In the Sign of the Cross (1932)

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Movie
German title In the sign of the cross
Original title The Sign of the Cross
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1932
length 108 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Cecil B. DeMille
script Waldemar Young
Sidney Buchman
production Cecil B. DeMille
music Rudolph G. Kopp
camera Karl Struss
cut Anne Bauchens
occupation

In the Sign of the Cross (Original title: The Sign of the Cross ) is an American period film by Cecil B. DeMille , directed in 1932. The script is based on a play by Wilson Barrett . The film premiered on November 30, 1932 in Los Angeles . In Germany, the film was first shown in cinemas on February 17, 1933.

action

Rome in the year 64 AD: Nero (Charles Laughton) looks out from a balcony at his capital, which has been on fire for the third night, and happily plays the lyre when his subordinate Tigellinus (Ian Keith) see him, who is threatened by the threat of the palace through the flames as well as rumors that the emperor himself had the fire started. But the ruler, who thinks himself to be over-divine, brushes aside all concerns and instead suggests that the despised Christians be blamed for the crime.

Weeks later, a stranger walks through the streets of the city, while Strabo (Nat Pendleton) and Servillius (Clarence Burton), two brawny soldiers of the emperor, are annoyed that, despite the head bonus, they can hardly make prey among the Christians because they hide even more thoroughly after a major fire and blame by Nero. Even the bearded stranger is very careful and only recognizes another old man who is obviously waiting for him by means of a half-cross drawn on the ground with a stick, which the other completes.

The stranger is Titus (Arthur Hohl), who was sent by the Apostle Paul from Jerusalem with an important message to the Christians in Rome. His counterpart leads him anxiously away from the public square; By chance, however, Servillius discovers the ground-level secret sign and pursues the two men with Strabo, who they catch shortly afterwards. Christin Mercia (Elissa Landi), who is staying at the baker's Tybul (Harold Healy), recognizes her foster father and teacher Favius ​​Fontellus (Harry Beresford) in the second arrested person, but her rebellion is in vain for the time being, as the angry citizens start to stoning the old people immediately. Marcus Superbus (Fredric March), who was the second most important Roman after Nero at the time as Prefect , put an end to the onset of the tumult : He drove the crowd apart and was at the same time overwhelmed by the sight of Mercia. That is why the three Christians are allowed to go home unmolested, while Marcus lets his deputy Viturius (Richard Alexander) explore the place where the beauty lives.

The remarkable scenery is observed from a balcony by Glabrio (Ferdinand Gottschalk) and Dacia (Vivian Tobin), who belong to the noble society; the latter is a gossipy friend of the Empress Poppaea (Claudette Colbert) and has to convey the news to her, who is taking a bath in donkey milk. This is all the more urgent since Poppaea is madly in love with Marcus. Tigellinus also receives news of the incident and, together with his vassal Licinius (William V. Mong), sees a good chance of getting Marcus, who is preferred by Nero - in fact, his wife - to do the job of the prefect; he personally reminds Marcus of the duty to imprison all Christians and sends his bailiffs to capture Mercias. The trap set up by the baker Tybus snaps shut quickly when the boy Stephanus (Tommy Conlon) - an orphan boy who also lives in Flavius' house - wants to pick up the bread that Mercia had forgotten in the hustle and bustle.

Under cruel torture, Stephen reveals the place of the secret meeting of Christians on the same evening. Marcus, who learns of the arrest from Flavius ​​- where he continues his wooing for Mercia - arrives too late in the dungeon and is also bluffed by Tigellinus, who claims that the boy, who is now unconscious, has said nothing. The soldiers of Tigellinus are therefore earlier at the meeting near the Ponte Cestio , a bridge over the Tiber, where Titus speaks about his religious experiences.

Although Marcus follows with his Praetorian Guard at the highest speed, he collides with the Empress's sedan chair. Poppaea, who was very pleased about the unexpected meeting, wants the prefect's "apology" that same night, and Marcus can only continue his journey after making all sorts of excuses. This delay is fatal for the Christians because the Tigellinus henchmen cause a massacre; Titus and Favius ​​also die in the process. The survivors are taken to a prison on the orders of Marcus, who has since arrived (and not, as Tigellinus wanted, to the dungeon of the arena), whereby he has Viturius secretly bring Mercia, who has narrowly escaped death, to his house.

Of course, this unauthorized act of the Prefect does not remain secret either, and Poppaea has great difficulty in appeasing Nero, who is increasingly incited by Tigellinus. Meanwhile, Marcus experiences a second time - as once on the street of their first meeting - the resoluteness of Mercia: At a lavish party in his house, she demands to be brought to the other Christians who are doomed to die. The love-drunk Marcus refuses and even tries to break her rigid posture through the lesbian dancer Ancaria (Joyzelle Joyner). In vain: when Tigellinus intrudes to arrest her, Mercia voluntarily goes with the guard to the fellow sufferers, who have since been taken to the arena cellar. There Nero puts on a gigantic spectacle with gladiators, wild animals, Lilliputans fighting Amazons and the slaughter of Christians by hungry lions as the highlight. When the latter happens, Mercia is held back - she is supposed to die alone in front of Marcus and to the joy of Poppaea.

But the prefect makes one last attempt at rescue in the dungeon, as Nero has promised sparing if Mercia renounces her faith. When, as expected, she refuses, the Roman confesses his unconditional love for her and decides to go to her death with her. When you climb the stairs, a large gate closes behind you, on which a ray of light in the form of the Christian cross falls.

Reviews

"DeMille has staged a perfectionist, expansive historical exhibition painting that, with its moving crowd scenes and opulent furnishings, serves almost as harmlessly to amuse the people as the Roman circus games depicted in extensive cruelty."

Awards

Cinematographer Karl Struss, the winner of the first ever Camera Oscars, received his third nomination in the category Best Camera in 1934 .

background

  • The film is considered the third and final part of the Bible trilogy by director Cecil B. DeMille. This was preceded by the films The Ten Commandments from 1923 and King of Kings from 1927.
  • Wilson Barrett's play on which the script was based premiered in St. Louis in the spring of 1895 . When it was shown in Europe, first in London , at the end of May of the same year , it was a theatrical sensation.
  • The Paramount Pictures film is one of 700 films that were made between 1929 and 1949 and whose television marketing rights were sold to Universal Studios in 1958 .
  • Mischa Auer can be seen in a small supporting role as an imprisoned Christian . The German-born Henry Brandon has his first film role here, he is a viewer in the circus. John Carradine even plays three tiny roles: a Christian, a Roman citizen, and a gladiator.
  • Mitchell Leisen , who later became famous, was the art director, costume designer and assistant director for this film.
  • In 1944, after complaints from the Hays Office, a new version of the film was shown. For this, Mitchell Leisen filmed a prologue, for which Dudley Nichols wrote the script. The prologue takes place in 1944 when the Allies dropped leaflets over Rome to warn the civilian population of the impending bombing. On board the plane there are two clergymen who talk about ancient Rome, especially about Emperor Nero's persecution of Christians. The two clergymen draw parallels between Nero and Hitler. Performers in the prologue were: Stanley Ridges , James Millican , Oliver Thorndike, Tom Tully , Arthur Shields , William Forrest, John James and Joel Allen. This version was premiered on December 1, 1944.
  • The play was filmed twice before DeMille's project: in 1904 by William Haggar and in 1914 by Frederick A. Thomson.
  • The film was shot in black and white and mono

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. In the sign of the cross. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 11, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ^ The Sign of the Cross (1932) Notes. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved May 11, 2019 .