This movie was a pleasant surprise. I'm an atheist but if you grant the story whatever you grant other stories you can take it as it is; a better than average narrative. Choosing Barrabas as the protagonist allows this movie to avoid the simpleton, heraldic treatment of good Christians vs. bad pagans. Though it certainly falters here and there. As with all Biblical epics the movie does have one or two Christian dullards who are mad at the Romans for killing Christ. Well yes, and if you're a believer, his death is the foundation of your religion and man's salvation. How could you not understand something so fundamental? How could you miss the point so completely? Well... because people can't reason to save their lives.
Barrabas takes forever to figure it all out. He is a true dullard, as his character would be. And Anthony Quinn keeps his performance in check (No hamming). The movie is shot beautifully/naturally, without a lot of arid prettiness to let your mind stray from the point. In the end, it is admirably true to grave matters of theology. Rather than vanquish some two dimensional baddie (which means zero in the grand scheme of things) the real finish of this movie has to do with the condition of Barrabas' tortured, oblivious soul. As I viewed the ending I was quite surprised, since as I watched I was thinking, "ten to one Hollywood and the writers miss the point and off some irrelevant villain." You will not be whistling a happy tune, and ordering a pizza after the final images.
Barrabas takes forever to figure it all out. He is a true dullard, as his character would be. And Anthony Quinn keeps his performance in check (No hamming). The movie is shot beautifully/naturally, without a lot of arid prettiness to let your mind stray from the point. In the end, it is admirably true to grave matters of theology. Rather than vanquish some two dimensional baddie (which means zero in the grand scheme of things) the real finish of this movie has to do with the condition of Barrabas' tortured, oblivious soul. As I viewed the ending I was quite surprised, since as I watched I was thinking, "ten to one Hollywood and the writers miss the point and off some irrelevant villain." You will not be whistling a happy tune, and ordering a pizza after the final images.