King Of Kings (1961)

Although Nicholas Ray's film on the life of Christ has its flaws, it is easily the best of the motion pictures made on the life of Christ. True, not exactly a ringing endorsement but far superior to the likes of the ponderous over reverent GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, the kinky S&M PASSION OF THE CHRIST or the unbearable pretentious simplicity of GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW. Ray's approach is to present the story in a straight forward manner that never allows the spectacle to dwarf the purity of the story. There are three cinematographers credited so I don't know who should get credit for some of the excellent compositions, it's not consistent. Neither is the acting which is all over the map. Jeffrey Hunter, while terribly miscast as Jesus, is adequate (and more than that when delivering the sermon on the mount). Ron Randell as a Roman soldier and Viveca Lindfors as Pilate's wife are quite good. Not surprising since they have the more complex characters in the film but Brigid Bazlen as Salome is simply awful and Harry Guardino as Barabbas is as out of place here as Harvey Keitel was in LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. Also starring Robert Ryan, Rip Torn, Rita Gam, Hurd Hatfield, Frank Thring, Carmen Sevilla and Siobhan McKenna. Miklos Rozsa delivers one of his best scores.