Zephyros
Magistrate
In ancient Rome a love story blossoms between Fabiola, daughter of a senator, and Rhual, a gallic gladiator. When Fabiola's father is killed, the Romans blame the Christians and the persecution begins. Rhual confesses to be a christian and is accused of the murder and sentenced to fight to death in the arena.
In the fourth century AD, the Roman Empire is crumbling and the growing cult of Christianity is to blame. A young Gaul, Rhual, is a Christian, but he must keep this a secret if he is to realise his dream of becoming a gladiator in Rome. One evening, he discovers a beautiful young woman alone on the seashore. It is love at first sight, but Rhual abandons her to take up his new position as a gladiator to a wealthy merchant, Fabien Severe. He does not realise that the woman is Fabiola, Fabien's daughter. Shortly after, they meet again, at an evening festival hosted by Fabien. After beating his employer in a friendly fight, Rhual is mocked by Fabiola, although it is clear she is infatuated with him. Soon after making a speech claiming that, on his death, all of his Christian slaves will be set free, Fabien is murdered. His entourage immediately blame his death on the Christians, although suspicion soon turns to Rhual, who fled from Fabien's house just before the body was discovered. The incident merely fuels the public antagonism towards Christians, and a terrible blood bath appears increasingly inevitable...
Fabiola (UK title: The Fighting Gladiator) is a 1949 Italian language motion picture historical drama directed by Alessandro Blasetti, very loosely based on the 1854 novel Fabiola by Nicholas Patrick Wiseman. The film stars Michèle Morgan, Henri Vidal and Michel Simon. It tells the story of the Roman Empire in which Christianity is growing around the fourth century AD.
In the fourth century AD, the Roman Empire is crumbling and the growing cult of Christianity is to blame. A young Gaul, Rhual, is a Christian, but he must keep this a secret if he is to realise his dream of becoming a gladiator in Rome. One evening, he discovers a beautiful young woman alone on the seashore. It is love at first sight, but Rhual abandons her to take up his new position as a gladiator to a wealthy merchant, Fabien Severe. He does not realise that the woman is Fabiola, Fabien's daughter. Shortly after, they meet again, at an evening festival hosted by Fabien. After beating his employer in a friendly fight, Rhual is mocked by Fabiola, although it is clear she is infatuated with him. Soon after making a speech claiming that, on his death, all of his Christian slaves will be set free, Fabien is murdered. His entourage immediately blame his death on the Christians, although suspicion soon turns to Rhual, who fled from Fabien's house just before the body was discovered. The incident merely fuels the public antagonism towards Christians, and a terrible blood bath appears increasingly inevitable...
Fabiola (UK title: The Fighting Gladiator) is a 1949 Italian language motion picture historical drama directed by Alessandro Blasetti, very loosely based on the 1854 novel Fabiola by Nicholas Patrick Wiseman. The film stars Michèle Morgan, Henri Vidal and Michel Simon. It tells the story of the Roman Empire in which Christianity is growing around the fourth century AD.
