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The Robe (1953)
In the stirring Biblical religious epic by director
Henry Koster with exceptional pageantry and spectacle - notable as
the first film released in the widescreen process CinemaScope from
20th Century Fox, and with a sequel, Demetrius and the
Gladiators (1954):
- an impressive opening voice-over narration (by
Richard Burton as one of the characters) proclaimed the might
and glory of the Roman Empire in 32 AD during the reign of Emperor
Tiberius: "Rome, master of the earth, in the 18th year of the emperor Tiberius.
Our legions stand guard on the boundaries of civilization from
the foggy coasts of the northern seas to the ancient rivers of
Babylon, the finest fighting machines in history. The people of
30 lands send us tribute: their gold and silk, ivory and frankincense,
and their proudest sons to be our slaves. We have reached the point
where there are more slaves in Rome than citizens. Some say we
are only looters of what others have created, that we create nothing
ourselves. But we have made gods, fine gods and goddesses, who
make love and war. Huntresses and drunkards. But the power lies
not in their hands of marble, but in ours of flesh. We, the nobles
of Rome, are free to live only for our own pleasure. Could any
god offer us more? Today we traffic in human souls. The slave market
is crowded because the emperor's heir and regent, young Caligula,
is coming to buy gladiators. He probably will not be pleased to
see me"
- Roman military tribune, Marcellus Gallio (Richard
Burton), a cynical individual and a womanizer - was introduced
walking into Rome's slave market, where he met his grown-up childhood
sweetheart Diana (Jean Simmons); they were meeting for the first
time in 12 years since she was an 11 year-old girl; she informed
him that since being orphaned after the death of her father, she
had become the ward of the Emperor Tiberius in Capri and was unofficially
pledged to marry Tiberius' nephew and heir Caligula (Jay Robinson) - his corrupt Prince Regent in Rome; they
briefly spoke of Marcellus' earlier promise to marry her when she
was older, and Marcellus jested about it: (Marcellus: "Do
you intend to hold me to it, Diana?" Diana: "I might")
- in the slave market, Marcellus was intending to
purchase a pair of Macedonian twins, but he was deliberately outbid
by Caligula's henchman tribune Quintus (Frank Pulaski); during
a second round of competitive bidding for defiant Greek slave Demetrius
(Victor Mature) - an educated Greek and an excellent candidate
for a servant or gladiator, Marcellus wagered 3,000 pieces of gold
- and successfully acquired Demetrius, but also personally offended
Caligula; after the purchase, Demetrius was unchained and ordered
to voluntarily report to the house of Marcellus' father Senator
Gallio (Torin Thatcher) and to his steward/house servant, Marcipor
(David Leonard)
- Senator Gallo was a highly-respected Roman representative trying to reinstate
the Republic in Rome and oppose Caligula - he felt threatened that
Marcellus was undermining his work: ("Are
you deliberately trying to cut the ground from under my feet, or
just too much of a fool to understand what you've done?...I lead
the Senators who oppose him, and my son makes fun of him at private
banquets, and now humiliates him in public. I'm fighting for what's
left of the Republic against the growing tyranny of the emperors....you
cripple me, make my fight look like a personal quarrel")
- the angered, tyrannical Caligula, in an
immediately-spiteful and vengeful decision that evening (and to
remove Marcellus from romantic competition), reassigned Marcellus
with a military transfer to Jerusalem (in Palestine) with a written
message: "The courage of a military tribune must not be squandered in the baths
and banquet halls of Rome. You are ordered to the garrison at Jerusalem.
You will sail tonight on the Palestine galley"; Marcellus
regarded the punishment, to serve in a dangerous garrison in Jerusalem,
as a death sentence: "Palestine.
