Barabbas (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Barabbas' is a simultaneously intelligent & entertaining 1962 Biblical epic directed by Richard Fleischer. Anthony Quinn stars as the titular Barabbas, the violent thief who, on the brink of execution, was pardoned in place of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. For the rest of his conflicted life, the guilt-ridden criminal tries to justify his own existence, & to determine his place in the grand scheme of life. Along the way he encounters the sanctimonious pomposity of Pontius Pilate (stellar Arthur Kennedy), the stoning of Sara (beautiful Katy Jurado), the gladiatorial sadism of Torvald (a maniacal Jack Palance), & the climactic burning of Rome.
What a movie. I don't know what it is about these long, grand Biblical epics, but SO many of them impress me on levels of which I can't exactly explain. I just enjoy them; simple as that. While he has his moments of volatility, Barabbas, as portrayed by the normally larger-than-life Anthony Quinn, is interpreted to be a rather confused, tormented, enigmatic man with a real world-weary way about him. Quinn is superb; able to convey so much conflict of humanity with even the slightest of character nuances. The rest of the cast impress, as well; including Ernest Borgnine, Valentina Cortese, Harry Andrews, & Vittorio Gassman as Sahak.
If I take issue with anything in the film, it's that there are some pacing issues; which allllllways accompany films of this ilk. But that didn't bother me too much. Christopher Fry's adaptation/interpretation of the novel from which this film is exacted from is more literate than your usual Biblical epic. Richard Fleischer directs well; particularly the action sequences (that gladiatorial scene btwn. Quinn & Palance ... wow). Ooh, 2 quick side notes: 1) the movie's unbilled Jesus is played by Roy Magnano, brother of Quinn's co-star Silvia Magnano. And 2) the solar eclipse during the Crucifixion sequence is real; director Fleischer timed that perfectly.
The wonderful musical score by Mario Nascimbene, the beautiful cinematography by Aldo Tonti, and Mario Chiari's exquisite production design imbue the visuals with a grand, if mournful majesty that I've come to love about Biblical epics. I wasn't going to check-out 1962's 'Barabbas', but I dug deep & read information that intrigued me enough to watch this film today on Easter and, I am very glad that I did. This film is imaginative, expressionistic, well acted, beautiful and, as mentioned, smart. It had critical & box office acclaim, and I am surprised that it received no Academy Award noms -- it certainly deserved a few. In any case, very good film.
What a movie. I don't know what it is about these long, grand Biblical epics, but SO many of them impress me on levels of which I can't exactly explain. I just enjoy them; simple as that. While he has his moments of volatility, Barabbas, as portrayed by the normally larger-than-life Anthony Quinn, is interpreted to be a rather confused, tormented, enigmatic man with a real world-weary way about him. Quinn is superb; able to convey so much conflict of humanity with even the slightest of character nuances. The rest of the cast impress, as well; including Ernest Borgnine, Valentina Cortese, Harry Andrews, & Vittorio Gassman as Sahak.
If I take issue with anything in the film, it's that there are some pacing issues; which allllllways accompany films of this ilk. But that didn't bother me too much. Christopher Fry's adaptation/interpretation of the novel from which this film is exacted from is more literate than your usual Biblical epic. Richard Fleischer directs well; particularly the action sequences (that gladiatorial scene btwn. Quinn & Palance ... wow). Ooh, 2 quick side notes: 1) the movie's unbilled Jesus is played by Roy Magnano, brother of Quinn's co-star Silvia Magnano. And 2) the solar eclipse during the Crucifixion sequence is real; director Fleischer timed that perfectly.
The wonderful musical score by Mario Nascimbene, the beautiful cinematography by Aldo Tonti, and Mario Chiari's exquisite production design imbue the visuals with a grand, if mournful majesty that I've come to love about Biblical epics. I wasn't going to check-out 1962's 'Barabbas', but I dug deep & read information that intrigued me enough to watch this film today on Easter and, I am very glad that I did. This film is imaginative, expressionistic, well acted, beautiful and, as mentioned, smart. It had critical & box office acclaim, and I am surprised that it received no Academy Award noms -- it certainly deserved a few. In any case, very good film.