The King of Kings (The Criterion Collection)
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Actor: Dorothy Cumming, Ernest Torrence, H.B. Warner, James Neill, Joseph SchildkrautBrand: TORRENCE,ERNEST
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Silent
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 267 minutes
Published: 2004-12-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-12-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Criterion
DVD Reviews of The King of Kings (The Criterion Collection)
DVD Review: Brilliant DeMille - A Silent Block Buster...
Summary: 5 Stars
The King of Kings could and should be enjoyed by all audience members as it should not matter whether the audience is composed of believers, agnostics, or atheists. The film has a global perspective, in sense, of religion, politics, economy, social responsibility, kindness, and existential philosophy, as it projects mankind's right to make daily decisions without influence by some greater power. It is the choice of each person which the tale of Jesus represents as he offers everyone the opportunity to choose the light, which is a righteous path despite religious affiliation. Nonetheless, the film emphasizes, as expected, Christianity as Jesus is the prophet that is spreading the values that come with the Christian faith.
On its premier in May 1927, the King of Kings could be compared to today's biggest blockbusters, while it attracted a larger audience than most films as some 50000 people were present just to catch a glimpse of the celebrated cast of the film. The day after the premier the official release packed theaters to the limit as they allowed as many standing spots as the fire department would allow. That is right, standing spots, just imaging to stand for two and half hours while viewing this epic film as it offered a silent cinematic experience. Nonetheless, the film was accompanied by an orchestra that provided an auditory enhancement to the film while the images were moving on the silver screen.
The story needs no introduction, however, the King of Kings begins with Mary Magdalena (Jacqueline Logan) displaying her sinful lifestyle as she awaits her beloved. When she finds out that he has abandoned her to follow Jesus (H.B. Warner) in anger she decides to visit the carpenter that she has heard so much about as he has cured blind, healed lame, and walked upon water. When Mary Magdalena finally meets Jesus he purges her from the demons of the seven deadly sins. This is the beginning of the Jesus' story which follows his set path to repent for the sins of humanity on the cross with his hands and feet impaled with nails.
The silence of the film provides much room for thought as visual interpretation of each scene is saturated in grand performances and detailed mise-en-scene. The performances by the actors display meticulous details that emphasize the goodness of Jesus Christ and nature of all other characters. The audience should pay extra attention to the movement and behavior of the characters in regards to the social setting in which they are located while viewing the film. These movements are on occasion large and dynamic as they help convey the larger message to the audience, yet some movements among the characters are seemingly insignificant and minute. However, it is these small movements that brings out the virtuous and compassionate nature of Jesus as it also presents the disposition of the other characters. For example, whenever Jesus shakes hands or touches someone he does it in a caring manner which is displayed through his full embrace of the handshake as he grabs the hand while letting the other hand gently hold onto the wrist. These small details emphasize the goodness and willingness of him to help people choose the right path.
The director Cecil B. DeMille created an epic film that left the world with one of the grandest silent films ever made. The film was also technically superior when it was released as the introduction and epilogue were colored and there was use of superimposed imagery, which was used when Mary Magdalena's demons were exorcised. Cleverly Demille incorporated the written passages out of the Bible's New Testament, which improves the audience's understanding for what is being depicted. The recent film, Passion of the Christ (2004), seems to have used large portions of this film in order to convey a similar message, but it fell short to DeMille's creation as his film has the power to withstand time.
CRITERION - provides this brilliant film with two different releases, the 155-minute version and the 112-minute version. There are also numerous extra material such as telegrams, photos, and much more for the audience to muse over as Criterion offers a truly excellent release of the King of Kings.
Description of The King of Kings (The Criterion Collection)
With this silent-era spectacle, Cecil B. DeMille cemented his reputation as the master of the biblical epic. DeMille tells the story of Christ's life and Passion with great attention to historical accuracy, along the way paying homage to the religious illustrations of Da Vinci and Doré, and, in a modern flourish, restaging Christ's resurrection in luminous Technicolor. In time for Christmas, Criterion will present fully restored editions of both versions of this glorious spectacle in a heavenly two-disc set: the original 155-minute silent version from 1927 - never before available on home video - and the 1931 release, re-cut by DeMille to 112 minutes. The DVD edition will also include new Dolby Digital 5.1 scores by composers Donald Sosin (1927 version) and Timothy J. Tikker (1931 version); the original score for the 1931 release by Hugo Riesenfeld; behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film; cast portraits, production and costume sketches, a stills gallery of production photos and promotional material; the original illustrated program and press book featuring photographs from the film's gala premiere; and more.Bestsellers in DVD
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