Movie Reviews by Edwin Jahiel

KING OF KINGS (1961)

Cecil B. DeMille made an impressive life of Jesus film by that title in 1927. Nicholas Ray's longer version goes one better, is surprisingly moving and sober, and though reverential, amounts to much more than a collection of biblical postcards. The narration (by Orson Welles) is limited and well done. The movie came after youth-centered pictures like Nicholas Ray's own, classic "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), and after silly titles like "I Was a Teen-Age Frankenstein" or " I Was a Teen-Age Werewolf. " So it was dubbed "I Was a Teen-Age Jesus " -- funny but unfair to the film, its makers and Jeff Hunter. Hunter's face may lack the necessary intelligence for his role, but he is so well directed that he's convincing enough. True, his is not perfect King's English. He tells the rebelling Jews : "Romans are conquerors, If you become conquerors you will be no different than [sic] them." Nice pacifism, bad grammar. The picture establishes a clear continuity from Jews to Christians, stressing the Christians as Jews. It has some unusual scenes and avoids underlining physical pain. Interesting cast includes Siobhan McKenna, Robert Ryan, Hurd Hatfield, Viveca Lindfors, Rita Gam and Rip Torn. Beautiful Miklos Rozsa score. Narration by Orson Welles. The widescreen print ought to be shown letterboxed, but seldom is.