Customer Reviews

Sign of the Cross [VHS]

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I used to watch a truncated version of this film which added a WWII prologue featuring a bomber flying over Rome with a crew making various comments until one of them launches into a story of ancient Rome thus beginning the original movie. Missing were scenes considered too risque by the film's re-release date. It always seemed like a bore, but since its restoration, the film takes on new life. One thing that particularly impresses me is the terror the Christians feel before entering the arena. Throughout the film, their fear of being detected lends a distinct honesty to the movie. So often, in biblical films, we see Christians with no doubts of eternal salvation and thus with head held high and no fear of death. One can have faith and still have fear with it. Courage can not exist without fear. DeMille does an excellent job in presenting this balance. I'm not a particular fan of his movies, but he has no equal in visuals. They are like great romantic oil paintings. This movie is great fun in its restored version.

Bizarre and lavish, this 1932 epic is an entertaining curiosity piece. It starts in "Rome...the third night of the Great Fire, 64 A.D.", with Charles Laughton as a flabby, insane Nero, playing a harp and taking delight in the conflagration, with his hatred for Christians the basis for the plot.
It meshes together the faith and determination of a few brave souls with the debauchery of the times and mankind's fascination with the misfortunes of others, culminating in the remarkably well filmed Colosseum scene.
From Claudette Colbert, who plays Poppaea, Nero's wife, bathing in milk (and it was real milk, which started to sour and stink on the second of many days of filming), to the crocodiles on the march, there are depictions of every kind of excess and sensual liberty.

The costuming is skimpy, even to Frederic March's laughable micro-mini outfits, and the dialogue is often silly with some of the hammiest performances on film, but DeMille's talent for orchestrating crowd scenes, and the good/evil theme of the film make for outrageous and sometimes thought-provoking viewing. It's about depravity, courage, and the triumph (if only spiritually) of the underdog, and well worth seeing for the arena sequence alone.
Based on Wilson Barrett's popular 1895 play, the cinematography by Karl Struss (who in his long career also did the '58 cult favorite "The Fly") is brilliant, with many cross images using light/shade and doors. Total running time is 125 minutes.

"The Sign of the Cross" is, I believe, one of the greatest achievements of the 1930's by ultimate showman, the great
Cecil B. DeMille. Far from being the offensive excursion into gore that previous reviewers have mentioned I feel it is a very beautiful excursion into a time long gone by when people lived by the strength of their faith and were prepared to die for it if necessary.

I think Cecil B. DeMille has been grossly neglected by Hollywood as the great producer /director that he is and in this particular effort I feel he has never been better. It is, in my belief, only topped by his effort of 2 years later with "Cleopatra" for great story telling, beautifully realised sets and costumnes and great performances from all involved.

"The Sign of the Cross" tells the rather simple story of young christian girl Elissa Landi who finds herself in the difficult position of loving a Roman prefect Marcus Superby played by the great Fredric March. The story tells of her struggle between her own personal love and the sense of belonging to the oppressed christian community of Nero's Rome.

What trangresses on screen as I have said in my title is really the last word on Roman opulence and excess. Being fascinated by ancient Rome I think this film is excellent in depicting Ancient Rome in all its cruelty and splendour. If you are offended by what it displays I would just say dont look at the video!!

The story of "The Sign of the Cross" was based on a play by Waldeman Young and Sidney Buckman. The attention to detail in this film is marvellous as it is in all of DeMille's efforts. Months of painstacking research on how Ancient Rome and the general population..both Romans and Christians, looked was done. The costumnes are magnificent and are true to the era and the performers are made to look realistically as though they are of this time.

Many memorable moments are displayed in this film from Nero's singing while Rome is in flames to the very brutal, but necessarily realistic, depictions of the torture and killing of the christians in the arena for the Roman populations pleasure. These scenes have produced much comment but they are excellently done and show what did actually did take place in the arenas . Of course no DeMille production would be complete with a bath scene and "The Sign of the Cross" contains the most famous of them all as seen in the Empress Poppaea's asses milk bath. It is both outrageously decadent and historically accurate and a real pleasure on the eye. It really shows Ancient Rome at its most luxurious.

With the introduction of censorhip laws later in the 30's many of the "risque" scenes where cut out of the film when it was prepared for re-release in 1944. They were considered too racy for 1940's viewers. The VHS version has thankfully been totally restored with all the additional scenes returned and the totally unnecessary World War 2 prologue removed. What we see now is the version that 1932 audiences witnessed before censorhip ruined producers free expression on topics that were considered
"unsuitable" at the time.

Special mention must be made of course of the wonderful performers that graced this film. The always excellent Fredric March, in another triumph, delivers an honest and thoughtful performance as Marcus and while Elissa Landi's style of acting at times seems a bit dated she nevertheless brings great integrity to her role as the confused christian girl torn between love and duty to her people. Charles Laughton is suitably over the top as the crazed Emperor Nero and his rather brief role is unforgettably memorable and is, I believe, the model that all subsequent "Neros" used in their playing of the role. Claudette Colbert, one of my favourite actresses, got her breakthrough role playing the seductive and cruel Poppaea. Her all too brief role is in particular very memorable and helped pave the way for her triumph 2 years later as DeMille's Cleopatra . The always underrated Ian Keith also delivers a powerful performance as Nero's evil adviser Tigellinous. Historically he is spot on with how his character is depicted.

All in all it is a wonderful 2 hours of entertainment that never fails to involve me. The closing scenes of the film as the christians prepare to go to their deaths in the arena are very moving and reveal to me yet again that not all DeMille productions lack subtle moments. As an example of superb early 30's film making this production is unsurpassed.

