Barabbas

"The man of violence in whose place Christ died"

Oct 10 1962 Approved 2h 17m
Biography, Drama, History

Epic account of the thief Barabbas, who was pardoned for his crimes and spared crucifixion when Pilate offered the Israelites a choice to pardon Barabbas or Jesus. Struggling with his spirituality, Barabbas goes through many ordeals leading him to the gladiatorial arena, where he tries to win his freedom and confront his inner demons, ultimately becoming a follower of the man who was crucified in his place.

Plot

In times of great upheaval during Passover in early-first-century Jerusalem, the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, finds himself before a pressing dilemma. As part of a tradition, the indecisive ruler offers the agitated crowd the choice to have either Jesus of Nazareth or the murderer, Barabbas, released from Roman custody; but, instead, the people demand the release of the thief. Now, as Jesus takes Barabbas' place on the cross, an inhumane act of punishment paves the way for an arduous spiritual journey of faith, leading Barabbas to Sicily's dark sulphur mines, and the blood-soaked soil of Emperor Nero's Coliseum. Will Jesus' sacrifice set Barabbas, the slave, free?

Written by

Christopher Fry, Pär Lagerkvist, Nigel Balchin

Directed by

Richard Fleischer

Cast

Anthony Quinn, Silvana Mangano, Arthur Kennedy

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Italy, United States of America

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures, Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Languages

English

Awards

1 win & 3 nominations

Trailers
Anthony Quinn in BARABBAS - Trailer (1961, OV)
Scores
# of Votes
7,260
Average Rating
6.9 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA