Pontius Pilate (Ponce Pilate, France)

A French poster for the 1962 Italian production Pontius Pilate, starring Jean Marais as Pilate, Jeanne Crain as his wife, Claudia, Basil Rathbone as Caiaphas, and John Drew Barrymore as both Judas and Jesus (Jesus’ face is not shown.) The top of the poster proclaims, “The greatest trial of all time.” The film considers the trial and execution of Jesus through the perspective of Pontius Pilate and Claudia. Claudia has seen the crowds listening to Jesus, and moved by his teaching, begs Pilate not to have him executed. Recognizable images of Jesus’ Passion form the background of the poster, and in the foreground, Pilate and Claudia embrace one another, demonstrating the family melodrama at the heart of the film.