor playing the part of a young evangelist Luke, who is healed of his lameness by Christ. For me, the most effective special effect sequence was in the beginning, when Mary Magdalene barges in on Christ and his followers. She is a brazen hussy driving a zebra-drawn chariot and is determined to give Christ a hard time for stealing away Judas, her apparant boyfriend. Then, as Christ merely looks at her, she undergoes a transformation as she is cleansed of the Seven Deadly Sins before our eyes. The appearance of each sin as it is drawn from her body is astounding. From that moment on, I was hooked!

If you would like to see an excellent version of the Christ story, look no further than this silent masterpiece.

The picture quality is a real treat for a silent movie! They have done a terrific job of making this movie look good on DVD! This is a must-have movie for any silent film buff, or for Christians who like seeing Bible stories on DVD.

Scripturally speaking, the movie leaves out the story of the birth of Jesus, as well as ignores the existence of John the Baptist, the cousin and proclaimer of the coming messiah, Jesus.

The worst liberty taken by the filmmakers was coming up with a strange origin of Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. Supposedly, Magdalene is a high class floozy who becomes jealous upon hearing the news that her buddy Judas Iscariot is not hanging out with her lately because he is following Jesus around the countryside. So Magdalene sets out to win back her buddy, Judas, because no lowly commoner preacher is any match for Magdalene. This is a strange storyline, but also this is the worst liberty taken with the Gospel story. Thankfully, though it opens the film, this plotline is dropped early on.

I really liked seeing some scenes that I haven't seen in other Bible DVDs before. They do a very clever special effect of Mary Magdalene being cleansed of seven demons (this is scripturally accurate), and they even make the seven demons correspond to the Seven Deadly Sins, which are NOT listed in the Bible together, but it is still a nice twist, and unoffensive to the integrity of the Bible text.

I also liked seeing the scene when Jesus tells Peter to pay their taxes by getting the money out of the mouth of a fish!

This film is one of the most famous Bible movies ever made, though largely forgotten by modern audiences, since it is a silent film. For its day, it was the equivalent of the blockbuster status of "THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST."

This is the best silent era Bible DVD that I have seen or purchased. This is better than Cecil B. DeMille's silent "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS," though DeMille's 1950's version of "THE TEN COMMNDMENTS" is more entertaining and influential, as far as movies are concerned.

There is another silent movie DVD available, "The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ / From the Manger to the Cross (1905)" which is even MORE primitive in its cinema techniques. This one is interesting because it is the oldest Bible stories made available on DVD.

The best Jesus story on DVD is "JESUS OF NAZARETH" (1977), which is a 6 hour TV mini-series that covers tons of scripture. Though it is not perfect, it is the most in-depth, overall best telling of the life of Jesus, available on DVD!

If you have been thinking about buying this movie, I know how you feel. I have wanted it for a long time, but was put off by the premium price. Rest assured that it will be worth the money, if you have cared enough to consider buying it in the first place. I can highly recommend this film.

The King of Kings could and should be enjoyed by all audience members as it should not matter whether the audience is composed of believers, agnostics, or atheists. The film has a global perspective, in sense, of religion, politics, economy, social responsibility, kindness, and existential philosophy, as it projects mankind's right to make daily decisions without influence by some greater power. It is the choice of each person which the tale of Jesus represents as he offers everyone the opportunity to choose the light, which is a righteous path despite religious affiliation. Nonetheless, the film emphasizes, as expected, Christianity as Jesus is the prophet that is spreading the values that come with the Christian faith.

On its premier in May 1927, the King of Kings could be compared to today's biggest blockbusters, while it attracted a larger audience than most films as some 50000 people were present just to catch a glimpse of the celebrated cast of the film. The day after the premier the official release packed theaters to the limit as they allowed as many standing spots as the fire department would allow. That is right, standing spots, just imaging to stand for two and half hours while viewing this epic film as it offered a silent cinematic experience. Nonetheless, the film was accompanied by an orchestra that provided an auditory enhancement to the film while the images were moving on the silver screen.