The worst pest-hole in the empire. A stiff-necked, riotous people
always on the verge of rebellion. Our legions there are the scum
of the army, the officers little better than the men. Disease takes
them off like flies. Some have been assassinated, sometimes by
their own men. Others have spared the assassins the trouble. What
Caligula hopes he has given you is your death sentence"
- as Marcellus prepared to depart, his father
offered wise words of advice as a goodbye gesture: "Try
to endure it, Marcellus. Grow hard. Watch the hand of the man who
walks behind you. Drink in private and sleep with your sword at
your side. Take nothing on faith. Bind yourself to no man. Above
all, be a Roman, my son, and be a man of honor"
- before Marcellus cast off on the galley ship
at the dock, Diana arrived in an emotional farewell scene; she
pledged her love to Marcellus: "I think Caligula treated you
unjustly...It was partly my fault what happened... I've found you
again, and I don't want to lose you. Perhaps you don't believe
that a girl of 11 could fall in love and stay in love all these
years" - she began to cry, fell into his arms and they kissed; she was planning
to intercede on his behalf with the Emperor Tiberius in Capri;
returning her feelings (to her surprise), Marcellus instructed
her: "Make
Tiberius promise not to give you to Caligula until I come back"
Diana's Emotional Goodbye to Marcellus at the Galley
Dock
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A Fervent Kiss and Embrace
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- after their banishment when Marcellus
(with Demetrius) arrived into Jerusalem, he rode on a white horse
accompanied by centurion Paulus (Jeff Morrow); Paulus observed
that it was the Jewish feast time of Passover when soothsayers
spoke of a coming Messiah: ("King. Savior. Redeemer. Son of their god - and general trouble-maker");
it happened to be the same day as Jesus' triumphant Palm Sunday
entry riding on a white donkey while surrounded by devotees, who
believed he was the Messiah; an awe-struck Demetrius gazed upon
Jesus as he passed by and was deeply moved - ready to follow him:
("He looked into my eyes....I thought he was going to speak but he didn't.
Only his eyes spoke....I think he wants me to follow him")
- the self-indulgent Marcellus learned that Jesus,
the very popular Messiah figure (regarded by officials as a "fanatic"),
was ordered to be arrested by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate
(Richard Boone) for "preaching, stirring up a commotion"; Marcellus was assigned by Pilate
to command the Roman soldiers who were dealing with the threat
of Jesus in their midst; to arrest Jesus quietly in order to avoid
trouble, Paulus was given "eight gold pieces and some silver" by
Marcellus to be used as a bribe money for anyone who would betray
his location at night
- overhearing their conversation, Demetrius rushed
out and vainly sought to locate Jesus: ("the carpenter from
Galilee") in Jerusalem and warn him, but learned too late from a man in the
street that Jesus had already been arrested after being betrayed:
("He was betrayed to them, and by one he loved and trusted.
By his disciple, who sat at his left hand"); Demetrius was
told why the betrayal occurred - it was due to someone too weak
to believe in him: "Because
men are weak. Because they are cursed with envy and cowardice.
Because they can dream of truth, but cannot live with it, they
doubt. They doubt, the fools. Why must men betray themselves with
doubts? Tell them, the others. Find them and tell them not to doubt.
Even now, not to doubt. Tell them to keep their faith. They must
keep faith"
- and then Demetrius learned the betrayer's name:
Judas! - lightning ominously struck and thunder roared
- afterwards, Demetrius pleaded with Marcellus to
save Jesus and defend him: ("Intercede for him. Make them see that
he's innocent"), but he had already been "condemned" by Pilate
himself, and sentenced to be crucified; Marcellus did not want
to interfere with the law: ("Pilate's the governor, the Roman governor.
He's decided, and as far as I'm concerned, that ends the matter");
Marcellus added: "For your own good, you'd better forget you ever
saw this man"
- the troubled Pilate washed his hands and then spoke
to Marcellus about 'special orders' to report to the Emperor at
Capri, but before he left, he assigned him to supervise the execution
of "three criminals" - one of them being Jesus; Pilate
cautioned: "There may be some trouble, some attempt to interfere";
Pilate absentedly-mindedly asked to wash his hands a second time;
Paulus also teased Marcellus: "Your first crucifixion, isn't it?...What? Never driven nails
into a man's flesh?"
- during Jesus' march to his crucifixion on Calvary
carrying his own heavy wooden cross, he fell and Demetrius intervened
to stop a whipping from one of the guards, and was knocked
unconscious; later after being revived during an unusually dark
day, he stared up from below the cross and
witnessed Jesus dying - and became grief-stricken
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Demetrius Below the Cross - Picking Up Discarded Robe
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- as the crucifixion was concluding, Demetrius was
ordered by Paulus to bring Jesus' discarded home-spun cloth dark
red Robe (at the foot of the cross) to a group of Roman soldiers
who were gambling with dice nearby; a drunken Marcellus won Jesus'
garment and was congratulated by Paulus: ("Tribune Gallio's first
battle trophy, for victory over the king of the Jews"); at that
exact moment, fierce winds blew and thunder and lightning struck;
Marcellus was gripped with fear when he touched the cross and some
of Jesus' blood got on his hands; he looked up and heard Jesus'
final prayer: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do"
Marcellus' Fear
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Blood on His Hands
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Marcellus Overhearing Jesus' Words
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- after the crucifixion as they walked back into
town, Marcellus and Demetrius were caught in a rainstorm, and Demetrius
was ordered to protectively cover his master with the robe: ("Throw
that cloth over me"); but then, the guilt-stricken Marcellus
instantly reacted in agony and yelled out: "Take it off";
Demetrius grabbed the robe and dramatically cursed Marcellus and
the Romans as murderers before running away with the robe: "You
crucified him. You, my master. But you've freed me. I'll never
serve you again, you Roman pig. Masters of the world, you call
yourselves. Thieves. Murderers. Jungle animals. A curse on you.
