The Sign of the Cross (1932)

The plot.After burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they are all to be caught and sent to the arena. Two old Christians are caught, and about to be hauled off, when Marcus, the highest military official in Rome, comes upon them. When he sees their stepdaughter Mercia, he instantly falls in love with her and frees them. Marcus pursues Mercia, which gets him into trouble with Emperor (for being easy on Christians) and with the Empress, who loves him and is jealous.Never was a big fan of Demille and this movie might be why. Acting is over the top and the direction heavy handed.Laughton is especially bizarre. Rubber nose that doesn't match his own skin color so it looks like he has a red nose through out.The romance angle is really poorly done. In fact the writing is really horrible

"The Sign of the Cross" marked Cecil B. DeMille's first epic of the sound era. Produced in the pre-code year of 1932, it gave him license to include some brutal torture and death scenes as well as, some sexy parts too. And yes, this is the film in which Claudette Colbert takes a bath in asses' milk.The story centers around the Roman persecution of the Christians in the time of Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) in 64 A.D. The film opens with the famous burning of Rome while Nero plays his harp. Nero and his confederate Tigellinus (Ian Keith)conspire to place blame for the blaze upon the Christians whom Rome is trying to exterminate.Marcus Superbus (Frederic March), the Prefect of Rome is close to Nero and the rival of Tigellinus. Poppaea (Colbert) is the scheming sexy wife of Nero whom it seems bends to her will. Poppaea has her eye on Marcus even though he doesn't return the desire.One day while riding through the city Marcus comes upon the virginal Christian girl Mercia (Elissa Landi) and saves her from arrest. Tigellius learns of Marcus' interest in the girl and plots to expose him. Marcus comes to fall in love with the girl. Young Stephan a friend of Mercia, is arrested by Tigellinus' spies and is tortured into revealing the location of a planned Christian gathering.Many of the Christians are slaughtered before Marcus can intercede. The survivors including Mercia are taken away to prison to await execution in the arena. Marcus rescues Mercia and takes her to his house. Mercia tries to convince Marcus to become a Christian but he refuses. The scheming Poppaea whose advances toward Marcus have been rejected, convinces Nero not to spare Mercia from the lions in spite of Marcus' protests.The arena scenes are quite graphic for the time. The gladiator combats, the amazon's duels with the pygmies and finally the slaughter of the Christians are graphically depicted. There is some suggested nudity with one girl being left for a gorilla and another, celebrated fan dancer Sally Rand, being fed to the crocodiles. Also Colbert's bath scene contains teasing little glimpses of her assets.If one has a feeling of deja vu while watching this film. the later epics "Quo Vadis" (1951) and "The Robe" (1953) have similar stories and endings. It's likely that Claudette Colbert's performance in this film resulted in DeMille casting her as Cleopatra in his film of that name in 1934.

This was a powerful and shocking movie, at least for people who see a lot of classic films, including movies from the '30s. I haven't seen this in quite a while but I never forgot seeing a nude Claudette Colbert taking a milk bath!However, seeing Christians persecuted was not entertaining to me. Although there is no gore, it's pretty brutal to almost see lions eating people, elephants crushing them, alligators ripping them apart, gladiators being speared, stabbed, torn up, etc., etc. And some wonder why a morals' code was instituted several years later?! I'm sure there were some outcries after this was released.The Christians, led by Elissa Landi, are inspiring in their bravery in the midst of all this persecution. One wonders how - in real life - they did it. In addition to the torture, violent scenes, this movie was shocking in its day for the nudity. For a classic film, to see all these bare breasts is indeed shocking.Regarding other actors, Charles Laughton was convincing as the sick, sadistic "Nero" but Frederic March looked more like a silent film star with all the eye makeup.Of a final note, it was interesting to see an "intermission" in this film, considering it's just two hours, but that was a long time for a film in 1932.

An early talkie at times just as visual as the great silent movie, The Sign of the Cross does suffer with silly dialog and over the top acting.However, here's a chance to see a young Charles Laughton playing a fiddle to burning Rome. It's very funny on how bad it is. He and Claudette Colbert steal each scene that they're in.In fact, Claudette raising her arms in a bath filled with milk where one can glimpse her nipples is a lot of fun to watch. When she commands her girlfriend to take her clothes, get in the pool and let's talk is what pre-code is all about. Too bad there wasn't more of those.Elissa Lundi, top-billed, is too much a sob sister and one wonders why Frederic March would prefer her to Claudetter is anyone's guess. March displayed an intensity that was his trademark as he got to star several high production films of the 1930's. One of those is Les Miserables, an excellent film in which he reunites with Laughton.The scenes with the Christians are very much a dirge, full of piety and for me, doesn't ring true at all. A good part of the film has March saving a reluctant Lundi that will conclude with both being eaten by the lions. These scenes I found to be quite dull.The best reason to see this film to with DeMille's genius of recreating ancient Rome. This would have been better if this was made as a silent. As if, though, this film is the one that reestablished him as king of box office, the George Lucas of his day.Colbert comes off the best as the vampish Empress. She's quite beautiful in this and she would star in even a better DeMille film - Cleopatra - and costar with Clark Gable in one of the best Frank Capra's movies - It Happened One Night. So, she's the next best reason.