The King of Kings (1927) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: King of Kings
Year: 1927
Director: Cecil B. Demille
Country: US
Language: N/A

Though a few films had been made about the story of Jesus Christ previously, Cecil B. Demille's The King of Kings turned out to be the silent screen’s most elaborate realization of “the greatest story ever told." The film cost at least $1,265,000 (inflated by press agents to $2,300,000), with sets and crowd scenes rivaling D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance in scale and ornateness. The monumental devastation unleashed by Christ’s crucifixion dwarfs even the grand scale of later Hollywood pictures like the Stephen Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

The story of the life of Jesus Christ from his birth in Bethlehem to his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Filmed on a relatively grand scale, the film includes all of the major events referred to in the New Testament.

Many actors have portrayed Jesus Christ throughout cinematic history, my favourite being Peter O' Toole in The Ruling Class, but H.B Warner chooses a rather unique way to portray his Lord. Rather than using great expression, possibly due to fear of chewing the scenery, Warner chooses to play second fiddle to the mesmerizing special effects scattered throughout each frame. Thus Christ’s charisma is evoked through the power of cinema—a mesmerizing repertoire of special effects, lighting and editing—rather than through compelling acting. It's quite a different approach, but it works. 

The New Testament sequel to DeMille’s earlier The Ten Commandments (1923) was as controversial in its day as Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ was in 1988. Although DeMille made his film under the pious supervision of clergy, he still laced the picture with some sexuality. Heck, the film opens with a lavish orgy (albeit not showing as much skin as 2017 filmgoers are used to)

The King of Kings is a LONG movie (just over 3hours) but its large budget was put to pretty good use. We are treated to excellent cinematography, exceptional editing, beautiful photography and a very technically sound picture that will appeal to Christians and non-Christians alike. I enjoyed this silent and would certainly re-watch it many more times in the future.