King of Kings

King of Kings recounts the life of Jesus, from his birth in Bethlehem under Roman occupation of Judaea through his teachings, the opposition he draws, and his crucifixion. The film sets his story against the political turmoil of the era, giving attention to figures such as Barabbas and Judas as men who resist Roman rule, and to Pontius Pilate as the governor caught between them. Herod's attempt to kill the newborn Messiah also features early on.

Nicholas Ray directed the film, working from a screenplay by Philip Yordan; Samuel Bronston produced it for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Samuel Bronston Productions. It was shot in Spain on a large scale with 44 credited cast members. Jeffrey Hunter plays Jesus, with Siobhán McKenna as Mary, Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate, Ron Randell as Lucius, Viveca Lindfors as Claudia and Rita Gam as Herodias. The film came after Run for Cover (1955) in Ray's career and before 55 Days at Peking (1963), and it followed a run of films he had made through the 1950s.

Costing about 5 million dollars and taking roughly 14 million worldwide, the production returned well over its budget. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from around 9,900 votes, and on TMDB 7.1 out of 10 from 245 votes, figures that suggest a generally favourable audience view. The critics' rating stands at 6.4 out of 10 from 20 reviews, somewhat below those audience scores.