A curse on your empire"
- on a galley ship bound for Capri, Marcellus experienced
worrisome nightmares of nails piercing Jesus' palms; once in Capri,
he admitted to Diana: "I am ill, as you guessed. But in my
mind. The truth is, I'm mad"; upon receiving a recommendation
from a soothsayer Dodinius (Francis Pierlot): ("The clue to
this man's sanity is...in the robe that bewitched him....Plainly,
there was a curse on the robe. His only chance is to find it and
destroy it"), Tiberius ordered Marcellus - with an imperial commission - to investigate
a religious sect (of Christians) back in Palestine; in his quest,
he was compelled to search out the robe (in the hands of his runaway
slave Demetrius) and destroy it; Marcellus was ordered to
learn the names of all the suspicious disciples-followers of the
martyred "dead magician" (Jesus);
Tiberius reluctantly granted Diana's wish to marry Marcellus,
although still thought of him as a "madman"
- back in the land of Galilee in Palestine, now on
an imperial mission to find the robe, Marcellus disguised himself
as a Roman homespun cloth merchant, traveling through country villages;
in Cana, he spoke to an honorable and quiet village elder Justus
(Dean Jagger), a weaver, who also led the loving Christian community
there; Marcellus was intrigued that Justus had associated with
Jesus (who grew up in nearby Nazareth) and knew of his many miracles
(Jesus had even cured Justus' own crippled grandson Jonathan)
- that evening, Marcellus listened to a singer named
Miriam (Betta St. John), another paralytic who was cured by Jesus
of depression and bitter self-hatred, who sang to an assembled
group of Christians about Jesus' resurrection (and the empty tomb)
- in Justus' humble house during dinner, Marcellus
vehemently denied the people's belief that Jesus had been resurrected:
("Surely you don't believe that he rose from the dead?...He's
dead. And no moonstruck girl can sing him back to life again");
he also made a shocking confession - he claimed he knew a first-hand
witness to Jesus' death and burial - "a soldier who saw the
lance thrust into his side, a soldier who was - who was out there!...Were
you out there?!" - he was obviously speaking for himself
Cana Village Elder Justus (Dean Jagger)
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Miriam (Betta St. John) - Singing
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Marcellus' Disturbing Confession to Justus About
A Witness to Jesus' Death: "A soldier...who was out there!"
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- the next day, after speaking to the kind-hearted
Miriam, Marcellus was informed that his real identity as a Roman
had quickly become known to all of the villagers (as "the
man who crucified him...his murderer"); she spoke of Jesus'
love and hope: "He was no sorcerer, Marcellus. He cast
no spells. He only asked two things of us: 'Love God', he said,
and 'Love ye one another'. And he meant not only the Jews, but
the Romans and Greeks, the slaves and soldiers, the strong and
the weak, everyone. He asked us to build our lives on this love,
this charity. To build a new world"; Marcellus disagreed: "Worlds
are built on force, not charity. Power is all that counts"
- news came of the arrival
in town of Jesus' disciple Simon the Galilean (Michael Rennie)
(called Peter, and known as "The Big Fisherman") - with a Greek companion
- Marcellus confronted his slave Demetrius at Shalum's Inn; there, Marcellus
demanded that Demetrius burn the robe to end its spell on him,
but the Greek replied - in a heartfelt speech - that the robe didn't
need to be feared; he asserted that Marcellus had become 'mad'
because of his own guilty conscience and not because of the robe: "Why
are you afraid of it? I'm not. It brings me close to the one who
wore it....You're afraid, but you don't really know the reason why.
You think it's his robe that made you ill. But it's your own conscience,
your own decent shame. Even when you crucified him, you felt it.
The spell isn't in his robe, it's in you - your heart and your mind.
Face it, Marcellus. Don't be afraid of him. He'd understand you.
