The Two Thieves


The crucifixion scene in this movie is one of the best to be found on the screen but, as usual, I'm a bit disappointed in the casting of the two thieves. Most movies show them to be hairy, rough-looking men in their 20s or 30s or even 40s. This has the effect of making Jesus look more sensitive, more vulnerable, more pathetic in comparison.

But crime is a young man's game. Check your local newspaper and you'll find that a large per-centage of crimes are committed by males ranging in age from mid-teens to mid-20s. This would probably be true in the days of the Roman Empire as well. In fact, because of shorter life spans and because people at that time reached adulthood more quickly -- none of that lingering period which we now call "adolescence" -- it seems quite likely that the two thieves were teenagers.

However, casting a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old as the thieves would serve to make Jesus (in his early 30s) look less vulnerable. Some attention would be diverted from him and directed instead to the thieves. "Why, look, they're just boys!" So the tradition continues that the thieves, by Roman standards, must be middle-aged men.

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Interesting point. I am not religous myself, but interested in different aspects of the Roman Empire and its relation to christian mythology, including the depiction of the crucifixion in art and movies.
As far as I know the so-called "thieves" were probably not really thieves, but (like Jesus) political criminals, maybe rebels from the Romans point of view. Thats why this most cruel method of public execution was used for them. I doubt that the death penalty was used for thieves (with the exception of slaves, maybe) in Roman times.
But your argument with the shorter life spans is true, I think and according to the medical examaniation of the only crucifixion victim ever found ("Yehohanan"s bones, in the 60ies in Jerusalem) who was 24-28 years old when he was crucified, crucifixion victims may indeed have been younger than we think today. But we cant be sure.
In the christian redemption story of the "good thief" is another point important, which makes all depictions (psychologically) possible:
-If he is being depicted as an older man (older than Jesus), we may assume that he was able to re-evaluate his earlier (long) life as a criminal and regret his deeds and crimes to get redemption by believing in Christ.
-If he is being depicted as a young man or a youth, we may assume, that he was seduced to a criminal life but his character was not hardened and so he was able to see his failures and wrong decisions and recognize the divine character of Christ to get redemption by believing in him.

But I agree, considering this movie was made in the 70ies with low production values the crucifixion is being depicted in a believable way (and far better than in the cliche-ridden "Passion of the Christ")

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