Barabbas Page #5

Show me what you can do, grandfather.

What do we do with aging fish,

grandfather?

It's time he was thrown to the gulls.

Let me be.

Hit! One!

Hit! Two!

You move on.

Bring out the first group of gladiators.

You remember me?

You drew the sign of the Master

beside my plate.

How did you know I carried the sign?

Several days I've watched you

breaking the bread.

Can we speak freely?

He was there in Jerusalem.

He knew the Master.

God be praised and keep you safe.

The days have been getting darker for us.

Persecution increasing.

The Emperor wants to destroy

every trace of us.

But tomorrow, when the games are over

and the sun is down...

...discipline will be lax...

...and there may be a chance for me

to lead you to where we meet.

The Master's disciple, Peter,

is here in Rome.

Seldom enough I find my way there,

some way off to the catacombs.

The catacombs?

Surely it's the dead who meet there.

It may seem to you that the faith is buried.

But so is the seed

before there can be a harvest.

First group, assemble.

You shall see tomorrow

the life we keep there.

First group, assemble.

-Did you hear him, Barabbas?

-I heard.

One, two, one, two....

To your fighting places.

Go.

When you've taken up these positions

tomorrow...

...the trumpets will sound.

And from above you, there...

...the white cloth will be thrown

into the arena.

When it touches the ground,

the contest will begin.

To make sure you understand,

this is the way it will happen.

Kill him! Kill him!

-That's an angry crowd.

-They want blood.

They were driven to a frenzy by Sahak,

who wouldn't kill his man.

If the Emperor were here,

he wouldn't have had a choice.

Wait till tomorrow.

He'll get his quota of killing,

if you're lucky to win.

-Not one life will he get from me.

-Won't he?

Say that to the Emperor.

He will teach you the ways.

-When he says death, death it is.

-The true God says life.

-I only answer to him.

-Hark at this man.

By God, if he contradicts the Emperor....

-Who do you call your God?

-The only one.

The rest are inventions of fear,

tales taken from the past...

...they can no more help you

than this breast can bleed.

Put 'em down.

-Insulting the gods before we go fight.

-What revenge will Mars take?

None at all. He doesn't exist.

Mars doesn't exist?

What do you mean, he doesn't exist?

Will you keep your mouth shut?

The real God is greater

than any man's thoughts can imagine.

He made life as deep and strong

as the sea.

Your gods are as shallow

as a reeking pond.

He's above us and around us, in us.

Like the breath in our bodies.

And he has one law

that will break our pattern.

The law is love.

Whatever we do

that breaks that law condemns us.

And so that we should see

what his love is...

...he sent his son to live the life of a man.

To show that God understands

the life he has made.

-Who spun you this?

-What do you want us to do?

What good will he do us in the arena?

We'll lose the goodwill

of the gods we know.

Tomorrow in the arena, show the Emperor

that we know what life's worth.

Throw away your weapons.

Do you think all the things

of the Earth and the heavens...

...have been made for no other reason

except we should eat and make money...

...and spawn children and kill and die?

What a purpose for creation!

If anything's beyond belief, that is.

God said, "Burn away the old world...

"...and let a new one rise from the ashes."

As the Son of God rose from the dead,

he died for us.

Ask Barabbas here the truth

of what I tell you.

He saw with his own eyes the Son of God

when he lived among us.

Saw him die.

Was there, in the garden,

on the third morning.

You saw him, Barabbas?

-Tell us what you saw.

-What happened?

A long time ago I saw a man.

Some people say he was...

-...the Son of God.

-Enough!

You've condemned yourselves.

I charge you with sedition

and stirring up mutiny.

You're both under arrest.

Take them out and put them in chains.

Move now!

Let me be sure you understand

the seriousness of the charge against you.

Not only with holding views proscribed

by the State...

...for which the punishment is death,

but of recommending those views...

...to men sworn to the State's service.

What is more,

you've betrayed your faith to me...

...who brought you to this city...

...and laid me under possible suspicion

of connivance in the eyes of the Emperor.

The prospect is black for you.

You know what this is?

-The stamp of the Roman State.

-Which means that you're Rome's property.

What's this cut here?

The sign of my master.

-Who do you call your master?

-The one who is my lord.

-The Son of the Father.

-In other words, the Christian sign?

A religion which sets itself up

to menace government and order.

Which denies the divine authority

of the Emperor.

Which preaches that the slave is equal

to the free man...

...and would reduce society to anarchy.

A rebellious, insufferable doctrine.

Give me a direct answer.

Do you belong to the State?

I belong to the Lord, my god.

So, you also believe in this god?

Tell me, do you?

You don't?

Then why do you bear his name

on your disc?

Isn't he your god?

Isn't that what the inscription means?

I have no god.

I don't understand.

Why then do you bear this sign

of Jesus Christ, scratched on your disc?

Because l...

...tried to believe.

I'll give you the opportunity

to recover your senses.

If you'll admit publicly

to the men you spoke to...

...that all these things were lies,

you may save your life.

Will you do this?

That would be to lose my life, not save it.

What I am is his.

But isn't life dear to you?

Yes, it is.

And you understand the cruel death

that punishes mutiny and sedition?

What do you choose?

I choose my god.

Then there is no more I can do for you.

Guilty of the charge.

Execution at sunrise.

You're as mad as your god.

You, come here.

Unwise to carry around with you

what you don't believe in.

It may be the Master means you to live.

He may have some greater need of you.

Some other purpose, Barabbas.

-Something else.

-Take him away.

Guards.

Now you'll have to be worth two men

to take his place.

You may go.

You are to witness the punishment

of this man...

...so that there can be no doubt

in your mind...

...that the words he spoke to you

were a gross breach of the law.

An iniquitous crime against the State.

Not only lies, but treasonable lies...

...which were not only aimed

at spreading rebellion among you...

...but also to pervert your minds...

...from those acceptable religions

on which the State is built.

Any man who thinks

that those words are harmless...

...or thinks that he can repeat or conform

to such words as this man spoke...

...let him take warning from

the punishment you are about to witness.

Long live the Emperor!

Proceed, Torvald.

Positions.

Ready.

Throw.

Traitors and fools!

You'll wish this was better done.

Kill him! Kill him!

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