Growing up I was exposed to many classic movies so much so that I used to tell my parents that they grew up in the “Black & White Days.” Actually, I was aging them because technically they grew up in the “Technicolor Days.” But you get the point. Since I grew up watching these movies, I learned to blindly accept certain storylines (maybe even some overacting) because these are the classics. Like, why wouldn’t there be pod people who are made to our likeness and replace us when we fall asleep (Invasion of Body Snatchers). It is not unusual for a little girl to befriend and raise a Ginormous gorilla that is fairly well-behaved and understands English. (Mighty Joe Young). Even though I may blindly accept these movies for what they are, I realize that others may not. I learned this lesson when I was describing the movie, The Robe, to a friend of mine who never heard of the film or the novel prior to my conversation with her.
I was reminiscing with this friend about how growing up TV networks would bombard us with films based on (or inspired by) the Bible, especially this time of the year. Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Samson & Delilah – the list goes on. One that I always looked forward to watching every year was The Robe starring a very young Richard Burton. It’s been many years but I decided to watch it again on Netflix Instant. So, I was explaining to my friend that after watching it again I realize now that the movie has kind of a thriller vibe to it. I gave her the short summary, which goes like this…
“A Roman soldier pisses Caligula off. He is sent to Jerusalem and is one of the soldiers who crucifies Jesus. While Jesus is suffering on the cross, the soldiers are gambling and the Roman soldier wins Jesus’ robe in a dice game. But when he puts it on he suffers intense pain. After that, he is haunted by the crucifixion to the point where the Roman emperor and his doctors believe the robe has bewitched the soldier. They tell him that he has to find The Robe and destroy it in order to reverse the curse. The soldier must now find his ex-slave who took the Robe and ran away to follow Jesus’ disciples. The soldier eventually finds the Robe which then helps him find God…”
At this point, I stop to say that there is still an hour left in the movie. Needless to say my friend was dumbfounded. Let’s face it when you think of films inspired by the Bible one about a cursed robe would never in million years cross your mind. I tried to convince her that the movie was really good by telling her it won the Golden Globe in 1953 but it didn’t work. Finally, I knew I completely lost her when I told her there is also a sequel (Demetrius and the Gladiators – I never saw it). In the end, I couldn’t help but laugh with her too. When you actually break it down (a cursed Robe that must be destroyed, a sequel) – it sounds like a Wes Craven movie.
But despite my friend’s laughter, I still enjoy this movie. I must not have been the only one who feels this way because in 1953 it was the number two box-office hit. Compared to other movies in the genre, this is truly a unique storyline, which is based on the novel by Llyod C. Douglas. Naturally, the robe was not cursed. The soldier’s journey to find it actually introduces him to Christianity and soon he is able to hold it without feeling tortured. Even if Biblical epics are not your thing, this one does have a dark element to it, which makes it more interesting than others. The first hour of the movie has a few chilling scenes that grab you. One that comes to mind is when Richard Burton is traveling back to Rome. While he sleeps, he hears metal banging on the galley and is immediately haunted in his dreams by the memory of nailing someone to a cross. The film moves away from focusing on the robe and eventually culminates to a “trial” where he must face the Emperor for turning to Christianity (you will just have to watch to see what happens).
So, I guess the lesson learned is some classic movies are for viewing and not for describing. For all you classic movie lovers out there if you want your friends to watch an unconventional classic film – just sit them down and pop it in the DVD (or stream it) but don’t tell them anything about it.
On Prime & Instant at time of Post
Categories: Biblical Films, Dramas
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