Bret Muraski

The most sublime movie of the silent era and a rival to Jesus of Nazareth as the best 'Life Of Christ' movie ever made (I wouldn't put The Passion Of The Christ in that category, as I consider it more of a cinematic Passion play). One of the best Biblical movies that much like the sacred scripture it's based on has withstood the test of time and manages to compare to if not surpass any other cinematic depiction of the subject matter so many generations later...with a combination of gorgeous spectacle and devout reverence for the subject matter as only Cecil B DeMille could have delivered it...one of the greatest cinematic showmen of all time and this imo surpasses even the widely beloved Ten Commandments as his finest production. DeMille adds some especially tender and poignant emotional touches...including the most heartwarming onscreen reveal of Jesus to date, seeing Him for the first time through the eyes of a blind child He’s healed...Jesus “healing” a broken doll for a little girl...every passerby seeing his own sin written in the sand while condemning the sinful woman that Jesus saves from stoning...and this is the only Biblical epic to date to depict the mother of one of the thieves crucified alongside Christ being consoled by Mary...also even showing one of their dogs grieving at the foot of the cross. He deserves bonus points for managing to incorporate a fun, whimsical sense of humor into some scenes without making light of the story. Overflowing with shots that feel like sacred art work of old come alive before the viewer with such beautiful visuals as a shimmering Jesus and an ethereal symbolic use of doves at key moments...some of the most natural performances of any film from the silent era fronted by H.B. Warner (who appeared in It's a Wonderful Life and Ten Commandments 1956 in addition to this film) in the best performance of his legendary career as Jesus Christ...grandiose sets with huge crowds that give the film a sense of scope that was especially impressive for its era...and special effects that are still phenomenal even today, including an earthquake sequence during Christ's crucifixion that's as jaw dropping as many disaster movies made today...and arguably the most beautiful & powerful cinematic depiction of The Resurrection ever put onscreen, presented in color to emphasize the glorious, triumphant majesty of the most important event in all of history (contrasted by the black & white throughout the film). Thanks to The Criterion Collection this is now available in a fantastic 2-disc set DVD with the original 155 minute release and the somewhat condensed 112 minute release...also featuring a beautiful music score by Donald Sosin composed strictly for the DVD release. This movie was remade in 1961, which was also an excellent film, but it doesn't compare to this one. This and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ 1925 are the two most essential films of the silent era and absolute must sees for anyone interested in the history of film...both capable of winning over audiences that aren't typically fond of silent filmmaking.