Movie Reviewed: King of Kings (1927), dircted by Cecil DeMille

Movie Reviewed: King of Kings (1927), dircted by Cecil DeMille

Gospels Revisited

This is an epic that examines the life of Jesus Christ during his last few years of life leading up to crucifixion and resurrection. Director Cecil DeMille made this film in the hopes that it will be one of his finest creations. After watching this movie there is no doubt in mind that he is the master of movie making. Over the years, many versions of this movie have been made and my favorite is Cecil DeMille’s 1927 classic. This silent classic essentially captures the moment of Jesus’s crucifixion in a stunning photography and the resurrection scenes are magnificent. Much of the movie uses the apostolic verses from canonized gospels to narrate the story. This movie qualifies as one of the best holiday classics that must be aired during the holiday season.

The story begins with a social gathering at the home of Mary Magdalene played by Jacqueline Logan. When she finds that her friend Judas Iscariot was not at her house, but he is with his new friend Jesus. Mary pays a visit to Jesus and there she finds saintly Jesus performing miracles and healing the sick and poor. Some of the highlights of the movie I liked are: Jesus healing a blind girl; cleansing Mary Magdalene from the seven deadly sins; the ambitious Judas trying to cast the devil out of a possessed boy, and Jesus chiding him mildly after that incident; the stoning of an adulteress with Christ exposing her accusers' own failings; and the spectacular earthquake following the Crucifixion. The glow around Jesus after resurrection is amazingly captured.

There is some downside to this movie; actor H.B. Warner who plays Jesus is blonde and blue eyed and has very little appearance of a Jewish man who lived in Nazareth 2000 years ago. In addition Warner was 52 when he played the role of Jesus who was in his thirties. The movie depicts the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene with utmost sensitivity and care, especially in light of the discovery of Gospel of Mary Magdalene at the end of 19th century along with many other gospels. Their interpretation by Biblical Scholars have been carefully examined and used in this story. In the movie, there appears to be some fondness between Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene which I was not familiar with from known Apocrypha. This movie is a great holiday classic and I highly recommend this DVD.