Barabbas

Amazon.com

Starring Anthony Quinn in the title role, Barabbas was released in 1961 in the midst of a wave of widescreen epics based on biblical characters. The screenplay, by playwright Christopher Fry (who also contributed to Ben-Hur), is an unusually intelligent one. Further assets are the imaginative, sparingly orchestrated score by Mario Nascimbene and a handsome production design by art director Mario Chiari that is so rewarding to the eye in Aldo Tonti's often dazzling cinematography.

Many scenes, such as Christ's crucifixion, are shot and staged like tableaux in a style reminiscent of the great masters of art. And director Richard Fleischer surpasses anything Ridley Scott achieved years later in Gladiator: he fills the huge arena--a vast Roman amphitheatre--with a gladiatorial school of hand-to-hand combat, a parade of elephants, and a den of lions, and then caps his production with a riveting and thrillingly mounted duel between Jack Palance, careering round the circumference of the arena in his chariot, and Barabbas dodging him on foot. --Adrian Edwards

Customer Reviews:

Portrait of a Soul's Dark Night.......2007-09-07

"Barabbas" is a stunning film. Anthony Quinn portrays the criminal released instead of Christ during the Holy Days, and he has to live with the guilt for the rest of his life.
The film is filled with dark scenes and dark emotions. Unlike many films dealing with the story of Christ's death and resurrection, this film presents all the events as hearsay. Neither Barabbas nor the audience is able to witness Christ's resurrection and subsequent appearances--only the word of the faithful is offered as evidence. None of the miracles of Christ are shown--but a truly disturbing scene involving Lazarus, whom Christ raised from the dead in the Gospel account--is presented as a disturbing, spooky figure--who lets Barabbas know he is in the realm of awesome, mysterious events.
Especially today, with the recent news of Mother Theresa of Calcutta's own "dark night of the soul" so current, this is a gripping film that offers no easy solutions to the metaphysical questions it poses--=but it affirms faith as, perhaps, the only recourse for suffering humanity.

Darkness and Hope.......2007-08-26

"Barabbas" is certainly not your average Roman epic; viewers should't expect the usual ending of the protagonist living happily ever after somewhere in the lovely countryside. No, this is quite different, a film dealing with human doubt and brutality as well as Christian hope. The plot is dark throughout which honestly seems to add more realism to the film. The acting is good and many scenes are memorable such as Christ's crucifixtion (partly filmed during a real solar eclipse), the stoning scene, the first gladiator fight, and the Great Fire of 64 A.D. Perhaps the most haunting visual shot is the forrest of crosses near the picture's conclusion.
Quinn does a good job at protraying the protagonist, one unusual because of his dark nature. The last lines Barabbas speaks are somewhat ambigous and can be interpred in different ways. Palance gives a sinister performance as a sadistic gladiator that ranks right up there with his performance as hired killer Jack Wilson in "Shane."
Overall, I enjoyed the picture. There are some historical inaccuracies such as the way Roman helments are depicted and the fact the Flavian Ampitheatre hadn't been constructed yet (neither flaw takes much from the film). The musical score was well done. Finally, viewers considering purchasing the film should remember it is dark and fairly violent.

One Of The Best.......2007-02-23

This is one of the very best of Biblical epics ever made. The script is fantastic. It exposits man's continuing problems throughout the ages, using Barabbas as the example. Violence, hatred, lust, despair, guilt. All part of the human condition, all forever attached to life on Earth because we refuse to accept God. Barabbas, in this movie, is a man at war with others, himself, but mostly with God.

The movie continually draws the viewer in deeper to the depth of its storyline and characterizations as it unfolds. Viewing this movie has a soul-shaking effect. I believe the main reason for this is because it never becomes preachy. Viewers understand pain, it's part of all of us. Most of us also have hope, even if our hope can't be defined or fully understood. But when you marry pain with hope in the God/Man Jesus Christ, hope is crystallized and eternalized.

Anthony Quinn was amazing. He was given multiple scenes where lesser actors would have overacted and ruined Barabbas' characterization. But because he didn't, Barabbas became extremely real and relatable. Everyone was spot on. Jack Palance was at his fantastic creepy best.

Enjoy this movie and ask yourself some serious questions about the meaning of life, the reality of violence and hatred, and what hope is really about. Who it's about. Those life questions are best answered in the Christian Gospel.

Emotional tour de force.......2007-01-12

Anthony Quinn is outstanding as the man who's place is taken by Jesus at the cross. It is a brilliant tour de force for the gifted actor with unequalled pathos for the part he played. It is an intriguing question historically and theologically - what happened to Barrabbas the zealot? This movie provides us with an answer that is moving and dramatic and a perfect role for Mr. Quinn.

Don't expect depth of characterization... Fleisher's film lives only on its spectacle..........2006-12-18

Through Barabbas, complex themes of faith, spirituality, violence, peace, morality, human dignity and cruelty were examined in the guise of a Biblical epic directed by a competent filmmaker of action pictures... His film vividly captured the panoply of Rome, the stultifying sulfur mines, the savagery of the Roman arena, the gladiatorial sadism, Nero's fire in Rome, and the persecution of Christians...

Despite a lamentable weak script, the acting was often uncomfortable, but this didn't detract too much from the action...

Anthony Quinn made his best as the confused rebel in anguish; also Vittorio Gassman, as the brave prisoner who stood on his faith; Silvana Mangano, Barabbas' former lover who knew that Jesus was, for her, the true substitute; and Jack Palance, the cruel and sadistic gladiator...

Average customer rating:

Portrait of a Soul's Dark Night
Darkness and Hope
One Of The Best
Emotional tour de force
Don't expect depth of characterization... Fleisher's film lives only on its spectacle...

Barabbas [Region 2]
Starring: Anthony Quinn , Silvana Mangano , Arthur Kennedy , Katy Jurado , and Harry Andrews
Director: Richard Fleischer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005UBHY