The story needs no introduction, however, the King of Kings begins with Mary Magdalena (Jacqueline Logan) displaying her sinful lifestyle as she awaits her beloved. When she finds out that he has abandoned her to follow Jesus (H.B. Warner) in anger she decides to visit the carpenter that she has heard so much about as he has cured blind, healed lame, and walked upon water. When Mary Magdalena finally meets Jesus he purges her from the demons of the seven deadly sins. This is the beginning of the Jesus' story which follows his set path to repent for the sins of humanity on the cross with his hands and feet impaled with nails.

The silence of the film provides much room for thought as visual interpretation of each scene is saturated in grand performances and detailed mise-en-scene. The performances by the actors display meticulous details that emphasize the goodness of Jesus Christ and nature of all other characters. The audience should pay extra attention to the movement and behavior of the characters in regards to the social setting in which they are located while viewing the film. These movements are on occasion large and dynamic as they help convey the larger message to the audience, yet some movements among the characters are seemingly insignificant and minute. However, it is these small movements that brings out the virtuous and compassionate nature of Jesus as it also presents the disposition of the other characters. For example, whenever Jesus shakes hands or touches someone he does it in a caring manner which is displayed through his full embrace of the handshake as he grabs the hand while letting the other hand gently hold onto the wrist. These small details emphasize the goodness and willingness of him to help people choose the right path.

The director Cecil B. DeMille created an epic film that left the world with one of the grandest silent films ever made. The film was also technically superior when it was released as the introduction and epilogue were colored and there was use of superimposed imagery, which was used when Mary Magdalena's demons were exorcised. Cleverly Demille incorporated the written passages out of the Bible's New Testament, which improves the audience's understanding for what is being depicted. The recent film, Passion of the Christ (2004), seems to have used large portions of this film in order to convey a similar message, but it fell short to DeMille's creation as his film has the power to withstand time.

CRITERION - provides this brilliant film with two different releases, the 155-minute version and the 112-minute version. There are also numerous extra material such as telegrams, photos, and much more for the audience to muse over as Criterion offers a truly excellent release of the King of Kings.

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings" was one of the earliest Hollywood depictions of the life of Jesus Christ. It is a silent film and includes some early 2 strip technicolor footage. In my opinion it is the best film yet released by the Criterion Collection and unlikely to be surpassed any time soon. It is my assumption that the unexpected success of Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ", was partially responsible for Criterion's decision to release a religious film.

The film does contain numerous events not mentioned in the Bible and depicts one of the disciples as a young child. But it's account of the crucifixion is accurate. The release is on a double disc set and contains two versions of the film with some very good special features.

Disc 1 contains the original uncut 155-minute version of the film along with a new score by Donald Sosin. Also included are publicity material for the film with telegrams, ads, and photos. There is also a scan of the press book and a scan of program that was issued to audience members.

Disc 2 contains the general release 112-minute version of the film with two optional scores. The original organ score by Hugo Riesenfeld and a new score by Timothy Tikker. There is also behind the scenes footage of DeMille, behind the scenes and production still photos, portraits, costume sketches, trailers for the film's premiere on Broadway.

In addition to this there is a 40 page booklet with a bunch of other material.

It is my hope that the Criterion Collection will be able to release more of the religious films made in Hollywood. One I especially would like to see is the Cecil B. DeMille's original 1923 version of "The Ten Commandments."

This DVD is a must buy for religious scholars, churches, silent film buffs, and regular movie lovers alike!

I read up on this movie before seeing it. Every review used the same term, "reverent," which I've found often means "faithful to the point of lifelessness." I certainly wasn't expecting the unaffected performance of little M. Moore as Mark, the splendid (especially for 1927!) special effects, Ernest Torrence as an endearing Peter, or the warmth of H. B. Warner. The editing is impressive (again, especially for 1927). And the camera keeps our focus where it belongs, on the characters and the story, rather than distracting us by lingering on the lavish and majestic sets, as is the tedious custom in most epics. I didn't even notice most of the sets until my second viewing! This is an affecting and satisfying film, even after 70+ years.

