Su Re

The biblical Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Golgotha represents one of the central stories of Western civilization. In The King, however, director Giovanni Columbu cleverly avoids creating a lavish spectacle, presenting instead an intimate minimalist drama that looks at just the few hours prior to the act of crucifixion. Unlike earlier adaptations of the story, it does not fit the traditional Christian iconography in which Christ has the charming face of a charismatic visionary – Columbu opted rather to employ an uncommonly moving rawness and realism. Thanks to his strictly spare aesthetic and fresh way of looking at the biblical story (which excludes Christ’s Resurrection), the film is a truly ambitious work of art. Finding inspiration in the mutually conflicting stories of the Gospels, the picture is not intended as a classic Christian adaptation of the Passion which touches audiences with its stories of the sufferings of the Son of God. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)