USA 1961
My favorite of all the Bronston epics and quite possibly my personal number one of all the biblical cinema sagas (including "Ben-Hur", "The Ten Commandments", "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" and 1965's "The Greatest Story Ever Told."). Director Nicholas Ray managed an impressive feat encapsulating the Christ narrative so elegantly into such a spectacular film extravaganza. It really is an encompassing viewing. The movie is majestic yet holds the divine and respectful chronicling of the life of Jesus quite adeptly. Orson Welles narration adds another perfect touch and there are numerous highly memorable scenes - the Sermon on the Mount - coquettish Salome dancing for her stepfather King Herod, the Last Supper and the Crucifixion all stand out with Ray's deft touch. Jeffrey Hunter handles the impossible role of the Lamb of God as well as one could imagine. A classic film running the perfect length (not excessively long) with barely a frame of wasted footage. STRONGLY recommended.
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Theatrical Release: October 11th, 1961
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner - Region 1, 2, 3, 4 - NTSC
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| Distribution | Warner Home Video - Region 1, 2, 3, 4 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 2:50:48 | |
| Video |
2.35:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.69 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | |
| Subtitles | English, French, Spanish, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details:
• Documentary "The Camera's Window of the World" (3:57)
• Trailer |
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| Comments: |
Brilliant image - virtually artifact free. I have no complaints whatsoever with the video or audio quality of this DVD - anamorphic, progressive, tight to the frame, and damage-free. The 2.35 aspect ratio transfer is stunning - one of the best I have seen in a long while. Audio is well-balanced with clear dialogue and consistency in external noise. This DVD edition contains the complete theatrical version with "Overture, Entr'acte and Exit" music. No real extras, but a scene-select commentary would have been the perfect touch. There is a very short documentary that is essentially just footage of the shoot in Spain with the impressively large cast - 2 newsreel footage segments of the Premiere and a trailer. The film itself is enough to recommend this reasonably-priced DVD but the spectacular quality makes it a must-own in my eyes. |
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| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution | Warner Home Video - Region 1, 2, 3, 4 - NTSC | |
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