Cecil B. DeMille stated that "King of Kings" was his most important film, and it is a remarkable work that continues to have a world-wide impact. Because it is a silent film, it is used to this day by missionaries, and 77 years after its release, is still one of the best religious films available.
The cinematography by J. Pervell Marlay is excellent and it has marvelous effects, including the casting out of seven demons from Mary Magdalene in multiple images, and the earthquake after the crucifixion is astonishing; one has to wonder how they managed such brilliant effects with the limited technology of the time.
The scene where Jesus is asked to judge a woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) has a nice twist to it, in that what Jesus writes on the ground are the sins of the people ready to stone her. It is effective and good use of imaginitive filmmaking.

The cast:
H.B. Warner is a very nordic, stoic Jesus, blond with light blue eyes, often in a pose like that of traditional inspirational art, or the dashboard plastic Jesus of days gone by. Joseph Schildkraut (one of his last films was as Nicodemus in 1965's "The Greatest Story Ever Told", but is most often remembered as the father in the 1959 "Diary of Anne Frank") is a handsome bejewelled Judas, Ernest Torrance is wonderful as Peter, and Mickey Moore is a charming child actor as a young Mark (the future Gospel writer). Mary Magdalene (Jaqueline Logan) is shown as a wealthy courtesan, with zebras instead of horses to draw her carriage, living an empty life in a lavish environment, until she meets Jesus.

It has a few comparisons to Mel Gibson's recent "The Passion", in that they both received a furor of negative press upon release, both being accused of bigotry (which I believe to be a baseless claim for either film), and because DeMille's is silent with dialogue cards, and Gibson's in Aramaic/Latin with subtitles, one is sometimes reading directly from the Bible; in the case of this film, the scripture is sometimes out of sequence, often including verses from diverse sections in a single scene. Also, a memorable image they share that I do not recall from any other film is the crow on the bad thief's cross.
The end sequence is subtly colorized in parts, making the resurrection full of light with a pastel sunrise. Total running time one hour and 55 minutes.

Not being the target audience for this film, I had a different reaction to it than the average Christian viewer is likely to have, and as a historian, I take issue with quite a few of the events and things in here presented as fact (too numerous and off-topic to get into here). Therefore, I was left to view this film not as theology or history but rather as a religious story. Certainly this film is far more heavily religious than the 1961 remake, although the original also isn't as long as the remake and doesn't lose its focus by wandering off into subplots. Although unlike the remake, the original covers less time; instead of beginning with the birth of Jesus, it starts about a few weeks before the Crucifixion. And I know some people take minor issue with the fact that it doesn't exactly go in the order these stories take place in the Bible, although given how religious DeMille was, it seems to have been done respectfully instead of just arbitrarily cutting and pasting the most important stories together.

Though I didn't feel really moved or spiritually uplifted the way a Christian viewer would, there were some scenes I found very moving and touching, like particularly the scenes Jesus has with children, such as healing the blind girl and later on healing the broken legs of another small child's wooden doll. Another moving scene is when he's shaping some wood and suddenly looks up and realises it's in the shape of a cross. H.B. Warner himself gives a really moving performance, very well-suited for the role. He was truly perfect for this role; another strong performance is by Ernest Torrence in the role of Peter. Mr. Torrence usually did character work, and was often in a villainous role, but here this big bulky man really shines in a role different from many of the other ones he did. Other points of note are the two beautiful scenes in two-strip Technicolor, the opening scene (probably the only real non-Biblical scene in the entire movie) and the Resurrection scene near the end, as well as the cute scene where the Romans are hoping they'll find fish with gold in their mouths the same way Peter just did.

Cecil B. DeMille is a director the likes of D.W. Griffith; you either love or hate him, either find most of his films overwrought morality plays or excessive Biblical dramas with a saturation of sex and violence or find most of his films masterpieces or moving touching affairs. However, whatever one's personal feelings about him may be, even many people who ordinarily dislike him have to admit this is one of his best films, one where he doesn't engage in many excesses.