Life is Preferable to Death.
To die is to live; death is nothing, sayth Lazarus whom Jesus brought back to life. Lazarus was the best character in this film, he looked like a "blithe spirit," as he explained what it is to die, to Barabbas. A blind man sees Barabba's face. There in the beginning, "tell us what it will be like: "a star, light in the sky, everything new, no more pain or grief, only happiness." Innocent people were stoned to death as blasphemy and "he who is without sin shall cast the first stone." They threw huge boulders, not merely rocks.

Barabbas did not try to stop this out-of-control crowd from killing the woman he loved; he'd gone to the devil, since coming out of prison mad (insane). I remembered the way, he said. Liberty was given to the wrong person in the name of civilization. The debt has been paid; we get rid of what gets in our way. He ends up going to arid Sicily where nothing is green like New Mexico, to the dark sulfur mines which cause blindness. He worked hard labor underground, with cruel guards using whips; emaciated prisoners with bad teeth.

Then, to Rome where we see prisoners being thrown into the lions' den at the Coliseum. It is similar to the Olympic games we will soon see the pagentry. And wasn't it spectular? There were elephants. Jack Palance, instructor of the Gladiator School, was handsome dressed in white with silver boots. There was Mark Allen as the Emperor pharoh looking like Richard Burton. He had his favorite brown horses pulling his chariot as he played games killing his slaves one at a time. He got a taste of his own medicine.

Barabbas had a remarkable persistence and ability to survive where others failed and eventually made him a free man. He took Sahak to be buried in the Catacombs. Why did he choose me? Show me the way. The whole world will soon be ablaze. Barabbas realizes he is a Christian. Peter, the apostle fisher of men, explains to him why he was chosen. The knowledge of God is the kingdom within us.

Christianity in its beginning
great performance between actors, Quinn-Palance-Borgnine and their supporting actors for those who believe in the life after death concept. It holds the interest of the viewer to the end.

Interesting if you ignore the details...
Barabbas is an interesting "what if" presentation of Barabbas the man who was saved from execution when Jesus was crucified in his stead. The movie is heavily slanted towards a view of Christianity that seems to be highly superstitious and primarily focused on signs, symbols, and ritual.

Anthony Quinn does a great job in portraying a conflicted character who ebbs back and forth between belief and doubt.

Good movie on faith
If you have doubt about your faith, this movie will inspire you. Anthony Quinn gives a award winning performance.

Not bad, but not a great movie
"Barabbas" is not a bad movie if you are watching it simply for the entertainment value. Anthony Quinn is very good and so are his co-stars. The script drags somewhat, with the second part being more interesting than the first. However, if you are wanting to look at this film in the sense of whether it portrays the message of Christianity well, then this movie is less than average. It portrays early Christians well, but the problem is with the portrayal of Barabbas. There is no complexity in the character of Barabbas, he simply "goes with the flow." There is never true repentence on his part, never a true understanding of the meaning of Christ and Christianity. It is simply not a film you would want to show your children if you want them to have a deeper understanding of their faith. For great classical gladiatoral action, this is a great movie (Jack Palance is wonderful), but it fails in portraying any deeper spiritual message.