Barabbas: A quiet, dusty, and strangely hollow affair

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, unless you are a die-hard fan of silent-era curiosities, you are probably going to find this a bit of a snooze. It is for the patient viewer who likes staring at shadows and heavy costumes. If you want high-octane drama or even basic pacing, stay far away. 😴

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in someone’s living room. The sets are just kind of… there. They don’t invite you in; they just sit there, looking like painted cardboard that might tip over if someone sneezes too hard.

I found myself zoning out during the long stares. There is a lot of staring in this movie. Characters look into the middle distance, holding their poses for what feels like an eternity. I get it, silent films need to communicate through expression, but this is a bit much.

Oddly specific observations

• The lead actor’s beard looks like it might actually be a small, disgruntled animal glued to his chin.
• There is a scene where a door opens, and you can see the shadow of the camera crew on the floor for a solid three seconds. Nobody bothered to cut that out.
• The background extras in the crowd scenes seem like they are just waiting for a bus.

It is nowhere near as tight as A Man's Past, which at least had the decency to keep the story moving along. Here, the narrative just sort of hangs in the air, waiting for the next title card to tell us what we should be feeling.

I was reminded of The Single Sin while watching this, mainly because both films struggle to make their lead characters actually likeable. You’re supposed to care about Barabbas, but he mostly just looks confused and slightly annoyed that he’s in the movie at all.

The lighting is dark. Like, really dark. At one point, I thought my monitor had died, but no, it was just another "moody" sequence where you can only make out the shape of a nose and a stray eyebrow.

Maybe I am being harsh. It is an old film. It is probably doing the best it can with the tech they had. But goodness, it doesn't try to make it easy for us. It’s not quite as energetic as Leaping Love, which I suppose is a good thing if you don't like slapstick, but it lacks that spark of life that makes old films feel real.

Anyway. If you have nothing else to do for an hour, sure. Put it on in the background. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🎞️