Promotes loyalty, staying true to one's principles, and preserving freedom. Additional themes include compassion and integrity. The story, set during Jesus Christ's lifetime, introduces Christian doctrine and affirms Judeo-Christian values. Includes numerous biblical quotations, such as "Blessed are the merciful; blessed are the peacemakers"; "Life is everlasting; death is nothing to fear"; and "Love your enemy."
Numerous scenes portray man's inhumanity to man. People are marched through a broiling desert; one man falls and is kicked down a sandy hillside to die. In a lengthy sequence set in an ancient galley ship, chained men in loincloths are whipped and forced to row until they keel over; they're later involved in a battle at sea that results in fatal injuries (including one bloody stump) and sea water turning red with the blood of the drowning men. Jesus's crucifixion is graphic and bloody; nails are pounded into him and the cross is covered in his blood. The climactic action sequence is a chariot race in which many accidents and cruelties occur: collisions, men being dragged through the dirt, horses being whipped continuously, and steel blades being purposefully maneuvered to destroy competitors. In the aftermath, a principal player with grisly injuries is at center stage through several scenes before he dies.
Two love scenes include kissing and passionate embraces.