Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ

Directed by Jean Yanne and released in 1982, the French comedy Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ is set in a provincial corner of the Roman Empire. There, a simple garage mechanic named Ben-Hur Marcel, also known as Aminemephet (Coluche), minds his own business until circumstance drags him into a fabricated scheme against Caesar, portrayed by Michel Serrault. The misunderstanding snowballs, and the hapless tradesman finds himself at the heart of a growing uproar.

The picture is an irreverent spoof of biblical and sword-and-sandal epics in the vein of Ben-Hur, loaded with intentional anachronisms, and is frequently compared to Monty Python's Life of Brian. It stands as Yanne's sixth and penultimate film behind the camera. Despite a chilly critical reception, it drew around 4.6 million admissions in France, ranking third at the national box office for 1982, and over time it has earned cult status among French moviegoers.