The King of Kings 1927

 The King of Kings, 1927

“I come a light into the world–that whosoever believeth in me shall not abide in darkness."

“Truly, this man was the son of God.”

“O God–give us back the light.”

-The King of Kings, 1927

There is something tremendously mesmerizing about Cecil B. DeMille's silent biblical epic. The King of Kings is at once, a marvelous achievement in cinematic storytelling, and a deeply meditative look at the life of Christ. All, brought on by the techniques inherent in the construction of a silent film. It makes me smile to think that our old friend has returned. Once again, simplicity is the driving force behind the consistent depth of visual storytelling.

“The secret impresses no one, the trick you use it for, is everything.”

-The Prestige

It is generally surmised that movies nowadays have lost their sense of purpose. Wonder has given way to the doldrums of familiarity. In other words, films have lost their luster, because we've become immune to the magic inherent in the trick. Respected filmmaker Christopher Nolan Wonderfully expounds on this abiding creative dilemma in his 2006 film The Prestige. Through an exploration of the magician's art, The Prestige illustrates the creative quandary in this way: if the audience knows the construction of the trick, then they no longer care about the result. In our eyes the final reveal has lost its impact. We may know how magic works, but we forget the stories that motivate our wonder. This lack however, Is not the magician's fault, it is ours. The magic of film works because it means something, and that meaning remains whether we get used to the tricks or not. We just need to recall the stories that the tricks are trying to tell us.
Perhaps that is why The King of King is so enthralling to me. It reminds my filmic mind that spectacle and drama are intertwined. They are not separate disciplines, drama can elevate spectacle and spectacle can elevate drama. The wonders In The King of Kings are vehicles for story and theme, rather than spectacles for their own sake.
The King of Kings marvelously conveys this stance by opening a very particular window into the life of Christ. The film allows us to experience the inner workings of Jesus's miracles. We witness them from the inside out. The first of these spectacles comes in the form of the healing of a young blind girl.
We have acclimated ourselves so well to the miracles of Jesus, that they have become mundane. We know what to expect, a deep longing for Jesus's healing power, then a rapturous gratitude when the healing is complete. With the healing of this young girl however, there is one more small addition that changes everything. The audience is situated behind those blind eyes. The first time the King of Kings offers us a glimpse of Jesus, is when those little girl's eyes are granted site.
From the exorcism of Mary Magdalene's seven demons, to the attempted stoning of the adulterous, King of Kings is a visual meditation on human weakness, and our need for God's healing grace. This is all conveyed through the use of thematic spectacle. In short, the miracles are meaning and impact brought to us through the magic of visual thematic engagement.
Thematic spectacle is a core tenant in The King of Kings. Weaving itself in and out of this biblical account, with ever-present eloquence and weight. This thematic impact extends, not only to Jesus's ministerial miracles, but to his primary purpose as well. The death and resurrection of Jesus is brought to life here in such a way that it profoundly conveys a deep human tragedy. The betrayal of Judas Iscariot and his subsequent suicide. Visually juxtaposing Judas' suicide with the redemptive sacrifice of Christ on the cross, The King of Kings beautifully emphasizes the horrific nature of sin, and how it blinds us to the saving power of God. Even when that power is right in front of us. Judas was so close to forgiveness, if only he had held on just a little bit longer.
The King of Kings from 1927, is a triumph in all respects. This silent film is a lasting testament of the visual residence of cinema, and the enthralling nature of story and thematic purpose. Director Cecil B DeMille and his team bring the New Testament to life like never before. Showing us that the miracles of Jesus are far more than spectacle. They are motivators, reminders of our dignity and the impact of a purpose driven life.

Note: This film is not related to the animated The King of Kings released earlier in 2025. The 1927 King of Kings is a silent live-action film.

Rated PG: This film was released shortly before the Hays code, the precursor to the rating system we have now. So, it really doesn't have a rating. I believe it would be closest to PG. Mary Magdalene is scantily clad at the beginning of the film, there is also some violence and a strong depiction of suicide.

I found the King of Kings 1927 to be visually enthralling, thematically rich and deeply thought-provoking. I hope in some way you do too

A further note on the many different versions of The King of Kings and its restoration. The 1927 The King of Kings was released in two versions. A color tinted version released in 1927 its running time was 161 minutes. The second version of this film was presented in black and white and ran 115 minutes. I believe the black-and-white print of the film is shorter due to film restoration issues rather than it being a filmmaking choice. That said, the length of the black-and-white version may have to do with people complaining after the release of the longer color tinted version. That may also account for the differences in release years. The black-and-white print was released in 1928 and the color tinted print was released in 1927. All the print information herein is taken from the Flicker Alley Blu-ray set.
Apparently there are many different versions of The King of Kings. All of differing lengths, due to restoration issues. For example, the out of print Criterion Collection DVD, has a running times of 112 minutes and 155 minutes, for the two different versions. Warner Bros. seemingly uses the Criterion Collection print for streaming the film on HBO Max. I'm guessing the Flicker Alley Blu-ray is the most up-to-date seeing that it was released in May of 2025. Flicker Alley used a restoration completed in 2016 for this current Blu-ray. Therefore, the restoration was done well after HD Blu-rays came on the scene, and standard definition DVDs fell from restoration practice.