NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (July 2022): Imprint have transferred Richard Fleischer's Barabbas to Blu-ray. Barabbas came out in a French Blu-ray in 2016 HERE and a Blu-ray / DVD combo in 2021 HERE but we don't own it to compare. We did, however have the interlaced Sony DVD from 2008 - although it had Jan 3rd, 2002 VOB files. While Imprint's 1080P handily advances upon that older SD transfer, it is not a stellar HD presentation. This is readily apparent in the first 1/3 of the film. It improves somewhat but can still look unnaturally soft and artifact-y throughout. The grand spectacle of the gladiatorial arena (Arena di Verona) can look reasonably pleasing but overall I would keep your expectations in-check. The image is simply a strong advancement over a very poor quality DVD. Shot on Super Technirama 70, surely a better video transfer could be achieved with the original elements.

NOTE: We have added 72 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Imprint use a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. Barabbas has aggressive with physical conflicts and a resounding score by Mario Nascimbene (The Vikings, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, The Barefoot Contessa, The Vengeance of She, A Farewell to Arms, Love in the City) and conducted by Franco Ferrara - very large - very epic and with the unusual introduction of electronic sounds achieved by manipulating tape speeds. The DVD offered a CD sampler featuring some Christian music artists. Imprint offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Imprint Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman who discuss many facets of the production, its genre and the cycle of these films - describing it as an earthy version - and how the public may have been weary of these epics, the credits / crucifixion controversy, the performances - Anthony Quinn, Silvana Mangano, Arthur Kennedy, Katy Jurado, Harry Andrews, Vittorio Gassman -  Producer Dino De Laurentiis with a cool anecdote, director Richard Fleischer, Nobel Prize winning novelist Pär Lagerkvist as well as comparisons of many similar films. Kim mentions a previous film version of the novel, in Swedish, had been made in 1953. It's at their usual high standard. Also included are 25-minutes of Film Historian Sheldon Hall on Barabbas who discusses the film's origins and evolution to the screen, how it has a bleak quality as compared to Ben-Hur. There is also a 28-minute piece on the director - Richard Fleischer: Looking Back, filmed in 2003 from Robert Fischer's Fiction Factory. It's very interesting with the versatile Hollywood director (1916-2006) looking back on his life and talks about his films. There is no trailer, nor liner notes but has a handsome firm slipcase.

Richard Fleischer's Barabbas is an excellent, adeptly realized, biblical epic. It expands on the life of Barabbas, from the Christian Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark (and other gospels.) Remarkable is the Jesus crucifixion scene shot during an actual total solar eclipse that remains impacting. The gladiatorial battles - notably between Torvald (Jack Palance) and Barabbas, and the mass crucifixion executions remain always impressive. The Imprint Blu-ray has weakness in the image but the supplements are enticing form the Forshaw / Newman commentary to the revealing Sheldon Hall's piece plus the interview with director Richard Fleischer. I will try to compare this a/v with the Sidonis French Blu-ray although I suspect it of having non-removable French subtitles. 

Gary Tooze