The Sign of the Cross (1932)

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Wilson Barrett (play)
Waldemar Young (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 February 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

A picture which will proudly lead all the entertainments the world has ever seen

Plot:

After burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they are all to be caught and sent to the arena...

Plot Keywords:

Nero | Empress | Arena | Ancient Rome | Seduction

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Fredric March	...	Marcus Superbus
Elissa Landi	...	Mercia
Claudette Colbert	...	Empress Poppaea
Charles Laughton	...	Emperor Nero
Ian Keith	...	Tigellinus
Arthur Hohl	...	Titus
Harry Beresford	...	Favius
Tommy Conlon	...	Stephan
Ferdinand Gottschalk	...	Glabrio
Vivian Tobin	...	Dacia
William V. Mong	...	Licinius
Joyzelle Joyner	...	Ancaria (as Joyzelle)
Richard Alexander	...	Viturius
Nat Pendleton	...	Strabo
Clarence Burton	...	Servillius

Runtime:

122 min (without intermission)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Norway:16 (1947) | USA:Approved (PCA #1581-R, 23 September 1935 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Fresno, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Originally released as a 124 minute feature. After the Hays Code was instituted, some of the more "sinful" scenes were cut for the film's re-release in 1944. At this time, a newly filmed prologue and epilogue were added, so that the film's running time remained more or less the same as the original release.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the boxers are fighting with the spiked gloves, the loser gets punched in the face. He is shown with scars on his face and spits blood onto his chest. In the next shot (from a slightly different angle) the scars are there but the blood on his chest is gone.

Quotes:

Emperor Nero: My head is splitting... the wine last night, the music... it was a delicious debauchery!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Sex and Violence (1981)

Soundtrack:

Ancaria's Song and Dance (The Naked Moon)

Great film! Sex and blood and ancient Rome.

If all you know about Cecil B. DeMille is the great, but hokey "Ten Commandments." then do yourself a favor and rent "Sign of the Cross." This is a pre-code film, meaning that it has sex, violence, cynicism -- all the stuff that the prigs who invented Hollywood's idiotic morality code couldn't stand. In other words, you may be surprised by how close to modern films this film is. For example, there are some scenes that could easily come out of a David Lynch film. Before getting to all that, though, the film has wonderful acting, incredible sets, witty (great, actually) dialogue, and an intelligent plot. It's not a schmaltzy religious film, but instead offers a serious look at the perils faced by early Christians in Rome, circa A.D. 64, when being a Christian was considered radical and subversive enough to warrant being arrested, tortured, and executed.

Claudette Colbert and Charles Laughton were simply amazing. I have to say that after seeing this film, I'm tempted to sell all of my belongings, including my house, and invest it all in inventing a time machine, just so I can go back to 1930 and try to get Claudette Colbert in the sack. She is incredibly sexy in this movie; just check her out taking a milk bath, or trying to seduce Fredric March, and you'll see what I mean. The woman steals the show -- almost, and that's because Charles Laughton gives a thoroughly brilliant, thoroughly sleazy performance as the insane Emperor Nero. Laughton could act circles around just about anyone; the guy was a genius.

The only weakness of this film, in my humble opinion, was the casting of Fredric March as Marcus. Sure, the guy was a good actor and handsome, but in this film he seemed to be stuck in his silent film days. His expressions and gestures were exaggerated, and even his make-up was overdone (bottom eyeliner, for example). Also, his voice and accent seemed ludicrously inappropriate for ancient Rome. Fortunately, if you as a viewer can get over all that, the guy did give an otherwise fine performance.

Aside from the heavy sexual mood and partial nudity in certain scenes, what's also surprising about this movie is the fairly extreme violence. Though the gore factor was light (by today's standards), the film is replete with stabbings, arrow shots, and torture. The infamous atrocities of the Roman Colliseum are vividly portrayed here, and the cruelty to both people and animals is shocking. Nearly naked women are subjected to some pretty terrible ordeals, including one, which I won't give away, that is simultaneously absurd and very disturbing. And of course, there are those subversive Christians and hungry lions...

I highly recommend this film. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go work on my time machine.