I was glad to see the restored version of this film on TCM recently. (The one I had previously seen was the 1944 re-issue, with Arthur Shields as a chaplain in Rome, relating the story of ancient Rome and Christianity to a soldier.) Frederic March (Marcus Superbus), a Roman soldier, does not stick to his vows of eradicating all of the early Christian community - for the sake of love. He is smitten with the beautiful Mercia (Elissa Landi), a girl who must practice her faith in secret for fear of death, and eventually brings her to his house. The Empress Poppeia (Claudette Colbert) is rebuffed by Marcus, as she tries to seduce him. But it is the performance of Charles Laughton, always a superb actor, as the mad Nero, watching as Rome burns, being cuckolded by his unfaithful wife, manipulated and manipulating - that is the strongest here, although he is not on screen for much of the film. Yes, the film does include a daring (for the time) nude milk bath by Miss Colbert, lesbian dancing, and violence galore (some of it very distasteful even by today's standards; some quite unintentionally laughable). And who is that muscular young man sitting near Laughton in the arena scene, holding a bowl of fruit and staring outward? Still, Elissa Landi's performance is very deeply felt, almost to the point of frigidity, as she holds March back from his lovemaking. The film draws to a poignant conclusion, as he takes her for his spiritual bride.
As a correction: that was not John Carradine shouting, "We who are about to die salute you!", that was actor Charles Middleton, who portrayed Ming the Merciless in the old "Flash Gordon" serial. The two actors were of similar physical and vocal type. (A postscript - John Carradine once related a story of Cecil B DeMille regaling him, Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, and several other actors on a set about how justified he was to imbue Biblical stories with his own personal vision. "I have a very close, personal relationship with God", he said. To which Laughton replied, "Oh my, how cozy!")
As a correction: that was not John Carradine shouting, "We who are about to die salute you!", that was actor Charles Middleton, who portrayed Ming the Merciless in the old "Flash Gordon" serial. The two actors were of similar physical and vocal type. (A postscript - John Carradine once related a story of Cecil B DeMille regaling him, Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, and several other actors on a set about how justified he was to imbue Biblical stories with his own personal vision. "I have a very close, personal relationship with God", he said. To which Laughton replied, "Oh my, how cozy!")