Herod the Great (film)
Herod the Great is a 1959 Italian-French epic historical drama film directed by Victor Tourjansky.
Plot
Aaron is instructed by Herod to supervise his wife Mariam during his absence and to kill her if he does not return. When the news of Herod's death arrives, Aaron does not carry out the order; in love with her, he flees with the woman into the desert. Meanwhile, power intrigues are conjurted against the queen mother and, when the brother-in-law is proclaimed new king, Herod suddenly reappears, who in reality is not dead. Furious about what happened, he has his brother-in-law killed and establishes a regime of terror: Aaron is tortured and Mariam stoned. After obtaining his revenge, he begins to be troubled by the appearance of a man who predicts the birth of a new Messiah; he then orders the massacre of the innocent. Torn apart by remorse, he is killed by an apopleptic blow just as Jesus takes his first breath.Cast
- Edmund Purdom as Herod
- Sylvia Lopez as Maryam
- Sandra Milo as Sarah
- Elena Zareschi as Alexandra
- Alberto Lupo as Aronne
- Massimo Girotti as Gaius Octavian
- Andrea Giordana as Little Daniele
- Corrado Pani as Antipatro, later Herod Antipas
- Renato Baldini as Claudio
- Camillo Pilotto as The High Priest
- Fedele Gentile as Oreb
- Olga Solbelli as Mother of the condemned
- Enrico Glori as Taret
- Carlo D'Angelo as The man who saw the Messiah's birth
- Enzo Fiermonte
- Adolfo Geri
- Nino Marchetti
- Feodor Chaliapin, Jr.