Film Credits

Screenplay by: James Lee Barrett and George Stevens

Directed by: George Stevens

Starring: Max von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, Angela Lansbury, Sidney Poitier, Sheeley Winters, John Wayne, Ed Wynn, Jose Ferrer, Van Heflin, Claude Rains, Telly Savalas, Sal Mineo

Review

While I tend to enjoy Biblical epics on the whole, I didn't get much of a kick out of The Greatest Story Ever Told, which I saw for the first time on MGM/UA's new laserdisc release. This ambitious undertaking attempts to tell of the life and times of a gent named Jesus (whom some of you might be familiar with, and who is played by Max Von Sydow) from his humble beginnings right on through to his rather tetanus-inducing swan song. From a visual and technical standpoint, The Greatest Story Ever Told is exquisite, but I found the storyline and acting tough to bear. Frankly, my dislike of the subject matter stems from my own viewpoint regarding things religious (aargh!), so you'll just have to use your own personal judgment and decide

"Psst...hey lord...I've got this great story to tell 'ya!"

for yourself. As for the casting, I found the "all-star" system used here highly distracting when trying to watch the film. Not only are some of the actors incredibly unbelievable (or unbelievably bad) in their respective roles (such as John Wayne as The Centurion, Sal Mineo as Uriah, or Telly Savalas as Pontius Pilate), one tends to spend more time playing "spot the actor" than paying attention to the film itself. I don't want to dissuade everyone from seeing The Greatest Story Ever Told - while it's both commendable and problematic, and while many of you will no doubt enjoy it very much, it simply wasn't my cup of history.

Speaking of history, the version of The Greatest Story Ever Told presented on this MGM/UA disc is the now-standard, restored 199-minute "home video" version. Director George Stevens' original cut ran 260 minutes, but was deemed too long and ordered by United Artists to be reedited. The film eventually premiered at 238 minutes, after which the studio insisted upon further cuts and shortened the running time to 199 minutes. Other versions in existence also include a drastically-shortened 127 minute edition (which was done by actually cutting up the 199-minute prints) as well as regular 141 minute theatrical reissue prints (which are apparently the only theatrical prints remaining).

From a transfer standpoint, The Greatest Story Ever Told is a wonderful disc, with the sole exception of the letterboxing. Filmed in the very-widescreen Ultra Panavision 70 process (an approx. 2.76:1 aspect ratio), MGM/UA's transfer only letterboxes the film with an aspect ratio that varies between approx. 2.20:1 and 2.45:1 (during sides one through three, the ratio is basically stable at approx. 2.20:1; during side four only, it varies between approx. 2.39:1 and 2.44:1), all of which is obviously shy of the full original width. Although much of the film is framed fine within the confines of whatever size is presented, you'll instantly notice that the left edge of the frame is cut off as soon as the opening credits appear onscreen, and your eyes instantly register the wider frame once you hit side four. If you're going to letterbox something, letterbox it properly the first time or at least keep the ratio consistent. The print is in overall fine condition, with a sharp focus and accurate colors. Print timing occasionally changes from cut to cut, but it's no big deal. The CX-encoded digital Westrex surround stereo audio tracks are very good and on par with the rest of the transfer. Following the film is an original 3m30s theatrical trailer, letterboxed at an approx. 2.10:1 aspect ratio. It's in fairly decent shape, shows many of the more impressive scenes, and include quotations from several approving reviews of the time. The two-disc set is spread over four disc sides (with some less-than-favorable side cuts) and comes in another nice MGM/UA gatefold jacket. Thanks to a fun typographical goof on the back cover, the cast listing claims that "Bowman" is played by Keir Dullea (hmmm...did someone have 2001 on the brain?); better still, not only is Dullea not in the film, but he gets first billing even above Max Von Sydow's Jesus! The discs were pressed at Pioneer and feature 42 listed chapter markers (41 for the film, 1 for the trailer).

Supplementary Recap

• Theatrical trailer