Review of The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) by James B — 16 Apr 2009

There's some interestingly composed shots here, and I like how Stevens condenses a lot of the events. Of course, the big draw for this film now is the cast. Jose Ferrer is a wonderfully slimy Herod Antipas and Charlton Heston is a supremely confident John the Baptist (albeit one who wears mascara).

On the other hand, two of Jesus's disciples are played by Jamie Farr and Robert Blake. But George Stevens explained that the gimmicky casting will be forgotten in time, and that future generations, who have no idea who many of these performers are, will view the film solely as a story.