Like others have stated, this is listed as a 2000 release (apparently straight to video), listed at 3 hours, and including what appears to be the 9/11 attack on the world trade centers. The running time seems to be knocked down to just over 90 minutes, possibly with news footage of the attack added for a rerelease. Enough story detail is given over the 90 minutes I saw, and the flash of the trade centers (joining other human tragedies over recorded history) is really quick.
As a big Roman history buff (and a fan of the British TV miniseries "I, Claudius"), I looked forward to this as it explodes time during the reign of emperor Domitian, one of those rulers that the Sybil in "I Claudius" described in the finale as one of the bad ones. Indeed, he is, as played by Bruce Payne, evil, who like Caligula declared himself a god and ordered the Christians to be killed. Apostle John (the legendary Richard Harris in his final role) has a series of visions which unleash the seven seals to give him a glimpse into the future about the fight against Christianity.
One step above a 1960's gladiator movie, this succeeds slightly better because of an impressive production design and a view of history that started with "The Robe". It also succeeds in not being too preachy, a film that one can enjoy for the entertainment aspects as well as the educational benefits. A sincere performance by Harris makes this commanding as it doesn't shirk on showing how early Christians suffered. As a religious film, it provides subtle guidance for those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful to have found the edited version because three hours of this might have been far too cumbersome.
As a big Roman history buff (and a fan of the British TV miniseries "I, Claudius"), I looked forward to this as it explodes time during the reign of emperor Domitian, one of those rulers that the Sybil in "I Claudius" described in the finale as one of the bad ones. Indeed, he is, as played by Bruce Payne, evil, who like Caligula declared himself a god and ordered the Christians to be killed. Apostle John (the legendary Richard Harris in his final role) has a series of visions which unleash the seven seals to give him a glimpse into the future about the fight against Christianity.
One step above a 1960's gladiator movie, this succeeds slightly better because of an impressive production design and a view of history that started with "The Robe". It also succeeds in not being too preachy, a film that one can enjoy for the entertainment aspects as well as the educational benefits. A sincere performance by Harris makes this commanding as it doesn't shirk on showing how early Christians suffered. As a religious film, it provides subtle guidance for those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful to have found the edited version because three hours of this might have been far too cumbersome.