by Janiss Garza
synopsis
The Cines Company, the same Italian firm that made Quo Vadis, made an attempt to film the poem Christus by Fausto Salvatori. The life of Christ was illustrated by bringing various masterpieces to life such as The Pieta by Michaelangelo and DaVinci's The Last Supper. But the director, in an attempt to live up to the grandiose demands of such lofty material, created something static, pretentious and dated (yes, even for 1917). In addition, the titles -- at least in the English version -- were long and wordy, which was anathema to moviegoers of the 'teens. Christus' utter lack of drama undermined any artistic value it may have had.
