MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian

The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian

1984 · 82 min

A slow, stylised art-house mystery play, more like watching a poem or an opera than a conventional film.

Directed by
Petr Weigl
Genres
Drama, Music
Starring
Michael Biehn, Nicholas Clay, Franco Citti
Overview
Sebastian, Chief Archer in the Roman Army, converts to Christianity. A favorite of Emperor Augustus, Sebastian's devotion to Christ eventually drives him to reject the Emperor's love, causing the Emperor to angrily order Sebastian to be shot with arrows by his fellow archers. The film retells this mystery play with a definite 'art-house' approach: an almost poetical use of language, singing, dancing, some homoerotic themes, and some special effects.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Petr Weigl
Genres
Drama, Music
Starring
Michael Biehn, Nicholas Clay, Franco Citti
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • faith
  • love
  • power
  • identity
  • death
Places
  • military
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • musical
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language none
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror2
Humour1
Realism4
Romance4
Tension5
Darkness6
Complexity7
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian

Movie

Sebastiane

1976

A slow, hypnotic plunge into repressed desire and religious suffering, with stark imagery and Latin dialogue that keeps you at a chilly distance.

Melancholic, tense, slow-burn · about faith and power

Via
  • melancholic
  • tense
  • faith
  • power
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
86 min
Details
SebastianeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Drummer Boy

2026

A sincere, music-filled historical drama that moves at a gentle pace, balancing battle hardship with warmth and hope.

Earnest, melancholic · about faith · musical

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • faith
  • musical
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
129 min
Details
Drummer BoyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Parsifal

2018

A solemn, slow-moving opera that immerses you in ritual and spiritual conflict, demanding patience and rewarding with intense emotional and musical depth.

Earnest, melancholic, slow-burn · about faith and power · musical

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • faith
  • power
  • musical
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Details
ParsifalHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Quo Vadis?

1924

A grand, solemn silent spectacle of ancient Rome, heavy with pageantry and moral gravity, moving slowly but leaving a somber impression.

Earnest, melancholic · about faith and love

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • faith
  • love
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
137 min
Details
Quo Vadis?Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Last Temptation of Christ

1988

A solemn, hallucinatory spiritual ordeal that feels like a fever dream of doubt and desire, demanding patience and rewarding it with unsettling intimacy.

Earnest, melancholic, slow-burn · about faith and identity

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • faith
  • identity
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
164 min
Details
The Last Temptation of ChristHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Strauss: Salome

2018

Witness a highly stylized and intense musical drama steeped in operatic grandeur and dramatic tension.

Tense · about faith and love · musical

Via
  • tense
  • faith
  • love
  • musical
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details
Strauss: SalomeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Benjamin: Lessons in Love and Violence

2018

A stark, slow-burning opera broadcast that feels like a tense historical tragedy, demanding close attention to music and text.

Earnest, melancholic, slow-burn · about love and power

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • love
  • power
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
91 min
Details
Benjamin: Lessons in Love and ViolenceHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Theodora

2023

A solemn, slow-burning opera staged with modern tension, demanding close attention as faith and brutality collide.

Earnest, tense, slow-burn · about faith and power · musical

Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • faith
  • power
  • musical
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
189 min
Details
TheodoraHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Salome

1990

A staged opera captured on film, slow and solemn, with grand music carrying the weight of a biblical tragedy.

Same director: Petr Weigl · Musical

Also
Same director: Petr Weigl
Via
  • musical
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Details
SalomeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

1964

A stark, neorealist retelling that feels like watching a sacred text come to life with raw, unadorned intensity.

Earnest · about faith and power

Via
  • earnest
  • faith
  • power
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
137 min
Details
The Gospel According to St. MatthewHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Quo Vadis

1951

A grand, solemn spectacle that sweeps you through opulent cruelty and martyrdom toward a glowing, hard-won redemption.

Earnest, tense · about faith and love

Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • faith
  • love
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
174 min
Details
Quo VadisHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Revival!

2018

A sincere, music-filled retelling that blends stage and screen, inviting you into a familiar story with fresh energy and heartfelt performances.

Earnest · about faith and love · musical

Via
  • earnest
  • faith
  • love
  • musical
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details
Revival!Hidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, music
Directed by
Petr Weigl
Written by
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Starring
Michael Biehn, Nicholas Clay, Franco Citti, Urs Althaus, Pietro Speciale, Jan Gabriel, Martin Maxa, Fabio Caretti
Music
Claude Debussy
Cinematography
Jiří Kadaňka
Runtime
82 min
Country
Germany
Languages
French

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikidata