''Constantine and the Cross'' (Italian: ''Costantino il grande'') is a 1961 historical drama film about the early career of the emperor Constantine, who first legalized and then adopted Christianity in the early 4th century. The fictionalised film only stretches as far into his life as the

Battle of the Milvian Bridge The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. It takes its name from the Milvian Bridge, an important route over the Tiber. Constantine won the battle and started on the pa ...

in AD 312. It was also known as Constantine the Great or Constantino il Grande - In Hoc Signo Vinces.CONSTANTINE THE GREAT "(Costantino Il Grande - In Hoc Signo Vinces)" Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 29, Iss. 336, (Jan 1, 1962): 153.

Premise

Constantine wins a battle and is sent to Rome. On the way he and his friend Hadrian are attacked by bandits. Hadrian is nursed back to health by some Christians, including Livia, wh falls in love with Hadrian. Constantine discovers the bandits were sent by Maxentius, Constantine's rival for power. Constantine watches some Christians be eaten by the lions. He jumps into the arena to defend a surviving child, and asks for the other Christians to be set free. Livia is arrested. Hadrian, who has fallen in love with her, arranges for her to escape from prison. Constantine is blamed, and branded a traitor by the Romans. Constantine leaves his bride to be, Princes Fausta, and learns from his dying father, the Emperor of Gaul, that his mother Helena is a Christian. Maxentius persecutes Christians and attacks Constantine in Gaul. Constantinus defeats Maxientus and becomes Emperor of Rome alongside Fausta, while Helena blesses them both.

Cast

* Cornel Wilde as Constantine * Belinda Lee as

Fausta Flavia Maxima Fausta ''Augusta'' (289–326 AD) was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of Maximian and second wife of Constantine the Great, who had her executed and excluded from all official accounts for unknown reasons. Historians Zosimu ...

* Massimo Serato as

Maxentius Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...

* Christine Kaufmann as Livia * Fausto Tozzi as Hadrian * Tino Carraro as

Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...

* Carlo Ninchi as Constantius Chlorus * Vittorio Sanipoli as Apuleius * Nando Gazzolo as Licinius *

Annibale Ninchi Annibale Ninchi (20 November 1887 - 15 January 1967) was an Italian actor, playwright and drama teacher. He was the progenitor of a well-known family of actors. Life and career Born in Bologna, the son of an army colonel, Ninchi trained at th ...

as Galarius * Elisa Cegani as Elena * Franco Fantasia as Roman Soldier * Loris Gizzi as Roman Prosecutor *

Enrico Glori Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry ( English), Henri (French), E ...

as Livia's Father * Jole Mauro as Celi * Nando Tamberlani as

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

* Renato Terra as Jailer * Lauro Gazzolo as Amodius

Production

Filming took place in August 1960, with locations in Yugoslavia and studio work in Rome. While filming a scene in Rome Cornel Wilde was scratched by a lion. Filming was completed by November.

Release

''Constantine and the Cross'' was released in Italy in January 1961. It was released in the United States in December 1962.

Reception

The ''New York Times'' called it "one of those ponderous costumed tabloids that's trampled history to death and turned what's left of its fragments into boring banalities." The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' said "the familiar ingredients of this tired spectacle - lions, fair haired Christian girls, torture chambers, battles, assassination attempts, intrigue - fail to arouse any noticeable excitement in the director or the cast." The movie was one of Belinda Lee's more widely seen European films. According to Gary Smith, film historian " The film is memorable for its impressive battle scenes (reused in countless peplum films for years to come) and because of the striking presence of Belinda Lee as Constantine’s wife Fausta."

References

Sources

External links

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''Costantine and the Cross''
at Variety Distribution *[COSTANTINO IL GRANDE - IN HOC SIGNO VINCES
Constantine and the Cross
at Letterbox DVD {{Authority control 1961 films 1960s biographical films Italian biographical films Peplum films Films set in ancient Rome Films set in the Roman Empire Films set in the 4th century Religious epic films Biographical films about Roman emperors Films scored by Mario Nascimbene Sword and sandal films 1960s Italian-language films English-language Italian films 1960s Italian films