He had compassion for all men. Marcellus. It was for your sake that
he died. For the sake of all of us"
- after unintentionally touching the robe,
Marcellus expressed his loss of fear and relief that it couldn't
harm him, as he pulled the robe closer to him: "I'm not afraid";
Demetrius was reassuring: "Until now, you only remembered what you did to a man. The wrong, and your
shame. But now you remember the man"
- in the village square, Demetrius introduced Marcellus
to Peter, and then as Justus began to preach to the people, they
were interrupted by an attack from a battalion of Roman soldiers
led by Paulus (to "clean out a nest of traitors");
Justus was killed by an arrow shot into his chest
- after Marcellus commanded the Romans to stop, Marcellus
was informed by Paulus that Roman leadership had changed and his
Imperial commission from Tiberius was no longer valid: "Tiberius
is dead. Caligula is emperor"; when Marcellus disagreed: ("Have
you new orders from Caligula?"), Paulus challenged him: ("Make
me obey, Tribune!") to settle their argument with a sword duel - and although Marcellus
was the victor after disarming Paulus, he refrained from killing
him and instead hurled his sword into a tree; now defeated, Paulus'
forces were ordered to withdraw by Marcellus: "You may give
that order now, Centurion!"
Alongside Simon-Peter, Justus Was Struck by Arrow
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Sword Duel: Paulus vs. Marcellus
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Marcellus' Sword Hurled Into Tree
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- when Marcellus was asked by Peter to become a missionary
and join the "movement", the guilt-ridden tribune admitted: "I
crucified him"; Peter also admitted his own thrice-denial
of Jesus, and then added: "He forgave you from the cross";
henceforth, Marcellus decided to pledge his life to serve Jesus
and agreed on the journey: ("From this day on, I'm enlisted in his service. I offer him my sword,
my fortune and my life. And this I pledge you on my honor as a
Roman")
- a year later in Rome, Caligula summoned Diana from
Senator Gallio's home where she had been in retreat for the intervening
time; to her shock, Diana was informed that Marcellus, who had
been secretly hiding in Rome, had become a member of the Christian
"sect" of fanatics ("one of the ringleaders")
- and therefore was a "traitor and a conspirator against the
state"; disbelieving what she had been told, Diana was taken
to the palace armory guard room where a captive Demetrius was being
tortured in the dungeon to divulge Marcellus' whereabouts; after
receiving confirmation about Marcellus, Diana fled from Caligula's
presence
- in the Gallio house, the
servant Marcipor (who had also admitted to being another Christian
("one of them")), led Diana
to Marcellus' hiding place in the underground Roman catacombs with
other Christians for a joyful reunion; Marcellus showed her the
homespun robe and told her about its power of conversion: ("It
changed my life. In time, it will change the world")
- although she pledged her love for him, Diana was skeptical about his "story"
and his risky plan to rescue Demetrius: "Marcellus, what
you've told me is a beautiful story, but it isn't true. Justice
and charity. Men will never accept such a philosophy. The world
isn't like that. It never has been, and it never will be. Why must
you throw your life away for a slave?"; nonetheless, she stood
behind his rescue plan, and his belief in God: "If your
God means that much to you, I won't stand in your way. I want to
be your wife whatever you believe. I'd marry you if I had to share
you with a thousand gods"
- after a successful nighttime rescue of the almost-dead
Demetrius, he was brought to the Gallio home where Peter miraculously
revived him, although the disbelieving, attending Roman physician
Marius (Thomas Browne Henry) thought "sorcery" was being
practiced
- Marcellus' father Senator
Gallio was relieved that his son Marcellus was alive, but renounced
and disowned Marcellus due to his religious conversion:
"You have chosen to make yourself an enemy of Rome. From this
night on, I have no son"
- during Demetrius' attempted return to the catacombs
with Marcellus, the two were pursued by Roman soldiers; Marcellus
stayed behind and voluntarily surrendered in a gesture of self-sacrifice
so that Demetrius could escape
- during Marcellus' imprisonment
before a trial, Diana visited him in his cell - she pleaded
with him: ("Don't defy Caligula"), and did not understand his willingness to
die in the name of his faith in Jesus: "My faith in what you told me isn't strong enough. If you
die, I'll believe that you died for nothing"
- Marcellus was put on trial for the offense of treason
before the tyrannical Caligula and various Senators, to be proven
guilty for being a "seditionist" and committing conspiratorial
treason; Diana was forced to sit next to Caligula during
the dramatic testimony; Marcellus confessed that he was a Christian,
but denied that he and the Christians were plotting to overthrow
the state: ("It is true that I am a Christian. It is not true
that those of us who follow the teachings of Jesus are engaged
in any plot against the state"); Marcellus offered Christianity
to Caligula by handing him the robe, but Caligula rejected it as "bewitched"
sorcery and scoffed at Marcellus' attempt to convert him
- Marcellus eloquently defended his 'King' - and kingdom
of Earth - and offered a life of peace, hope and love to Caligula:
("If the Empire desires peace and brotherhood among all men, then my
King will be on the side of Rome and her emperor. But if the Empire
and the emperor wish to pursue the course of aggression and slavery
that have brought agony and terror and despair to the world, if
there's nothing left for men to hope for but chains and hunger,
then my King will march forth to right those wrongs. Not tomorrow,
sire. Your Majesty may not be so fortunate as to witness the establishment
of his kingdom, but it will come")
- when Marcellus was given the "merciful"
opportunity to renounce his allegiance to Jesus: ("We give you
a chance to recant your treason and go free. Kneel to us and renew
your tribune's oath of loyalty to your emperor. Renounce your allegiance
to this dead Jew who dared to call himself a king") - Marcellus
refused: ("I cannot renounce him [Jesus], sire. Nor can you.
