I spent this morning watching Cecil B. DeMille’s magnum opus The King of Kings (1927). [Aside: I love that I can chill in my pajamas watching movies and call it “research”!] It is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece of the silent film era and rightfully so. Considering the time in which it was made, the cinematography and special affects are brilliant and the sets are awesome—in the traditional sense of the word. It was considered such a triumph of the Jesus-movie genre, that despite the overwhelming popularity of Jesus as a topic for films, another Jesus biopic wasn’t attempted again until the early 1960s. 

If you are interested in wasting 160 minutes of your up-coming holiday weekend, you can watch the whole film on YouTube (I’ve included part 1 of 16 above to start you off — it’s a GREAT opening). However, a few notes before you do:

1. The film is overly sentimentalised and filled with historical and biblical nonsense. In one scene a little girl says to Jesus that she has heard that he can heal broken legs. She then proceeds to present him with her doll (please remember this is supposed to be the first century) whose leg has broken off. Jesus, very sweetly, fixes the poor doll’s leg. This clearly proves…what? The Jesus was kind? I’m not sure what to make of this very strange and entirely anachronistic scene, but you can watch it yourself below. Beginning at 4 minute mark.
   
   
    
2. DeMille really wants you to dislike Judas. You’re introduced to him at the beginning as a man who frequents the (very high-end) prostitute Mary Magdalene. He is more heavily made-up than the rest of the disciples, wears jewelry and fine clothes, and clearly doesn’t “truly” believe in Jesus at all. Which leaves you wondering why he’s even bothered to follow Jesus. And when he is touched by lunatic (in the clinical sense) children he bristles and brushes his clothes off. How dare the unfortunate child! 
3. The Jews! Oh the Jews. One would struggle to get the costuming any more ridiculous. Some of the Pharisees just seem to wear prayer shawls around — as you do. While others are seen wearing Tefillin; like the prayer shawl, something one would only wear whilst praying. I cannot, with any authority, comment on whether or not these were even worn in the first-century at all, but if they were, they certainly would not have been just part of one’s every-day attire. The only reason to include items like this in costuming is to emphasis how “Jewish”, in a stereotypical way, Jesus’ opponents were. 
4. Every description the film gives of Caiaphas — he is portrayed as power-hungry and greedy, more interested in these things than in the Jewish religion — is based neither on the gospels, nor on any extra-biblical source.
5. Jesus is blond. And he glows. 

Have you seen The King of Kings? If you have, or if you decide to watch it, I’d love to know what you think!