Barabbas

Aroview: Lavish, literate and thrilling by equal measure, this Hollywood Roman speculation follows the wanderings of the legendary thief (Quinn) who was saved from crucifixion in Christ's stead

Dogged by conscience, he goes through a series of trials, eventually finding some redemption in the gladiatorial arena. Unusually tough-minded for the usual biblical epic, this has a superb cast and dialogue deftly crafted out of the source novel by Pär Lagerkvist.