Das Martyrium des heiligen Sebastian (1984)
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Directors
Cast
Michael Biehn, Nicholas Clay, Franco Citti, Jana Hlavácová, Andrea Coppola, Pietro Speciale, Jan Gabriel, Ivan Varga, Fabio Caretti, Urs Althaus, Michal Gulyás, Lubomír Martinik
When a Roman commander witnesses two Christians face execution, their faith challenges his loyalty to the empire.
The story
Sebastian, an archer and commander of the Praetorian Guard who is favored by the emperor, attends the execution of brothers Mark and Marcellian, who are willing to die for their Christian faith. During the execution, Sebastian embraces Christianity, as does the brothers’ mother. The prefect then seeks to have Sebastian condemned as well, setting his new faith against the authority he serves.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Sebastian, an archer, commander of the Praetorian Guard, and the emperor’s favorite, is present at the execution of two brothers, Mark and Marcellian, who are willing to die for their Christian faith. During the execution, he too embraces the faith, as does the condemned brothers’ mother. The prefect wants Sebastian condemned as well, but Sebastian walks across hot coals that turn into lilies beneath his feet, frightening the prefect. Sebastian is summoned before the emperor to explain his actions. The emperor is willing to forgive him if he will worship the Roman gods, especially Apollo, the sun god. But Sebastian remains faithful to Christ, even though the emperor himself wants to make him a god. The emperor therefore sentences him to death by shooting him with arrows. Sebastian accepts his death. The archers in his guard are ordered to carry out the execution, but they hesitate to kill their beloved commander. Sebastian, however, pleads with them, telling them it is God’s will.
Genres
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