Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Glacial
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- reverent
- austere
- solemn
- easter viewing
- religious reflection
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's impressive scale, landscapes, score, and Max von Sydow's performance, while finding its solemn script, repetitive preaching scenes, and conspicuous cameos overlong and dramatically static.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents Jesus's life through expansive landscapes, a major studio-scale production, and numerous prominent supporting performers.
The narrative foregrounds faith, doubt, preaching, crucifixion, and resurrection in an austere, worshipful register.
Max von Sydow's Jesus is framed through moments of teaching, anguish, compassion, and confrontation with doubt.
The plot explicitly leads toward the crucifixion crossroads and retrospectively returns to its meaning.
Films like The Greatest Story Ever Told, and why
The King of Kings
shared Christian subject matter, reverent biblical storytelling, and large-scale historical spectacle
The Greatest Story Ever Told
shared biblical epic form, religious drama, and sword-and-sandal setting
The Gospel of John
shared solemn Christian themes, historical drama, and depiction of Jesus's life
The Ten Commandments
shared monumental biblical subject, spiritual seriousness, and classical epic production
Movie Details
- Director
- George Stevens
- Release Date
- 1965-04-09
- Runtime
- 199 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (222)
Cast
- Max von Sydow
- Michael Anderson Jr.
- Carroll Baker
- Ina Balin
- Victor Buono
- Richard Conte
- Joanna Dunham
- José Ferrer
- Van Heflin
- Charlton Heston
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Greatest Story Ever Told about?
- A monumental and reverent Hollywood epic portraying Jesus of Nazareth’s life, teachings, anguish, crucifixion, and resurrection.
- What is The Greatest Story Ever Told like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Greatest Story Ever Told as glacial, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Greatest Story Ever Told violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Greatest Story Ever Told as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Greatest Story Ever Told?
- Critics broadly recognized the film's impressive scale, landscapes, score, and Max von Sydow's performance, while finding its solemn script, repetitive preaching scenes, and conspicuous cameos overlong and dramatically static.
- Which films are like The Greatest Story Ever Told?
- Films with a similar feel include The King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Gospel of John, and The Ten Commandments.
- How long is The Greatest Story Ever Told?
- The Greatest Story Ever Told runs 199 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Greatest Story Ever Told?
- In United States, The Greatest Story Ever Told streams on Amazon Prime Video.
