TCM ran both films one after the other and I watched both of them while mingling with my family/friends on Easter Sunday. Here's a quick rundown of how they compared:
King of Kings
- Jeffrey Hunter brilliant as Jesus
- Robert Ryan totally miscast as John the Baptist
- Siobhan McKenna wasn't convincing as Mary
- Narration was obtrusive
- Intro was super long. 20+ minutes to get story going
- Because of narration and quick rundown of story, the film felt like bible studies
- Location didn't look like Israel/Middle East. It looked like, well, Spain where it was shot.
- Fantastic score by Miklós Rózsa
- Ending at the beach fell flat
- Studio-bound and looks fake-ish from time to time
- Some beautiful sets and production design
- A bit of a heavy-handedness to it
The Greatest Story Ever Told
- Max Von Sydow totally miscast as Jesus; his voice alone doesn't work
- Claude Rains totally miscast as Herod the Great
- Charlton Heston sounds better than Robert Ryan as John the Baptist but looks ridiculous in fake looking wig and beard
- Charlton Heston sounds better than Robert Ryan as John the Baptist but looks ridiculous in fake looking wig and beard
- Almost entire cast is miscast: Telly Savalas as Pontius Pilate?
- Constant use of cameos are terrible; with John Wayne's being the worst
- Narration wasn't obtrusive
- Narration wasn't obtrusive
- Stunning production design
- Stunning cinematography
- Beautiful, realistic locations
- Direction more fluid and organic
- More realistic looking
- Music score is good but film employs classical music which was beautifully incorporated with story
- Relies on classical music and Michelangelo's paintings to set up scene so a bit of laziness in direction here
- Ending has more impact than King of Kings but still sorta flat
All in all, it's a virtual tie with The Greatest Story Ever Told edging out King of Kings because of stunning production design/cinematography, etc. Now if they combined the best qualities from both films then there would be the perfect film: King of the Greatest Story Ever Told! Posted at the Special Features page.
- Ending has more impact than King of Kings but still sorta flat
All in all, it's a virtual tie with The Greatest Story Ever Told edging out King of Kings because of stunning production design/cinematography, etc. Now if they combined the best qualities from both films then there would be the perfect film: King of the Greatest Story Ever Told! Posted at the Special Features page.
KING OF KINGS!!! by a mile!
ReplyDeleteKING OF KINGS BLOWS THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD AWAY!
ReplyDeleteI agree, King of Kings is the better of the two movies.
DeleteI agree with almost every comment of the comparison but with the opposite final verdict - I would say King of Kings by a nose…or maybe even by a neck. GSET is more “cinematic” due no doubt to the greatness of its director, George Stevens (one of the best). K of K is more cartoonish in its look, more splashy Hollywood style. But Hunter, despite being ridiculed at the time, is a reverent and striking depiction while VonSydow (although a better actor than Hunter overall) is stiff and stodgy. In most cases, I would agree that recurring narration would normally be intrusive, but, come on, how can you not love hearing Orson Welles! The part I like best of K of K is the inclusion of the fictional character of Lucius. This allows us to see the story of Jesus through the eyes of an unbeliever turned believer. The comparison advocates a version that combines the best elements of both and that would be a great rendition - there is… not a theatrical film but a TV miniseries the 1977 Jesus of Nazareth. Franco Zeffirelli offers a realism and depth of emotion that few directors have and Robert Powell maybe the best Jesus ever on the big or little screen.
ReplyDelete