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King of Kings

Play trailer Poster for King of Kings PG-13 1961 2h 40m Holiday History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
In this reenactment of the life of Jesus Christ, when word spreads throughout Judea that the son of God is to be born in Bethlehem, King Herod demands that all infants be killed. Mary (Siobhan McKenna) steals away with her young son, Jesus, who grows up preaching, performing miracles and acquiring devotees. One of Jesus' (Jeffrey Hunter) followers, Judas (Rip Torn), betrays him, and he is sentenced to crucifixion. But Jesus has always known of his fate and has prepared himself for death.
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King of Kings

King of Kings

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Critics Consensus

With enough narrative depth to anchor the expected spectacle, King of Kings is a true blessing for fans of Biblical epics.

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Critics Reviews

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TIME Magazine 03/19/2008
Director Nicholas Ray makes few positive contributions. Go to Full Review
David Parkinson Empire Magazine 03/19/2008
3/5
Jeffrey Hunter is less Saviour of the Christian faith and more anti-hero with many very human doubts and concerns. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 10/22/2007
Director Nicholas Ray has brooded long and wisely upon the meaning of his meanings, has planted plenty of symbols along the path, yet avoided the banalities of religious calendar art. Go to Full Review
Allan Morrison Jet Magazine 01/16/2024
The Gospels contain powerful dramatic values, but unfortunately these have not been transferred to the screen in this multi-million dollar production directed by [Nicholas Ray], a man of substantial demonstrated gifts. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 04/11/2020
3/4
Because the makers of this film took a chance by casting heartthrob Jeffrey Hunter as Christ, this was labeled I Was a Teenage Jesus (a play, of course, on the era's I Was a Teenage Werewolf). But the movie is far better than that tag would suggest. Go to Full Review
Kevin Carr 7M Pictures 10/14/2013
3/5
works as a historical epic Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Peter J Apr 17 I've watched many times, holds up well over time. Still one of the best movies on the life of Jesus. Does a very good job of referencing bible verses, occasionally there are some embellishments but stays aligned with bible context. The acting overall is good, Jeffrey Hunter does a great job and has the presence to play the part. Occasionally there are some weak performances by some of the character actors. It's worth watching even if you're not religious or Christian. Entertaining and relevant. See more Vítor Pimentel de Oliveira V Mar 14 Besides the poor pacing, a stilted and uncharismatic performance from Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus is the biggest setback in this picture. Good cinematography and some interest set pieces, such as the Sermon on the Mount, are the strongest points. Overall, it has similar problems than those in display at "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), and it pales in comparison with Pasolini's "Il Vangelo Secondo Mateo" (1963). See more Nawt W 04/03/2024 The Gospel of Matthew picture attempted to be super adorable by altering the personalities of the Bible characters, giving them a little twist. They believed that by expanding their roles, it would bring more depth to the story. In this version, Barabbas is portrayed as a true rebel leader with a cunning plan, and Judah is his loyal friend. Judah hoped that by pressuring Jesus to display his power, he could protect him from the imminent danger. This is the only reason behind his act of betrayal. See more Larry M 02/22/2024 90 percent non Biblical. Not worth watching. See more John R 04/05/2023 Golden Age Hollywood at its finest, and it even manages to tell a (mostly) true story. I used to watch this on VHS when I was a kid and I had no appreciation then for how vast in scope this movie really is. There are hundreds of extras on massive sets that wouldn't be out of place in Ben-Hur. The story of the life of Jesus is harmonized and condensed from the four Gospels and set against that socio-political backdrop of first century Judea. There's definitely some poetic license taken with the story of Barabbas, but it's made to fit within a coherent and believable story, which culminates in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. A grand tale on a grand scale. See more Christopher B 08/23/2022 King of Kings is a large-scale epic telling the story of Jesus and featuring several screen legends and narrated by the great Orson Welles. The film does a good job of visually telling the story of Jesus and while it overall works as a historical epic it is very slow in parts and meanders frequently throughout it's nearly three hour running time. Still it is one of the better done and more well received depictions of the biblical story of Jesus and remains so. See more Read all reviews
King of Kings

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this reenactment of the life of Jesus Christ, when word spreads throughout Judea that the son of God is to be born in Bethlehem, King Herod demands that all infants be killed. Mary (Siobhan McKenna) steals away with her young son, Jesus, who grows up preaching, performing miracles and acquiring devotees. One of Jesus' (Jeffrey Hunter) followers, Judas (Rip Torn), betrays him, and he is sentenced to crucifixion. But Jesus has always known of his fate and has prepared himself for death.
Director
Nicholas Ray
Producer
Samuel Bronston
Screenwriter
Philip Yordan
Production Co
Samuel Bronston
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Holiday, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 1, 2008
Runtime
2h 40m
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