Barabbas witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus and is shaken when a solar eclipse turns the sky black at the moment of Christ’s death. Death becomes a reoccurring theme for Barabbas. He can’t accept that Jesus could rise from the dead, or that his lover would allow herself to be stoned to death for preaching about Christ. Feeling guilt-ridden and disillusioned, he returns to his criminal ways. He is captured by Roman soldiers after trying to commit a botched robbery. In an unexpected twist, Barabbas realizes he cannot be executed, since he was previously pardoned by Pilate, and is instead sent to lifelong slavery in the sulfur mines of Sicily. There he is chained to a Christian named Sahak, who is revolted by Barabbas when he hears he was freed instead of Christ. Eventually the two become friends, and Barabbas escapes death again and saves Sahak when the mine is destroyed in an earthquake. In Rome, they are both trained by Torvald, considered the most esteemed gladiator in the empire, to become gladiators themselves. Torvald eventually kills Sahak, who is condemned as a Christian, while Barabbas once again avoids death in an arena battle, taking down Torvald in defeat.
Set free once again and continuing to feel guilt over his ability to evade death, Barabbas takes Sahak’s corpse to the catacombs where Christians are praying. Becoming despondent and confused by the worship and setting, he finds his way back to the ground where Rome is burning. Barabbas gets caught up in the frenzy and sets fire to more buildings. When captured, he claims he is a follower of Christ and is then imprisoned with several other Christians. There he is confronted by the apostle Peter, who admonishes him for the arson and false claim. During the mass crucifixion of the convicted Christians, Barabbas finally confronts death–both egoic and bodily–and ultimately true inner freedom.
While throughout the film we find Barabbas escapes bodily death and is often set free in several risky encounters, it becomes apparent that this does not fulfill him. He remains tormented and defiant in his being, and often feels resistance toward those who seem to have a deeper conviction of faith. It is not coincidental that the gift of life given in these situations feels unearned and lacking for Barabbas. His freedom is directionless-an accumulation of experience and actions for himself that does not add up to anything. There is no subordination and humility to something transcendent beyond himself, unlike the experiences of the Christians he encounters.
The folklore of Barabbas as the man who could not die becomes a metaphor for his inability to move beyond his self-centered impulses. Barabbas is trapped by his own ego which he refuses to let go for the sake of his prideful character. He allows his guilt to become a second skin preventing him from giving in to the message of salvation he hears from the Christians. He fears not for his bodily death, which he evades in many ordeals, but instead fears a life that can only be fully embraced once we die to our inner defenses. We are reminded of Matthew 16:25, in which Christ says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
Barabbas’ journey toward a more fulfilled life takes a great deal of searching, struggle, and patience, and his path of redemption is marked by a series of signposts and guides along the way. It is only toward the end of the film, after losing his friend Sahak and encountering Christians with enduring faith, that he has exhausted all options to evade the grace of Christ. As Barabbas hangs upon a cross, which to many would seem the darkest moment, he finally understands what it truly means to not fear life in God’s care and can now let go. He is set free to rest his soul in Christ and become whom he was truly meant to be before he exhales his last breath. The debt that Jesus of Nazareth paid for his time on the cross is finally accepted by Barabbas, guilt-free. This brief lived moment of redemption sets the ground for him in eternal salvation.
Barabbas is a film that took me by surprise. Perhaps I was expecting the sort of hokey slow-paced epic that we typically encounter in Christian-based films from the 1950s and 1960s. Instead, I found a well-performed story with a spiritually rich narrative that did not shy away from dark or challenging themes. For a modern contemporary audience, this film can still entice with well-produced action scenes-the arena gladiator scene is one of film making mastery alone-and dialogue that flows less stiffly than many films from that era. All in all, this 1961 film provides something rare in today’s cinema: an epic well-crafted action story combined with thought provoking enrichment for the soul.
*Published for Veritas Review.