He is my king and yours as well. He is the Son of God"); Caligula
sentenced and condemned Marcellus to death for "high treason"
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Marcellus' Trial Before Caligula
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- standing next to Marcellus, the emotionally-moved
Diana chose to accept his faith and die with him as her "chosen
husband," while also powerfully denouncing the jealously-mad Caligula as a tyrant: "I
have no wish to live another hour in an empire ruled by you! You
dare to call yourself a Caesar. Once the Caesars of Rome were noble,
but in you, noble blood has turned to poison. You corrupt Rome
with your spite and malice...That you should be Caesar - vicious,
treacherous, drunk with power, an evil, insane monster posing as
emperor...As for me, I have found another king. I want to go with
my husband into his kingdom"; Caligula granted her wish: "Then,
by the gods, you shall! Go, both of you, into your kingdom!"
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Diana's Denouncement of the Emperor Caligula
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- in the concluding finale, as they walked hand-in-hand
toward their fate and execution, Caligula hysterically screamed after
them: "They're going into a better kingdom! They're going
into a better kingdom! They're going to meet their king! They're
going to meet their king!"; a repentant Senator Gallio finally
acknowledged his son as they passed by; Diana gave the robe for
safe-keeping to Marcipor before they exited the trial hall and
climbed a staircase; the background behind them was replaced by
a cloud-filled heavenly blue sky, accompanied by a celestial chorus
singing "Alleluia"
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Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton)
Diana (Jean Simmons)
Demetrius (Victor Mature) - On Auction Block
Auction Bidding War: Caligula vs. Marcellus
Senator Gallio to His Son Marcellus: "What Caligula hopes he has given
you is your death sentence"
Marcellus' Entry into Jerusalem
Demetrius Awe-Struck By the Sight of Jesus' Passing on Palm Sunday
Demetrius' Learning of Jesus' Betrayal and Arrest - Speaking to Judas!
Marcellus' Advice to Demetrius: "For your own good, you'd better forget
you ever saw this man"
The Troubled Pilate Washing His Hands
Pilate With Marcellus
Jesus Carrying Heavy Cross to His Own Crucifixion
Demetrius' Intervention During Jesus' Walk to His Death
Marcellus' Win of Jesus' Robe by Throw of Dice
Marcellus With Robe Over His Shoulders - "Take it Off!"
Demetrius' Curse Upon Rome and Marcellus
Marcellus Suffering Nightmares On Boat to Capri
In Capri, Marcellus to Diana: "The truth is, I'm mad"
Tiberius' Command to Marcellus: "Find this robe and destroy it"
Miriam's Comforting Words to Marcellus
Demetrius With the Robe - Ordered to Burn It
Marcellus Accidentally Touching the Harmless Robe and Reacting: "I'm not
afraid"
Demetrius' Reassurance: "Now, you remember the man"
Marcellus with Peter: "I'm enlisted in his service"
In Rome, Demetrius' Torture in Caligula's Dungeon
Diana's Reunion with Marcellus in Roman Catacombs
Diana: "I want to be your wife whatever you believe"
The Miraculous Revival of Demetrius by Peter
Marcellus Captured and in Jail - Visited by Diana
Stirring Finale: Walking Hand in Hand to Their Execution and Ascending
into Heaven
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