The Sign of the Cross

Cecil B. DeMille's 1932 film is set in the Rome of Nero. After the city burns the blame is put on the Christians and mass executions begin; the prefect Marcus becomes infatuated with Mercia, a young Christian woman under arrest, and is caught between her faith and his office. The empress Poppaea wants Marcus and steers events accordingly. The film presents itself as a religious story while most of what it shows is violence and lust: the arena scenes are long and graphic, and there is Poppaea's milk bath and dancing that pushes at the moral limits of the period. It belongs to the era just before censorship rules were strictly enforced and DeMille uses that freedom fully; the film was shown in cut versions in later years. The design and crowd scenes are ambitious for their time. Who it's for: viewers who like classic Hollywood epics and pre-code films. Who it's not for: anyone who would rather not approach arena violence and scenes involving animals.