With so much ground to cover, Carroll's own story must hold everything together. And it just about does, because it's inherently fascinating.
Comment
06/20/08
Constantine's Sword (2008)
86
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:25
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Exceptional research elevates Constantine's Sword from a talking heads documentary to a resonant and thought-provoking expose of the church's dark history.
Runtime: 1 min 35 secs
Genre: Education/General Interest
Synopsis: This politically explosive documentary delves into the mingling of religion and violence, following former Catholic priest James Carroll as he tracks the trail of blood that leads from the Crusades... [More]
Starring: James Carroll, Liev Schreiber, Philip Bosco, Natasha Richardson
Director: Oren Jacoby
Reviews for Constantine's Sword
Constantine's Sword speaks provocatively to history and our moment.
05/30/08
It's a film at once depressing and exhilarating.
08/24/09
The breadth of Carroll's scholarship and the depth of his religious understanding strengthen his assertion that our misadventure in Iraq is the beginning of a new holy war.
05/30/08
But I ramble. So does the movie, in an insidiously fascinating way.
05/30/08
Top CriticRiddled with historical distortions, at least some of which seem agenda-driven, perhaps even more or less deliberate.
04/18/08
Whatever your persuasion, you'll walk out enriched.
05/23/08
A powerful documentary which makes the case that the faith-based fanaticism that has destabilized the planet has been fueled as much by the West as by radical Islam.
05/02/08
[A] harsh, frightening and stunning dissection of Church history.
04/15/08
thoughtful
04/17/08
[I]t was probably inevitable that such an audacious attempt would fail to succeed entirely. Which isn't to say that this bold and fearless film isn't worth a look.
05/07/08
Overall, rather disorganized and uneven as a documentary, but always passionate, intriguing and certainly pertinent.
04/26/08
Former priest and author James Carroll is simply pointing out that the use of cover up and propaganda -- whether it's aimed at another religion or another country -- is still represented at the point of a sword. That sword is shaped like a cross.
06/01/08
This exceedingly contemplative work is both topically important -- warning of what happens when military might and religious fervor are mixed -- and intellectually stimulating as all get out.
08/28/08
The movie covers an immense amount of shameful historical ground, but the soft-spoken Carroll's mission is less about winning an argument than prodding true believers
04/25/08
Top CriticJames Carroll goes on a crusade of his own, exposing the hypocrisy of politically motivated religion and the violence of the evangelical Jihad in our own Colorado Springs.
05/10/08
The movie raises important issues, but it provides few answers as it moves along in uninspired, talking-heads fashion.
04/18/08
At once enthralling and troubling...does about as good a job as you could hope of distilling a 750-page historical examination of religious zealotry and power into 95 swift minutes.
04/18/08
Top CriticThough Carroll's presentation is unquestionably oversimplified...his points are well-taken and worthy of serious regard.
06/02/08
Not precisely journalistic, as a personal chronicle writ large it is a stirring, richly intellectual work.
08/29/08
Latest News for Constantine's Sword
More Movies
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds