mark.waltz Not quite the dream boat he was in the 1940's, rugged Cornel Wilde tries his best at being sincere in this European religious epic that fails to convince as far as facts are concerned. Poor dubbing and lack of restoration have taken the quality down to a barely acceptable level, although the dubbed voices are ultra clear. It surrounds Western Roman prince Constantine's discovery of his own Christian heritage as he fights Rone to save Christians from being sent to the lions. Having discovered that Christians nursed him back to health after being attacked on the road, he comes to care about saving lives even though it makes him enemies in Rome. Every religious epic must have a dark haired vixen, and exotic looking Belinda Lee is the Roman princess he becomes betrothed to although he's in love with a blonde Christian peasant. This is far from being a bad film although some of the dialog is quite laughable. The sets look recycled, and costumes the same for this era of Roman Empire history as they were during the days of the Claudians. This reminds me of the type of film that my Catacism class would show when I was a child with the nuns explaining that thus wasn't supposed to represent what the era was really like but to aid us with a visual tool to help us better understand what may have transpired nearly 2000 years before.

bkoganbing Cornel Wilde was one of many stars to go to Europe to escape U.S. taxes at the same time roles were drying up for him. Victor Mature was another, Alan Ladd made that dreadful Duel of the Champions. At least Mature and Wilde were suited for these kind of films even if the ones they made in Italy weren't exactly high up on their credit list.Case in point is Constantine and the Cross. The Emperor Constantine by his conversion to Christianity, the faith of his mother Helena was what made Christianity the faith of Europe. More importantly than that, after the action of this film is over, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea which essentially was the body that organized the Bible. It decided what stories went in, what accounts like that famous Gospel of Thomas did not make the cut. It's influenced us for good and for bad right down to today.He's a most important and complex figure Constantine and deserves far better treatment in a filmed biography than what he gets here. Maybe a good television mini-series. This film is a fictionalized account of his succession as Emperor and his conversion to Christianity.Legend has it that on the eve of battle he had a vision of a cross in the sky and the voice of the Deity telling him that by this sign he shall conquer. Whether he heard the voice or not is subject to speculation. There is no doubt he kicked some serious pagan butt the following day, which is shown here. Sadly the color is fading and the film could use a restoration. What can't be restored is the cliché driven script of this sand and sandal epic that Italy churned out by the dozens in the fifties and sixties, using all those sets built by MGM for Quo Vadis and Ben-Hur. In fact a lot of the plot here is lifted from Quo Vadis.Besides Wilde, the only other names known to western audiences would be Christine Kauffman and Belinda Lee. Kauffman later became the second Mrs. Tony Curtis after they met on the set of her next film, Taras Bulba. She plays the innocent Christian girl Livia.Sadly there were no more films for Belinda Lee, voluptuous British starlet who had abandoned the UK for films in Italy where her attributes could be more fully exploited. She was killed in Southern California in a car crash where she was vacationing right after completing Constantine and the Cross. No doubt she was also there looking to break into the American cinema as well. She plays Constantine's wife Fausta.Again, past the action in this film the by now Empress Fausta was caught stepping out on Constantine. In that instance, Constantine went back to the old Roman way of dealing with an unfaithful spouse. That too would be part of a mini-series of his story.If Belinda Lee had lived she might very well have gotten all the parts that Joan Collins later received. She's the best reason for checking out Constantine and the Cross.

ma-cortes The Roman empire took a time for the decadence and downfall , however during the fourth century it was a battleground for rival Caesars ; until Dioclecianus with the tetrarchy (two Augustus and two Caesars) imposed peace and order . Constantinus (Cornel Wilde) the Great (280-337 A.D.) was the first Christian emperor , he sets out to conquer the Roman Empire for Christianity , though his conversion was probably more a political deed than a theological . He was son of Constantinus Chlorus (Carlo Ninchi) and Helena (Elisa Cegani) , a fundamental supporter for Christians . He was married to Fausta (Belinda Lee) , emperor Maximiniano's daughter . Constantinus published the edict of Milan (313) which established the religious freedom and reunited the council of Nicea (325) prohibiting the paganism . Constantino assembled the Roman empire but is establishing Constantinople (Byzancio) as the new capital when started the Byzantine empire .Cornel Wilde was an excellent Constantino confronting his rival Maxentius (Massimo Serato) and the remaining roman pagans . Belinda Lee (the next year she died in a car accident) as his wife Fausta is enticing and attractive . The highlights of the film are the one that Constantine saw the flaming cross in the heaven captioned ¨In this sign conquer¨ , the Christians martyrdom and , of course , the battle of the Mulvian Bridge where are shown spectacular combats . Enjoyable support cast by Christine Kauffman (Tony Curtis's wife) as a kind Christian , Massimo Serato y Fausto Tozzi (both of them were actors in ¨the Cid¨) . Awesome cinematography by Maximo Dallamano and atmospheric musical score by Mario Nascimbene . The motion picture is well directed by Lionello De Felice . The flick will appeal to sword and sandal genre fans .

emperor28_1 It continues to amaze me that, to date, this is the only movie that has been made about a man who, quite literally, changed the world. The historical accuracy in this movie leaves much to be desired; Constantine's mothers name was Helena, he had several half siblings,he was married (or was at least sleeping with someone) before he met Fausta, as he already had a son, Crispus, when he married her, Licinius was Constantine's ally, not Maxentius', Galerius hated Constantine, and Maxentius drowned and was not cut down by Constantine. However, with all that said, the movie still does send the overall message that it was meant to send, even though it is definitely dated.Cornell Wilde did a fine job with the tools he was given, and the acting, on the whole, is satisfactory, especially in light of the fact that it was primarily an Italian movie with an Italian cast.The battle scenes are good, for their time, and the continuity and flow of the movie are acceptable. This is a good movie about a great man, a man who deserves to have a GREAT movie made about him (but definitely NOT by Oliver Stone!!!) This guy gave Christians the fundamentals of their religion as it is practiced today, changed forever the face of the greatest Empire on earth, moving it from West to East, established laws that are the basis of many of ours today, and may very well have found some of the most profound religious relics ever discovered by mankind (including the True Cross and the Spear of Destiny). At the same time he murdered his own son and wife (had Crispus strangled and Fausta suffocated in an overheated bath), and carved a bloody swath through Europe on his rise to the Imperial throne. A fascinating man who truly deserved the title Great. He deserves a new, Great remake of this flick (but this time let's stick a bit more closely to history-it really would make for a better story!).