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Barabbas

The man of violence in whose place Christ died

1961 · 2h 17m · Approved Adventure, Drama, History
Directed by Richard Fleischer

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Overview

Epic account of the thief Barabbas, who was pardoned for his crimes and spared crucifixion when Pilate offered the Israelites a choice to pardon Barabbas or Jesus. Struggling with his spirituality, Barabbas goes through many ordeals leading him to the gladiatorial arena, where he tries to win his freedom and confront his inner demons, ultimately becoming a follower of the man who was crucified in his place.

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Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
89%
Tomatometer
Fresh

Problems of dubbing and pacing and a lack of scene-to-scene variety weigh the movie down, but Christopher Fry's pointed and intelligent free adaptation of Par Lagerkvist's 1950 novel resists grandiloquence.

Michael Sragow, New Yorker

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