Constantino e a Cruz

While this efforst was not bad it's certain than constantine the great needs a big budget film effort which will cover his reign and impossible achievements between 306 and 337 in which time he managed to defeat all his rivals and create a new rome in the east while god was revealed to him and finally christianity was about to be imposed in the roman empire.

This film is a typical italian production with good actors and the well known plots of the well known typical cinechita film companies.

If u like italian ancient sandal historical fiction films then this is for you but if u are in to big budget epic hollywood films like the 2000 gladiator film then u may be bored with this italian entry.

I really hope someday we get a worthy big budget constantine the great biography film as he is one of those roman emperors who is worth the honor together with caesar, augustus, trajan, justinian, basil II and charlomagne to name a few.

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.

"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

The Roman empire took a time for the decadence and downfall , however during the fourth century it was a battleground for rival Caesars ; until Dioclecianus with the tetrarchy (two Augustus and two Caesars) imposed peace and order . Constantinus (Cornel Wilde) the Great (280-337 A.D.) was the first Christian emperor , he sets out to conquer the Roman Empire for Christianity , though his conversion was probably more a political deed than a theological . He was son of Constantinus Chlorus (Carlo Ninchi) and Helena (Elisa Cegani) , a fundamental supporter for Christians . He was married to Fausta (Belinda Lee) , emperor Maximiniano's daughter . Constantinus published the edict of Milan (313) which established the religious freedom and reunited the council of Nicea (325) prohibiting the paganism . Constantino assembled the Roman empire but is establishing Constantinople (Byzancio) as the new capital when started the Byzantine empire .

Cornel Wilde was an excellent Constantino confronting his rival Maxentius (Massimo Serato) and the remaining roman pagans . Belinda Lee (the next year she died in a car accident) as his wife Fausta is enticing and attractive . The highlights of the film are the one that Constantine saw the flaming cross in the heaven captioned ¨In this sign conquer¨ , the Christians martyrdom and , of course , the battle of the Mulvian Bridge where are shown spectacular combats . Enjoyable support cast by Christine Kauffman (Tony Curtis's wife) as a kind Christian , Massimo Serato y Fausto Tozzi (both of them were actors in ¨the Cid¨) . Awesome cinematography by Maximo Dallamano and atmospheric musical score by Mario Nascimbene . The motion picture is well directed by Lionello De Felice . The flick will appeal to sword and sandal genre fans .