Demetrius And The Gladiators (1954)

I wonder if this story is truthful. If if's at least somewhat historically accurate, so to speak.

It seems like it might be.

I've heard tell of Caligula, and the crazy emperor he was. If he was anywhere near as crazy as it's said he was, then this movie does him justice.

And of course I've heard of the gladiators. And of Jesus. But what transpired in Rome after he was crucified? I don't know.

So I wonder if this is a historically inspired depiction of events thereafter, or if premise and location are but figments of a plot that let us relate; invest ourselves in an otherwise entirely fictional story...

I didn't realize with the title that this would be a religious tale. I thought it'd be like Gladiator, the 1999 version with with Russell Crowe. But it turns out Demetrius is not at all story about just the one man battling for survival, but of society as a whole. Of his fight for himself as much as for the world around him. For right. For purpose. For love, simply...

The sceneries are pompous, the acting's dated but the actors good, the story's intriguing, there's one black gladiator in particular that really does look the part (of a gladiator), and fights overall aren't as overly theatrical as I thought they'd be for the Fifties.

They're alright, but they're not the main point of this movie after all.

The colorization looks odd too. Like maybe this was filmed in black and white and colored after. Like those old postcards you might see in second-hand stores.

Then again maybe this was the color of early film...

I keep ending sentences here with ellipses for some reason....

This wasn't bad, it wasn't. It makes me appreciate the concept of a faith, too... and I'm really curious if it's a real story.

If Demetrius really lived. If he was maybe a part of the apostles and legacy and everything too. Or if it's all just like a dream... fiction.

Unforseen.

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle