A Swedish drama that revisits the biblical figure of Barabbas, the man freed in place of Jesus. The story follows a character shaped by guilt and a search for meaning, set in the ancient world of Jerusalem and the lands around it. The film is based on Pär Lagerkvist's 1950 novel of the same name, which provides its literary starting point.

How it was made

The project took roughly a year to prepare. Shooting began in spring 1952 in Israel and Rome, then moved to Sweden over the summer for interior scenes. When the cinematographer originally assigned, Göran Strindberg, fell ill early in the shoot, the then up-and-coming Sven Nykvist stepped in for the exteriors. Additional filming continued into the autumn and up to December. Alf Sjöberg directed and wrote the screenplay, and the cast was led by Ulf Palme and Barbro Hiort af Ornäs. It was among the largest Swedish productions of its time.

Reception and legacy

The film was entered in the 1953 Cannes Film Festival, giving a large-scale Swedish production some international visibility. Its significance lies mainly in its scale and its link to Lagerkvist's novel, rather than in any commercial impact documented in the sources. An American adaptation of the same novel followed in 1961, starring Anthony Quinn, which helped bring the character to wider audiences outside Sweden. The Swedish version is now remembered as an example of European biblical-themed cinema of the 1950s.

Stills

Trivia

Last-minute replacement

The originally assigned cinematographer fell ill early in the shoot, and the still little-known Sven Nykvist took over the exterior photography. He later became Ingmar Bergman's regular cinematographer.

Two versions of the same novel

Pär Lagerkvist's novel received a second screen adaptation in 1961, an American production starring Anthony Quinn, which allows comparison between two film readings of the same text.

More films by Alf Sjöberg

Miss Julie1951

Torment1944 Iris and the Lieutenant1946Iris and the Lieutenant1946 The Heavenly Play1942The Heavenly Play1942 Hem från Babylon1940Hem från Babylon1940

The Royal Hunt1944

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.