Movieo
Poster for The King of Kings

The King of Kings

Supreme in Theme! Gigantic in Execution!

1927 · 2h 35m · Not Rated Drama, History
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille

Seen it?

Overview

The King of Kings is the Greatest Story Ever Told as only Cecil B. DeMille could tell it. In 1927, working with one of the biggest budgets in Hollywood history, DeMille spun the life and Passion of Christ into a silent-era blockbuster. Featuring text drawn directly from the Bible, a cast of thousands, and the great showman’s singular cinematic bag of tricks, The King of Kings is at once spectacular and deeply reverent—part Gospel, part Technicolor epic.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
73%
Tomatometer
Rotten

As a work of art it is a complete failure, because it is anaemic and because it shows us a Christ who, though obviously a virtuous and mild man, is completely lacking in the fire and spiritual vigor that go to the making of the great leaders of mankind.

Charles Morgan, New York Times
Fresh

Tremendous is The King of Kings -- tremendous in its lesson, in the daring of its picturization for a commercial theatre and tremendous in its biggest scene, the Crucifixion of Christ.

Variety Staff, Variety
Rotten

It's a dull, tasteful film by a director who was anything but.

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Comments

Talk about the film with other members

More films