THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

US, 1932, 118 minutes, Black and white.
Fredric March, Charles Laughton, Claudette Colbert, Elissa Landi.
Directed by Cecil B. De Mille.

The Sign of the Cross is one of Cecil B.De Mille's most famous spectacles. It was one of the earliest of his sound features and with its emphasis on the story of the Martyrs, became a popular film for many decades. It was re-issued during World War Two and a prologue was added, starring Arthur Shields, Tom Tully and others to create an atmosphere of propaganda and link American involvement in the European war with the traditions of Rome. The prologue is highly moralising - in the style later used by deMille himself in introducing epics as Samson and Delilah and The Ten Commandments.

The film is based on a play and at times seems very stagebound. The emphasis is on melodramatics, an odd combination of sex, violence and religion which was De Mille's trademark. Religion is more or less equated with heavenly choirs and cardboard cutout martyrs. Elissa Landi (who made only a few films) is a strong Christian heroine. Fredric March, on the other hand, just after his Oscar for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a rhetorical Roman soldier. It is Charles Laughton and Claudette Colbert in their few scenes as Nero and Poppaea who steal the film - Laughton with his tantrums and Colbert with her glamour (especially the famous scene where she bathes in asses' milk). The film seems quite creaky now - but set the tone on 20th century audiences' expectations of how a religious epic should be. It was clearly influential in De Mille's later films as well as in such films as Quo Vadis, Ben Hur and the stories of Christ. In fact, there are many resemblances with Quo Vadis.

1. Audience response to a famous religious epic classic? Its impact in its time? Now? Cecil B. De Mille and his reputation, his grand style, his silent films of the '20s e.g. The Ten Commandments, King of Kings and the transition to sound? The scale of his films and their scope? Technical spectacle and pageantry? Crowds? The importance of the visuals over the content? The choosing of edifying themes - with a rather no-holds-barred style? The equivalent of religious soap opera? Exploiting of religion? The film nevertheless being a classic?

2. The effect of the prologue: the atmosphere of World War Two, the presentation of the padres (and the distribution of Catholics and Methodists etc.)? The talk about Rome, Rome in World War Two, the dropping of pamphlets? The reminder of history, the Vatican, the Coliseum etc.? Arthur Shields' Catholic priest and the talk about Huns and Teutons and the various invasions over the centuries? A '30s film getting a new introduction as if it was contemporary? A morale-booster for the war? How dated does the propaganda seem now?

3. Technical aspects: spectacle, sets, costumes (and not), Christian atmosphere, pagan atmosphere. black and white photography, special effects - and the stereotypes of Hollywood pageantry?

4. The screenplay and its being based on a play, the confinement of the scenes? Stagey and talkative? The stars and the transition from silent to sound? Rhetorical styles and natural styles? The contrivances - and the De Mille orchestration of the themes?

5. The title and its use, the focus on Christianity, glowing crosses at beginning and end? Its use as a sign and symbol throughout the film? Christianity and the West? The emphasis on the origins of Christianity? Persecution and Christian victims, the contrast of paganism?

6. The introduction to the burning of Rome, Charles Laughton as a pampered Nero, the ideas about blaming the Christians etc.? The later fop, the discussions with Poppaea and her twisting him round her finger? The stereotype picture of Nero - with the Laughton caricature? Poppaea and Claudette Colbert's glamour? The asses' milk sequence and her talk? Infatuation with Marcus? Pride? Her smashed carriage, the confrontation with Marcus, the hatred of Mercia, pleading with Nero etc.? Nero and Poppaea as clearly pagan in De Mille's values?

7. De Mille's portrait of paganism, Nero and the burning of Rome, his callousness, Nero as God? Tigellinus and his plots, the arrests and tortures, his downgrading Marcus, confronting Poppaea, his spies and bullies? The deaths and the arrests?

8. Fredric March as Marcus? Marcus and women (and the gossips watching him encountering Mercia). his arrogance, attraction to Mercia, allowing her to go free, knowing she was a Christian, following her to the fountain. his recklessness, declarations of love, the visit to the household and trying to save the group, Stefan and his being rescued after the torture, his hurrying to save the Christians. smashing Poppaea's carriage, unable to stop Tigellinus arresting the Christians. taking Mercia to his own home. the orgy sequence - the touch of paganism? Going to her in prison. the credibility of his conversion, his love for her allowing him to die with her? The stilted dialogue and acting?

9. Mercia as attractive heroine? The attack on the Christians, Marcus letting her go free. the visit to the fountain. his coming to her home. her loving him? Her relationship with the old Christians, with Stefan? The meeting. the attack with arrows, her survival, arrest? Her presence in Marcus' house? Response to the people at the orgy? The prison sequence and her giving Stefan strength, Marcus' love for her and their going to martyrdom together?

10. The use of the sign of the cross, the old men and their study, preaching, Christian homes, beliefs, meetings, betrayal, the massacre, the arrests, the imprisonment, the arena and the killing by lions? The orgy and the dance being stopped by the Christian hymn-singing?

11. Stephen, the sadism of the torture. the credibility of his lapsing, his being scared in the prison, his going to his death?

12. Pop history and pop Christianity - shaping audience consciousness for biblical epics?