SOTC is so far over the top, it's a classic in spite of itself. Almost laughable all the way through, and 99% prime ham, but at the same time, you can appreciate the whole DeMille brand-stamp of epic films, as well as what they could get away with pre-code! March is a little stiff as the proper Roman patrician party boy with a crisis (Marcus Superbus, fer Godsake. Even his name is campy). Laughton has never been so, well, shall we say, closet-free in a role. He just exudes ultra-high camp. The villian is appropriately slimy, and Claudette Colbert is on fire, she's so hot. The colesseum scenes are still eye-grabbing, with all kinds of 30s-style violence and suggestion, some very unexpected. A definite must-own by any movie buff, so, naturally, it's out of print with, apparently, no plans for a DVD in sight. Thanks again, studios. Greed always wins out.
PS: If you're consider yourself an easily-offended Christian, don't watch this. If you do, you have no justification to complain afterward.
PPS: If you find THIS film gross/gory, have you ever seen any films made after 1957?

This movie is fairly worthless until you get to the last thirty minutes, then it's a cinematic masterpiece. The concluding one-third of this film contains the greatest Roman arena scene ever filmed. It's as violent and sexually-charged as anything made in the intervening years.

Here are women staked and writhing while being ravished by alligators! Here are pygmy dwarfs being speared and decapitated. Here are bears being cruelly whipped and lashed by blood-thirsty gladiators. Amazing stuff and Charles Laughton is greasy and magnificent as the fat and decadent Nero.

Buy this movie for the decadent, repugnant-yet-delicious arena scene which is a scene for the ages.

This was a powerful and shocking movie, at least for people who see a lot of classic films, including movies from the '30s. I haven't seen this in quite a while but I never forgot seeing a nude Claudette Colbert taking a milk bath!

However, seeing Christians persecuted was not entertaining to me. Although there is no gore, it's pretty brutal to almost see lions eating people, elephants crushing them, alligators ripping them apart, gladiators being speared, stabbed, torn up, etc., etc.I'm sure there were some outcries after this was released.

The Christians, led by Elissa Landi, are inspiring in their bravery in the midst of all this persecution. One wonders how - in real life - they did it. In addition to the torture, violent scenes, this movie was shocking in its day for the nudity.

Regarding other actors, Charles Laughton was convincing as the sick, sadistic "Nero" but Frederic March looked more like a silent film star with all the eye makeup.

Of a final note, it was interesting to see an "intermission" in this film, considering it's just two hours, but that was a long time for a film in 1932.

Brutal, dramatic and poignant film that recreates the events after the painful destruction of Rome by Nero's caprice: Marcus is the loyal officer who falls in love with a very young and beaty Christian; but in the meantime Poppea is in love with him, and due that reason she will send to death the woman he loves.

Claudette Colbert as Nero' wife is alluring and seductive: Frederic March as Marcus is believe believable too, but Charles Laughton as Nero simply is I top form.

Sometimes uneven and sometimes taut; but despite of the facts, the script maintains its force all the way through.

A film worth to see it.

Shot in shimmering soft focus by Karl Strauss, this is a beaufiful film to watch. Its detail is ferocious in such scenes as when we see a grotesque face orgasmically spouting milk into the Empress Poppaea's pool, or the lesbian occupant inviting a handmaiden to strip and join her. The arena scenes are very well shot, form the first line-up of gladiators, the Emperor accompanied by a naked male slave, to the horror of dismemberment, the tragic banality of Christian self-sacrifice.......... Jesse Lasky's last major achievement befor being ousted from Paramount was to bring back to the fold his old partner, Cecil B. DeMille, whose productions elsewhere since 1925 (with the exception of KING OF KINGS (Pathe, 1927) were decididly below par. The prodigal's return was approved by Adolph Zukor with the proviso that C.B. must not spend more than $650,000 on the remake (it was first filmed in 1914) of THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. Wilson Barrett's play was perfect material for DeMille, floridly depicting the pure love of a Roman virgin (Elissa Landi, in one of her rarely seen film roles available on video) for Marcus Superbus (Fredric March) who is lusted after by the wicked Poppeia (Claudette Colbert) the wife of Nero (Charles Laughton). Spirit triumphs over flesh, once the latter fills plenty of footage, and the hero joins the heroine and other Christians in an arena full of lions, etc. DeMille dips the seductive Colbert into asses' milk for his biggest bathtub scene, and allowed Laughton (murmuring "delicious debauchery!" to overact gloriously. The film was completed in eight weeks (inside the budget) and was a sensational, erotic and financial success.

The Sign of the Cross is about how Marcus Superbous (Frederic March) falls in love with a beautiful Christian girl (Elissa Landi) and how he must cope with the fact he can't have her. After the Christians are betrayed and captured, March sends for Landi and tries to turn her Roman. Including a rather risque dance sequence entitled 'The Naked Moon'. Then Landi is taken to this arena dungeon to be killed and March has to choose between her and Rome. Cecil B. DeMille adds his touch of excellence to this film as to all. Once you watch this film, you'll never forget it!

This film depicts the depths of debauchery, cruelty, and inhumanity to which unbridled power will sink if left unchecked. The scenes of excess such as the Empress bathing in asses milk which has been provided by slaves constantly toiling to milk donkeys for her pleasure, and the hideous Emperor, Nero, laughing manaically as the magnificent city of Rome is consumed by flames, are eclipsed by the scenes of gladiators forced to grusomely murder even their friends to save their own lives for the amusement of Roman patricians. However, none of these scenes compare to the visceral horror of an old man who picks up a Christian child and covers its face with a wrap so the child will not see the starved and charging lion that is about to devour them. Although not as bloody as modern day films, "The Sign Of The Cross" pulls the viewer totally into a world of horror beyond imagination.