Review of "The Sign of the Cross"

 I enjoyed The Sign of the Cross, though not as much as some of the other films we have watched in class. Though I know she was supposed to be representative of the purity of the Christian faith, Mercia seemed a bit too perfect for my tastes. Nevertheless, I liked her romance with Marcus Superbus and thought that this was very sweetly portrayed in the beginning. I really would have liked to see more of Nero’s character as he is so famous in Ancient Roman history. It surprised me that what little we did see did not seem to quite add up with what history tells us of him. It would have been interesting to see how a more realistic Nero would have affected the storyline. Poppaea’s role, however, was very well portrayed and scripted. She perfectly symbolized some of the worst aspects of Rome with a distinct style that was intriguing to watch. I liked the story and plotline, but feel that Marcus’ conversion happened a bit too swiftly at the end. It would have made more sense to me to see more of a gradual progression leading up to this, even if only earlier on in their last conversation.