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Movies / Upcoming / The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told

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The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

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Reviews Counted:18

Fresh:7

Rotten:11

Average Rating:4.7/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 25 mins

Genre: Religious

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: George Stevens presents his monumental adaptation of the story of Jesus Christ starring Max von Sydow. The film concentrates on the most familiar episodes of the biblical story, including the birth... George Stevens presents his monumental adaptation of the story of Jesus Christ starring Max von Sydow. The film concentrates on the most familiar episodes of the biblical story, including the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, Herod's (Jose Ferrer) decree of the execution of all male children in Judea, and the Holy family's escape into Egypt. It continues as Christ encounters John the Baptist (Charlton Heston) searches for the Twelve Apostles, and raises Lazarus (Michael Tolan), while John the Baptist is executed. It concludes with Jesus' expulsion of the moneylenders from the temple, the instruction of the Apostles at the Last Supper, Christ's betrayal by Judas (David McCallum), the Passion, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. The product of years of research and planning by Stevens, the film features a huge cast of stars, among whom Von Sydow, McCallum, Dorothy McGuire (Mary), Sidney Poitier (Simon of Cyrene), Claude Rains (Herod the Great), Donald Pleasence (The Devil), Martin Landau (Caiaphas), and Janet Margolin (Mary of Bethany), give fine performances. [More]

Starring: Max Von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Sidney Poitier, Claude Rains

Starring: Max Von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Sidney Poitier, Claude Rains, Bobby Blake, Dorothy McGuire, Robert Loggia, José Ferrer, David McCallum, Donald Pleasence, Angela Lansbury, Martin Landau, Van Heflin, Carroll Baker

Director: George Stevens

Director: George Stevens
Screenwriter: George Stevens, James Lee Barrett
Composer: Alfred Newman

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Greatest Story Ever Told

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1 - 18 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/29/08
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

Tends to degenerate into a series of increasingly bizarre walk-ons.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/13/07
Channel 4 Film

Wile it's not quite as bad as the critics claimed upon its release, it's not particularly good either.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
11/13/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The prophets should speak with respect of this $20 million Biblical epic.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/13/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

By reputation, the results are so dull and so consistently undercut by a succession of star cameos that no one seems to mind the various shorter versions released since them, one of them less than half as long.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
11/13/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Interminable and intolerably reverential.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out

Despite some rousing scenes, may be the most boring movie ever made ...

comment Comment
04/07/06
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

If this is the greatest story ever told I can imagine how horrid is the worst story ever told.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/04/06
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
07/06/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Mr. Stevens has done it in a generous and often stunning style. And the quality of his reverence should captivate the piously devout.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/09/05
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
03/15/05
James Plath
James Plath
Reel.com

Yes, the celebrity cameos distract, but the film focuses more on Jesus' message than the overated King of Kings If you've never seen it in widescreen, you are missing a revelation.

comment Comment
02/17/05
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

The New Testament meets "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in this unintentionally funny all-star Biblical epic.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
06/29/04
Phil Hall
Phil Hall
Film Threat

So call me a blasphemer and a heretic. Producer/director/writer George Stevens' ultimate project simply isn't a very good film.

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
04/13/03
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

One of the most boring movies ever made; if Jesus was a wooden in life as he is in this movie, he would not have attracted one disciple.

comment Comment
12/25/02
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

No review available.

comment Comment
08/08/02
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

Don't let the title fool you. It's all hype. The gratuitous cameos make it hard to take the movie seriously.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/21/02
Collin Souter
Collin Souter
eFilmCritic.com

The most unintentionally hilarious biblical epic ever to grace the silver screen.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
06/19/01
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
Apollo Guide
 
 
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