Review of King of Kings (1961) by Hans L — 12 Apr 2009

This traces familiar territory to Martin Scorsese's version of the Christ in that it's not really about the Gospels. But whereas Scorsese was more interested in the flesh as a spiritual boxing ring Nicholas Ray is more interested in the sociopolitical context surrounding the life of Jesus and the Roman occupation of ancient Palestine.

It may appear somewhat quaint to the modern eye (and certainly suffers from a "white bread" Jesus) but seen in the context of its initial release this is thought provoking in a way that Cecil B DeMille never was.

Orson Welles provides a narration that fills in "historical" gaps which allows Ray to pay attention to often maligned or marginalized characters. For instance, Barabbas is not modestly a murderer but freedom fighter and political agitator and similarly Judas Iscariot is not simply the betrayer of Christ.

Ray devotes a lot of time juxtaposing Jesus and Barabbas' opposing doctrines of passive and active resistance (they're like the Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X of the New Testament). But Ray's real concern is trying to decipher the basic message of Jesus in all its peaceful, comradely simplicity without the intrusions of having to fear "god" or historical distortion.

It is something he never loses sight of amongst the grandeur of the production and thousands of extras.