I no longer call myself a Christian. Not because I don’t believe Jesus was an amazing teacher, but because I study and accept truths from lots of different spiritual sources. However, there are many teachings in the religious traditions I’ve studied, that have the same tenets. Love and forgiveness are among the strongest of these.
Because of nostalgia, my husband Barry and I decided to watch a bunch of epics set in Ancient Rome or during Biblical times to celebrate Easter. They are, Spartacus (1960) starring Kurt Douglas and Jean Simmons. It takes place long before Christianity and is about a famous slave uprising with strong themes of brotherhood and a desire for freedom.
After that we watched The Robe (1953) starring Richard Burton and Jean Simmons. I remember watching it as a child and being enthralled by the story. Marcellus (Burton) is assigned to duty in Judea for some transgression or other. As a result he’s the Tribune who is in charge of Jesus’ execution, and that starts him off on a journey that changes his life completely.
The next was the sequel to The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) starring Victor Mature and Susan Hayward. It’s about Demetrius, who was at one time Marcellus’ (Burton’s) slave, turned companion and fellow Christian. Marcellus dies in the first movie, but Demetrius travels with Peter spreading the word of the new religion.
The next night we watched Ben-Hur (1959) starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkings, Stephen Boyd, and Haya Harareet. This is one of our favorites because, even though some of the theological statements would have been developed much later than the story, it has very strong and relevant themes of love and forgiveness.
Tonight (Saturday) we are watching Quo Vadis (1951) starring Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, and Peter Ustinov. This one takes place after Jesus crucifixion and is about the growth of Christianity around the Roman Empire.
These films all have two themes in common, the importance of loving each other, and forgiveness as an important way to become free of the things that torment us.
In all my studies and contemplations, I’ve learned two things. Love is the most powerful force in the Universe. And to find inner peace, I must forgive those who I felt abused me in some way. I must even forgive myself for mistakes I’ve made over the years. I love it when I find those themes in stories I consume.
Forgiveness is often misinterpreted. When we forgive we are letting go of the need for revenge. We seek out the lessons from what happened to us and we move forward with our lives.
Watching these movies have reminded me that my most favorite stories have these two themes in them, whether they are the MCU, Harry Potter, or Hunger Games series, or TV shows like Silo,Ted Lasso any of the Star Treks, Star Wars, or any other number of more modern stories.
It was good to be reminded that even old stories use themes that are timeless. What are your favorite story themes?
Thanks for reading, commenting, and liking. I’d love to hear about your favorite stories.
Blessings,
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2025
Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters
Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.
Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, who we want to be, and the kind of world we want to live in.
Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.
Sage Woman Chronicles 