Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
The Robe (1953)
The 1950s saw a renaissance in biblical epics. Many of these were lavish, high dollar productions, like Ben Hur and Quo Vadis, while others had more modest budgets, like the Italian/American co-productions, of which there were many.
These films were characterized by gorgeous sets, tremendous cinematography, and majestic scores by name composers. Often, big stars were a part of the package. Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case might be, Hollywood had a habit of playing fast and loose with the facts, so these epics should not be viewed as history, but the entertainment value of them is immense judging from the legions of fans of these "sword and sandals" films. Who knew they didn't have Brillcreme back in those days, anyway?
In the early 50s, 20th Century Fox developed a new film technique called CinemaScope that presented the image in a 2.35:1 width to height ratio rather than the more square format (1.33 or 1.37:1) used up till that time. This allowed a much more lavish display of the actors and surrounding scenery and Fox used the new format along with gorgeous Technicolor to give the full treatment to its new biblical epic, The Robe, the first film to have such honors. Audiences were entranced at the new wider images that graced the screen, and CinemaScope became an industry standard that other studios were quick to copy. Panavision, VistaVision, and Todd-AO are rival versions of the widescreen process pioneered by Fox.
Directed by Henry Koster (Harvey), The Robe had the best of everything money could provide in its day. Star power was provided by some of the biggest names in the industry, Richard Burton (Marcellus), Jean Simmons (Diana), Victor Mature (Demetrius), Jay Robinson (Caligula) and an all star supporting cast. Sets and costuming were gorgeous and grandiose, Cinematography by Leon Shamroy (Crash Dive) and music by one of the top composers in Hollywood Alfred Newman. The movie was and remains a huge success, but by our modern standards the film is campy and provokes unintentional humor with its strait-laced treatment of issues and how we know people really act in certain situations.
From the Lloyd C. Douglas novel, adapted by a pair of screenwriters, the story concerns the teachings of Christ as perceived by another character, the Roman Marcellus (Richard Burton - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), the man who crucified him.
How this comes about begins in Rome, where Marcellus outbids the Emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson - Demetrius and the Gladiators) for a slave, Demetrius (Victor Mature - Samson and Delilah). Marcellus is rewarded for his insolence by relegation to Judaea, the armpit of the empire. That's where he comes to crucify Jesus, who he views as a common criminal. At the crucifixion, he realizes that Jesus was who they said he was and goes mad. The Robe becomes the symbol of the power of Christ that Marcellus seeks to destroy and later embraces. Meanwhile, Rome is up in arms about the pesky Christians and Marcellus is recalled to give his report to the emperor...
Like Ben Hur, The Robe is a work of fiction showing the story of Christ as seen by an observer. The performances are good but campy by today's standards. Jay Robinson is particularly memorable as the mad Emperor Caligula. While Jean Simmons (Spartacus) is the model of what a beautiful woman should look like. She does become a bit preachy at the end, after her conversion. Richard Burton was nominated for an Oscar, but that says more about the country's tastes at the time than his performance, which, while good, is not among his best.
The 20th Century Fox DVD is presented in Technicolor, in 2.35:1 theatrical format, and runs 135 minutes. The film is well preserved and has good stereophonic separation. Subtitles are included and a few trailers, but no other extras. In summary, The Robe is a solid biblical epic that still pleases audiences today, and isn't that what entertainment is all about?
Based on a best-selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas THE ROBE is one of the best Biblical epics of all time. Richard Burton stars as Marcellus Gallio a R...More at Family Video
Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, this inspiring story stars Richard Burton as Marcellus Gallio, a Roman centurion whose life ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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