Watch Constantine and the Cross

Constantine and the Cross is a historical movie from 1961 that explores the life of Emperor Constantine, the first Christian ruler of the Roman Empire. It was directed by Lionello De Felice and stars Cornel Wilde as Constantine, Belinda Lee as Fausta, and Massimo Serato as Maxentius. The movie begins with the pagan Emperor Maxentius ruling Rome with an iron fist, using force and violence to maintain his power. He despises Christians and actively persecutes them, ordering their execution and destruction of their property. One of his victims is a young Christian woman named Fausta, who is arrested and thrown into prison.

Fausta's father and brother are both members of Constantine's army and they urge him to intervene on her behalf. Constantine agrees to help and sets out to free Fausta from her captivity. Along the way, he meets a Christian bishop named Silvester who tells him the story of Jesus' life and teachings, and how they have spread throughout the empire.

Inspired by Silvester's words, Constantine begins to have a change of heart and starts to question his pagan beliefs. He realizes that the Christians are not the enemies of the empire, but rather they are peaceful and kind people who are being persecuted unjustly. This realization causes Constantine to declare war against Maxentius and his army, with the goal of uniting the empire under his rule and ending the persecution of Christians.

The movie then follows the battles between Constantine and Maxentius, which are visually stunning and exciting to watch. The siege of Rome is particularly impressive, with Constantine using innovative tactics to breach the walls of the city and defeat his enemy. Throughout the movie, we see Constantine's character evolve from a violent pagan ruler to a compassionate and just Christian leader.

One of the highlights of the movie is the portrayal of the relationship between Constantine and Fausta. They are initially enemies, with Fausta being a prisoner of war, but they eventually fall in love and marry. Their love story adds a romantic element to the overall plot and helps to humanize the characters.

The historical accuracy of the movie has been questioned by some critics, as there are several inaccuracies in the portrayal of the events and characters. For example, the movie depicts Constantine converting to Christianity after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, which is not historically accurate. However, the movie's focus on the idea of Constantine as the first Christian ruler and his impact on the spread of Christianity is in line with historical accounts.

Overall, Constantine and the Cross is a well-made historical movie with impressive battle scenes and strong performances from the cast. While it may not be completely accurate in its retelling of history, it is an entertaining and engaging movie that explores themes of faith, love, and power.

Constantine and the Cross is a 1962 adventure movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 49 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8.