Easter is coming up in a matter of weeks, and with it comes Cadbury eggs, extravagant hats, and Biblical epics replayed on TV. The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Story Ever Told are two perennial favorites, but King of Kings, another Biblical epic from the 1960s, is trying to break from the pack with a cleaned-up Blu-ray release.
King of Kings follows the life of Jesus from his birth through his crucifixion and resurrection. In this Biblical retelling, however, Jesus is not as much the main character as a common thread holding all these supporting characters together. More time is spent with a Roman soldier who was in Bethlehem when the children were slaughtered. He later encounters Jesus again during the ministry years and leading up to his death. Other prominent side characters include Herod's family, John the Baptist, and Judas Iscariot, played by a very young Rip Torn.
The idea of telling the story of Christ through the people around him was pretty original at that time, and it is a device that has been used many times over in TV, cinema, and church stage plays. Taking on Jesus, a person believed by millions to be the son of God, is a daunting task even with a three-hour running time, and narrowing its focus on the impact of his life on a few characters seems easier to handle.
King of Kings' greatest weakness is trying to tell these smaller stories while still wanting to be a sweeping epic. Sometimes the “sweeping epic” part fit into the story, and other times it felt crow-barred in. When the film was released, the filmmakers heavily advertised the fact that they got thousands of extras to fill the hillside during the Sermon on the Mount scene. This is pretty amazing in a time before CGI, and the sight of all these people reminds the audience just how far-reaching Jesus Christ's influence was at that time. In this case, the spectacle serves the story.
Later on in the film, Jesus is heading into Jerusalem on a donkey, a day also known as Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is a classic scene in almost all versions of the story of Jesus' life. Suddenly, the camera cuts away from Jesus to show an extended battle scene between the Jewish rebels and the Roman soldiers. On paper, the scene sounds exciting, but it feels disconnected from everything else going on. The script even cuts out Jesus throwing out the money-changers in the temple to make room for this wholly unnecessary scene.
Near the end of the film, the story becomes a bipolar mix of the most memorable moments from scripture and these fictitious characters and events that are meant to punch up the plot. From Jesus' arrest and through the rest of the film, I felt like the filmmakers just had a checklist of parts they were obligated to keep in. Peter's betrayal, Pontius Pilate sending Jesus to Herod, Jesus dying on a cross between two criminals, and Judas' suicide feel like rushed afterthoughts, and there is little emotional connection to any of these events.
King of Kings had the potential to be a great Biblical epic. The production had money, no lack of extras, and a built-in audience. The idea to look at Jesus' influence on people's lives rather than focusing on the man himself was strong, but I think it would have been much better if they had chosen disciples like Peter or perhaps his brother James as the film's central characters. As it is, King of Kings is an over-packed movie that forgets about its title character in the midst of battles and Hollywood magic.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Special features include the original theatrical trailer, a news reel feature from the red carpet, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of King of Kings.
"King of Kings" is on sale March 29, 2011 and is rated PG13. Action, Biopic, Christian, Drama. Directed by Nicholas Ray. Written by Philip Yordan. Starring Harry Guardino, Jeffrey Hunter, Rip Torn, Robert Ryan.
