RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
39 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:18

Fresh:7

Rotten:11

Average Rating:4.7/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 25 mins

Genre: Religious

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]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Mar 17, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • "A magnificent film, handled with reverence, artistic appreciation and admirable restraint" (NewYork Daily News), this glorious epic is an inspiring, grand-scale recreation of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, from His humble birth and teachings to His crucifixion and ultimate Resurrection. Lavishly produced at a cost of $20 millionan enormous amount for the timeand honored with five 1965 Academy Award® nominations*, this exceptional motion picture is exquisitely beautiful. Now fully restored to its original theatrical brilliance with intermission and overture, it is truly The Greatest Story Ever Told. *Cinematography (Color), Original Score, Art Direction (Color), Costume Design (Color), Special Visual Effects.
  • Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Greatest Story Ever Told

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 18 (sorted by date)
    Text View
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

    Click to read the article

    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
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    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
     
     
    1 - 18 (sorted by date)
    Text View
    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
    52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
    45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
    19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
    55% 55% Orphan

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    98% 98% Up
    88% 88% Ballast
    66% 66% The Merry Gentleman

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    60+ New Moon pics

    60+ New Moon pics

    You want Twilight images? We got 'em!

    What to Watch?

    What to Watch?

    Find out with RT's Holiday Movie Preview!

    John Cusack

    John Cusack

    We list his 10 top rated movies!

    Critics Consensus

    Critics Consensus

    2012 isn't quite earth-shaking enough

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
    162
    • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
    28
    • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
    20
    • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
    3
    • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
    120
    • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
    36
    • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
    8
    • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
    1
    • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
    102
    • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
    11
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
    77
    • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
    72
    • RT on DVD: Up, the Ultimate Watchmen Cut, and More
    36
    • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
    34
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
    32
    • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
    27
    • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
    26
    • Five Favourite Films with Ang Lee
    21
    • Critics Consensus: 2012 Isn't Quite Earth-Shaking
    7
    • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
    0
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    15
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    8
    • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
    28
    • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
    28
    • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
    14
    • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
    40
    • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
    139
    • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
    4
    • Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
    51
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • The Greatest Story Ever Told at Rotten Tomatoes

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Best of Disaster Porn
    Best of Disaster Porn External Link

    Moviefone looks back at 7 films that have paved the way for movies like 2012.

    Actors with Famous Parents
    Actors with Famous Parents External Link

    BuzzSugar rattles off their 10 favorite current actors with celebrity pedigree.

    The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
    The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T External Link

    The AV Club looks back at a dance sequence from the only movie written by... Dr. Seuss?

    10 Questions - Ewan McGregor
    10 Questions - Ewan McGregor External Link

    The Men Who Stare at Goats star answers your questions on TIME.com.

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.