The World's Greatest Sinner Review
This bizarre, homemade labor of blood is the work of one of cinema's most criminally underused and underappreciated character actors, Timothy Carey. An extended parody of religion, sex, rock & roll, and politics (and by extension, America herself), The World's Greatest Sinner is a flawed but fascinating piece. As "God" Hilliard, Carey creates a man who rebels against nature itself, declaring himself immortal and somehow convincing a cadre of believers to follow him by sheer force of personality. He's a fragmented character who moves quickly from a frustrated insurance man who knows there must be more to human existence to a vicious demagogue drunk on his own power. Carey plays Hilliard like most of the roles he brought to the screen, alternately mumbling, shouting, belching, and convulsing his way through the film, a confounding combination of over and underacting, that, if never entirely believable, is genuinely compelling to watch. In particular, the scene were Hilliard invades the inner sanctum of a Catholic church and pricks the wafer to make sure it doesn't bleed brings his madness to a palpable edge. As a director, Carey is a clumsy craftsman. The film jumps from scene to scene awkwardly, barely completing a thought before the next is presented. This could be due to the film's extended production period, a frustrating four years that proves Carey's commitment to the material. It's unfortunate that the majority of the public who actually recalls this barely distributed oddity remembers it only as Frank Zappa's professional debut (he composed the score, billed pretentiously as "Zappa"). For all of its obvious technical shortcomings, The World's Greatest Sinner is a must-see for followers of fringe cinema, as well as anyone interested in seeing larger questions approached in a decidedly idiosyncratic style. Fred Beldin, Rovi
Great Film Moments:
- In Theaters
- This Week
- Coming Soon
- New on DVD
Browse More Movies:
