THE KING OF KINGS, South Korea/US, 2025. Voices of: Kenneth Branagh, Oscar Isaac, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Seong-ho Jang. 104 minutes. Rated PG (Mild supernatural themes and animated violence
Yes, the Gospel story. However, this film is an animation-dramatisation of a story by Charles Dickens for his family, written in the 1840s. It was recited every Christmas by the author and read aloud in succeeding family generations, Dickens forbidding publication. However, in 1934, more than 60 years after the death of the author, the family made it available.
At the beginning of his story, Dickens wrote: ‘My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the history of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable, as he was.’
This film was made by a South Korean animator, Seong-go Jang, in Korean studios but uses the voices of talented English speakers – British and American.
Dickens told the story to his family and in this film he tells it to his younger son, Walter, who is a spirited boy, absorbed by stories of King Arthur, swords and dragons. After he disrupts his father’s presentation on stage of Scrooge and A Christmas Carol, Dickens’ sympathetic wife urges him to tell the Gospel story. The young boy becomes more and more interested. Initially wanting kings and dragons, he is drawn into the story and following the person of Jesus. And, all the while, accompanied by his mischievous cat.
Which means that this is definitely a film for the younger audiences, but could be a pleasure for the whole family.
The animation style is vivid, the characters, the backgrounds, sometimes gently quiet with Jesus healing, with the apostles, at other times very vivid, especially Jesus walking on the water in the overwhelming storm. A great deal of the time is given to the Last Supper, the agony in the garden, Judas’ betrayal, trial and Caiaphas and Pilate, the crucifixion. Audiences who enjoy animation stories will like this style and treatment.
But, a key element of the screenplay is having the young boy enter into all the action, observing, being close-up with Jesus. At times, Dickens himself comes with his son into the action, close-up, all the while with Branagh’s narration as Dickens. The device of having Walter within the Gospel story is a great means for younger audiences also entering in, identifying, learning about Jesus and his story with a devout theme-highlighting commentary by Dickens.
St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, would probably endorse this film. In his Spiritual Exercises, he urges those making retreats, or at any time with Gospel contemplations, to enter into the scene, to be there, to experience the Gospels. And, a great challenge to those on retreat is to ask them where they are in the scene, at a distance observing, or close to Jesus. This film dramatises what this closeness could be like.
The voice cast is strong. Branagh as Dickens, Thurman as his wife Catherine, Hamill is an extraordinarily rambunctious King Herod, Kingsley is a thundering villainous high priest Caiaphas, Brosnan a disdainful Pontius Pilate and Isaac voices Jesus.
In 2000, the animated film, The Miracle Maker, with Ralph Fiennes as the voice of Jesus, was successful in portraying the Gospel stories. The King of Kings is a welcome addition.
Rialto
Released 10 April