Barabbas (1962)

Spartacus and Ben-Hur this ain't. I don't understand the references to "lavish spectacle." Everything in this movie looks cheap. And director Stanley Fleisher is no Bill Kowalchuk (Ben-Hur) or Stanley Kramer (Spartacus). As far as the score, Mario Nascimbene is no Miklos Rozsa either. As far as the red/orange tint referred to I strongly suspect this is due to the aging of the print. The movie has not been restored like others of its day, which is understandable; it's not worth restoring. Anthony Quinn and his colleagues do the best they can with a ponderously leaden and clichéd script ("Work, you crazy dogs!"). The pacing is glacial, and the long passages of monologue that are more appropriate to a pulpit than a soundstage are tough to take. I was going to stop watching halfway through but I forced myself to watch the whole thing so I'd feel qualified to comment on it. Just because I suffered doesn't mean you have to.

Barabbas is a religious epic film that tells the story of Barabbas based primarily on the gospels particularly that of the Gospel of Mark.It stars Anthony Quinn in the title role together with Silvana Mangano, Katy Jurado, Arthur Kennedy, Harry Andrews, Ernest Borgnine, Vittorio Gassman, and Jack Palance. It was adapted from the Nobel Prize-winning 1950 novel of the same title written by Pär Lagerkvist.Barabbas is the thief who was pardoned in place of Jesus. For the rest of his life, the guilt-ridden criminal tries to go through life by trying to find his way in the world as he encounters the self- righteous pomposity of Pontius Pilate and experiences the gladiatorial sadism of Torvald and the burning of Rome.The movie is a movie spectacle that will definitely be comparable to those biblical epics released in the 50's and the 60'.It includes great and spectacular scenes such as battle of gladiators and the crucifixion shot that was shot during a real eclipse of the sun.Added to that,the portrayal of Anthony Quinn was nothing short but excellent.That alone makes it watchable and entertaining despite its somewhat slow pacing.

Richard Fleischer directed this epic biblical account of Barabbas(played by Anthony Quinn) a thief who was spared death in place of Jesus Christ after the people were manipulated into choosing him to be pardoned by Pontius Pilate(played by Arthur Kennedy). Barabbas is conflicted and spiritually torn over his life being spared in favor of such a loved man, whose teachings are spreading across the land. Barabbas will drift along from becoming a gladiator to being a prisoner in the salt mines, to an eventual follower of Jesus, which many years later leads him to his ironic fate... Well-acted by Quinn, with good direction and production, though film is also ponderous, and never quite as inspiring as it tries to be, yet it is still interesting.

I will give 9 out 10 because this film was well presented. Anthony Quinn, as usual, was a good actor. I do not know how accurate is the historical events regarding Barabbas in this film, but I believe that Barabbas was more a rebel against the State...the State which was and it is up to nowadays million of times more evil than Barabbas.At the end we have some doubts were Barabbas was repent in the cross while Rome was burning.Forgot to mention Jack Palance, another good actor and Ernest Borgnine.I have this film in DVD and I recommend for those who like history and cinema. I will compare this film with Ben Hur, Spartacus, Eld Cid, King of kings...and many classics from the 60's.