Costantino il grande (1961) Online

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 .

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!).

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.

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.

Not quite the dream boat he was in the 1940's, rugged Cornel Wilde tries his best at being sincere in this European religious epic that fails to convince as far as facts are concerned. Poor dubbing and lack of restoration have taken the quality down to a barely acceptable level, although the dubbed voices are ultra clear. It surrounds Western Roman prince Constantine's discovery of his own Christian heritage as he fights Rone to save Christians from being sent to the lions. Having discovered that Christians nursed him back to health after being attacked on the road, he comes to care about saving lives even though it makes him enemies in Rome.

Every religious epic must have a dark haired vixen, and exotic looking Belinda Lee is the Roman princess he becomes betrothed to although he's in love with a blonde Christian peasant. This is far from being a bad film although some of the dialog is quite laughable. The sets look recycled, and costumes the same for this era of Roman Empire history as they were during the days of the Claudians. This reminds me of the type of film that my Catacism class would show when I was a child with the nuns explaining that thus wasn't supposed to represent what the era was really like but to aid us with a visual tool to help us better understand what may have transpired nearly 2000 years before.

An epic with Cornel Wilde, Belinda Lee, Fausto Tozzi, and directed by Lionello de Felice.

It belongs to the dramas, or the dramatically ambitious yarns with an international cast, not all the movies from this genre were fantasy for the kids, and it has an effective score. Cornel Wilde has been born to play a tribune of the Empire, his handsomeness was in the classical style, that of Marechal, Mature, R. Harrison, and here he delivered indeed a hallmark role.

This romance has a few violent scenes: massacres on the battleground or in arena, tortures in the dungeons, with the aftermath of rapes, battle scenes. At least some of that world came to life, mostly by means of the scenes of violence, but also by the subplot of the centurion's romance, while the political intrigue seems more generic, and the Praetorians make a stronger impression than the senators. (My two s & s movies of predilection are '60s works by Leone and Siodmak; the 1st I have seen in a movie theater, perhaps 27 yrs ago, in another hot summer, the 2nd, set during Justinian's reign, I have seen twice on TV, and liked it both times. While I usually don't believe in non-American westerns, I also don't believe in non-European movies of this genre, because they naturally lack the sense of the events and atmosphere.) It's also an endearingly Pre-Conciliar movie, with legitimate Christian pride, and that standpoint has been carried on by the Italian TV biopics; also endearing is the 2nd leads' romance, of the Christian woman and the strongman Fausto Tozzi (Livia and Hadrian). The religious principles upheld by some of the characters suit apparently paradoxically the physical nature of the story. In other words, it's well to see that religious standpoint upheld in such a physical story.

As a character, Constantine is very occidental, the action takes place in Germany, in Rome, and on the way between them.

The violence is poignant. I liked the countryside scenes of Hadrian's tendering, Constantine's jump in front of the lion, the evening encounter of the Emperor with the usurper on the bridge; the battle at the river, after the meeting on the bridge followed by the vision, is intriguing and, like the whole movie, suspenseful. Some of the supporting roles are very good, such as the Christian girl, the Eastern usurper ….

This movie means an enjoyable experience, and a possibility for the human eagerness. I felt glad that the lead has been given this role, that he played a Roman general and then Emperor (later canonized in the East), he deserved the opportunity and also proved worthy of it, regardless of whether the movie has been successful at the box office, or not. Movies like this should be analyzed without being untrue to the experience as given, without being unfair to it and tear it.