THE ROBE

THE ROBE (Special Edition) - 1953

RATED - NR but probably PG for non-graphic violence. Family friendly for 10+.

RATINGS - 116 Amazon (4/5), 82,158 Netflix (3.6/5), 2,431 IMDB (6.7/10).

STARRING - Richard Burton (Marcellus Gallio), Victor Mature (Demetrius)

AWARDS - 1954 Academy Awards for BEST COSTUME DESIGN COLOR & BEST ART DIRECTION COLOR & nominated for BEST PICTURE, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY COLOR & BEST ACTOR (Burton).

THEMES - Forgiveness, spirituality, relationships, truth.

STORY - THE ROBE is the first film ever released in CinemaScope, a major innovation in film at the time, basically wide screen instead of a box shaped picture on the screen. It is the story of Roman Tribune Marcellus Gallio, who falls into disfavor with the Emperor and is assigned to the 'pesthole' of the Roman Empire, Palestine. He brings his personal slave, Demetrius, with him. His first assignment is to carry out the Crucifixion of a man named Jesus. Marcellus has never driven spikes thru a man's wrists and ankles before. At the Crucifixion site, he wins the robe of Jesus by throwing dice. Something about the whole experience starts to drive him mad and he is sent back to Rome to recover. He realizes he must recover the robe and get to the bottom of who is this man Jesus, called Messiah & Son of God by His followers. What happens to him as a result of this search is at the heart of the film. This film has a much broader base than just simply those who profess to follow this man who claims to have risen from the dead. It is an intriguing story and the movie, the set and the music were all excellent. The picture quality in the special edition is sharp and almost as good as today's quality (it's available in blu-ray). Fun to see Richard Burton and Richard Boone (Pilate) in their younger days. Also, the insights into life in the Roman Empire at that time are interesting. Well worth spending an evening viewing this classic. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 04/04/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TURNER CLASSICS, TRAILER