Constantin le grand

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.

Cornel Wilde was one of many stars to go to Europe to escape U.S. taxes at the same time roles were drying up for him. Victor Mature was another, Alan Ladd made that dreadful Duel of the Champions. At least Mature and Wilde were suited for these kind of films even if the ones they made in Italy weren't exactly high up on their credit list.

Case in point is Constantine and the Cross. The Emperor Constantine by his conversion to Christianity, the faith of his mother Helena was what made Christianity the faith of Europe. More importantly than that, after the action of this film is over, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea which essentially was the body that organized the Bible. It decided what stories went in, what accounts like that famous Gospel of Thomas did not make the cut. It's influenced us for good and for bad right down to today.

He's a most important and complex figure Constantine and deserves far better treatment in a filmed biography than what he gets here. Maybe a good television mini-series. This film is a fictionalized account of his succession as Emperor and his conversion to Christianity.

Legend has it that on the eve of battle he had a vision of a cross in the sky and the voice of the Deity telling him that by this sign he shall conquer. Whether he heard the voice or not is subject to speculation. There is no doubt he kicked some serious pagan butt the following day, which is shown here. Sadly the color is fading and the film could use a restoration. What can't be restored is the cliché driven script of this sand and sandal epic that Italy churned out by the dozens in the fifties and sixties, using all those sets built by MGM for Quo Vadis and Ben-Hur. In fact a lot of the plot here is lifted from Quo Vadis.

Besides Wilde, the only other names known to western audiences would be Christine Kauffman and Belinda Lee. Kauffman later became the second Mrs. Tony Curtis after they met on the set of her next film, Taras Bulba. She plays the innocent Christian girl Livia.

Sadly there were no more films for Belinda Lee, voluptuous British starlet who had abandoned the UK for films in Italy where her attributes could be more fully exploited. She was killed in Southern California in a car crash where she was vacationing right after completing Constantine and the Cross. No doubt she was also there looking to break into the American cinema as well. She plays Constantine's wife Fausta.

Again, past the action in this film the by now Empress Fausta was caught stepping out on Constantine. In that instance, Constantine went back to the old Roman way of dealing with an unfaithful spouse. That too would be part of a mini-series of his story.

If Belinda Lee had lived she might very well have gotten all the parts that Joan Collins later received. She's the best reason for checking out Constantine and the Cross.

It continues to amaze me that, to date, this is the only movie that has been made about a man who, quite literally, changed the world. The historical accuracy in this movie leaves much to be desired; Constantine's mothers name was Helena, he had several half siblings,he was married (or was at least sleeping with someone) before he met Fausta, as he already had a son, Crispus, when he married her, Licinius was Constantine's ally, not Maxentius', Galerius hated Constantine, and Maxentius drowned and was not cut down by Constantine. However, with all that said, the movie still does send the overall message that it was meant to send, even though it is definitely dated.Cornell Wilde did a fine job with the tools he was given, and the acting, on the whole, is satisfactory, especially in light of the fact that it was primarily an Italian movie with an Italian cast.The battle scenes are good, for their time, and the continuity and flow of the movie are acceptable. This is a good movie about a great man, a man who deserves to have a GREAT movie made about him (but definitely NOT by Oliver Stone!!!) This guy gave Christians the fundamentals of their religion as it is practiced today, changed forever the face of the greatest Empire on earth, moving it from West to East, established laws that are the basis of many of ours today, and may very well have found some of the most profound religious relics ever discovered by mankind (including the True Cross and the Spear of Destiny). At the same time he murdered his own son and wife (had Crispus strangled and Fausta suffocated in an overheated bath), and carved a bloody swath through Europe on his rise to the Imperial throne. A fascinating man who truly deserved the title Great. He deserves a new, Great remake of this flick (but this time let's stick a bit more closely to history-it really would make for a better story!).

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.