Costantino il grande

This is pretty much the cream of the crop of Italian Spaghetti Sword and Sandal Films, most of which were catastrophically bad. This one, however, has very good direction, and a few solid performances among the ensemble cast.

Cornel Wilde makes the film a cut above average with his substantial acting skills. Other notable roles are Fausto Tozzi as Hadrian, Christine Kaufman as Livia, the love of Hadrian, and Massimo Serato as the contentious Maxentius. It is very important to see this film in its remastered form, as the original Embassy Studio versions are vastly inferior in quality.

The story of the rise of Constantine is historically interesting, and relatively accurate, as opposed to several other Hollywood treatments of historical figures (like Genghis Khan for example).

"Constantine and the Cross" is an historical film set in the fourth century of the Roman Empire, and the last days of its pagan and mythological cults. It covers the period when Constantine became emperor and ended the persecution of the young Christian faith. It gives a good rendition of Constantine's rise and the battles that led to his reunification of the empire.

The film is a British-Italian production, filmed in Italy. Cornel Wilde plays Constantine. Most of the rest of the cast are Europeans actors - Italians making up the bulk. The sets, costumes and battle scenes are well done. But the screenplay is very choppy, and the direction and editing seem slipshod. Wilde and others who play Roman soldiers are wooden much of the time. The rest of the cast give just so-so performances.

The movie lacks energy and seems to drag on in many places. Only those interested in history and the survival of early Christianity are likely to enjoy it.

A nice plus that boosts this film's rating is its scenes of the catacombs in Rome. Very few films have been made that show the catacombs. But they were a crucial aspect of the early Christian church and its survival and growth in Rome.

I toured two different catacombs in Rome in 1963. With so many sites and things to see in Rome, many tour groups skip the catacombs. I recommend a visit to at least one. Especially to those interested in history or the first four centuries of Christianity.

Above average Italian sword and sandal:it is longer than the usual peplum (2 hours+),the settings are not cheap,and there's a solid American actor(and a director,one often forgets he made the memorable "naked prey"and the estimable "no blade of grass" )as the lead ,Cornel Wilde ,a Hollywood veteran ("leave her to Heaven" ,"Forever Amber","the greatest show on earth" and many more) .

Constantin's mother's destiny is not exactly what we see in the movie:she was not a highborn lady (an innkeeper's daughter) and Constantin was not estranged from her till his victory over Maxence;but the movie introduces her with taste .To keep a story-like side,the screenwriters invent the tale of two unfortunate lovers Adrian and Livia (the delicate Christine Kaufman who played opposite Steve Reeves in Bonnard/Leone's doomed "last days of pompei"(1959) in which she was ...a young Christian of course!) Wilde is a convincing Constantin,he gets good support from the rest of the cast ;this is neither "Spartacus" ,nor "Cleopatra " ,but as an entertaining epic ,that's still good value

This film must have been spectacular in its day, just like the Roman Empire. Now its saturated colors are faded, its panoramic vision compressed. Cornel Wilde is still a hunk, but an aging one, and it's hard to believe he was the educated, fluent in several languages and fussy about his roles actor from his performance here, delivering some of his lines just like John Wayne might have done. There are several hokey overview shots of Rome, which are really of the scale model version from the Museum of History of the City of Rome, but otherwise the sets, costumes and production is a lavish one. The final battle at the Milvian Bridge is endless (you know who is going to win), but thanks to this victory, Christianity directs the course of Western History.

This Italian production stars an American born in Hungary (Wilde), a German, and a Brit in key roles. American Cornell Wilde plays Constantine. Livia, a pious Christian woman loved by Constantine's friend Hadrian is played by German prodigy Christine Kauffman (at the age of 18, she was already a veteran). And the tragic British glamor- girl Belinda Lee plays Constantine's devoted wife Fausta (Lee died in a car crash shortly after this film was completed). The rest of the cast rounds out nicely with Italian actors, many of whom are quite good.

The subject matter is, ultimately, the story of Christianity's (really Eastern Orthodoxy) rise from an obscure, persecuted cult to one of Europe's dominant religions through its adoption by one of the great Byzantine Roman conquerors - Emperor Constantine. Those who are not interested in this ideologically and historically important subject should probably avoid this film, because it does, at times, move pretty slowly.

The story is epic and heroic following Constantine, Fausta, Hadrian and Livia from their young adulthood through to Constntine's rise to power and eventual unification of the empire. Constantine is depicted as a brilliant warrior, leader and strategist (which he certainly was) with stability and peace at the heart of his motivations (which is arguable). Much is left out of the story and much is changed. There is no clear indication of Constantine's formidable intellect and education, nor the ambiguity of his motives and alliances. Much of the complex intrigues of Constantine's times is ignored or altered in order to keep the story moving. Even so, the story can be a little hard to follow if you are not already familiar with the history.

The production is generally very good. The acting is fine, though Wilde and Lee are both a little stiff at times, and don't seem to have developed the chemistry appropriate for their roles. Christine Kauffman (Livia), and Fausto Tozzi (Hadrian) are excellent in their important supporting roles. The sets are great, though the occasional and unnecessary bird's eye views of Rome (a miniature) are a bit silly. the costumes are impressively detailed, and the battles are well choreographed and filmed - though it is sometimes hard to figure out what is going on in the battle scenes.

Considering the grand scale of the film, Constantine and the Cross is quite good. I enjoy historical fiction - even when it is more fiction than history - so - had I gone with my own personal enjoyment of this film, I would have given it a 7. It is a good effort to portray an important and under-examined subject. Well worth seeing by those interested in the history of religion, Christians, and movie fans who enjoy epic historical fiction.