Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton) is a Roman Tribune sent to Jerusalem by his rival, Caligula (Jay Robinson), after Marcellus drives up the bids at a slave auction. He arrives in the ancient city during Passover and the citizens are excited about the arrival of Jesus (Donald C. Klune, voiced by Cameron Mitchell). After being briefed by the other Roman soldiers, Marcellus is put to work in the crucifixion of Jesus and later wins his robes in a game of dice. On his return trip to Rome, the guilt of killing an innocent man drives Marcellus to the point of insanity and eventual conversion furthering the feud between him and Caligula, the recently named Emperor of Rome. 

The Robe is a 1953 biblical epic from Twentieth Century Fox directed by Henry Koster. It is notable for being the first film released in CinemaScope, a widescreen format that ushered in a new era of spectacle filmmaking. The larger frames, coupled with vibrant Technicolor make good on the promise on the one sheet: “The Modern Miracle You See Without Glasses!” Running 135 minutes, the script was based off of Lloyd C. Douglas’ novel of the same name by Philip Dune, Gina Kaus, and originally uncredited due to being backlisted, Albert Maltz. With shades of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Robe, while not quite reaching the heights of other biblical epics like Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) or William Wyler’s Ben-Hur (1959), its influence on the industry is undeniable.  

In the lead, Burton gives a very solid performance, though it does teeter into some moments of melodrama especially when viewed through a modern lens. His character goes through a very unique arc, and by framing it around the crucifixion but not being a direct story from the Bible, it has a lot of freedom to explore the human ramifications of the crucifixion. The film has a very clear Catholic understanding of Christ, but regardless of denomination of the audience, The Robe focuses on the guilty conscience of a man who aided in the execution of an innocent; a story of which all can understand and empathize. Marcellus’ descent is reminiscent of Macbeth’s fall into madness complete with blood on his hands and ghosts which haunt his vision. While the visions are fleeting, they feel like the effects perfected by the German Expressionists who often likes to dabble in the darker corners of the mind and there are many moments of true horror in The Robe.  

As a foil to Marcellus is Demetrius (Victor Mature), a strong-willed slave sold at auction to be lion bait until Marcellus out-and-overbids 3000 gold pieces on the man taking him away from Caligula. Demetrius is a largely silent role who is drawn to Christ and feels deeply disturbed at his crucifixion. His moment to shine is a lashing out at Marcellus when they return to town from Golgotha and wakes Marcellus up to the gravity of his actions, even if he was executing an order, that there is still a responsibility he must take. While at once sending his master into the downward spiral, as the saying goes it is always darkest before the dawn, and without Demetrius, Marcellus would never have that change of heart which is the driving arc of the latter half of the film that makes for a very engaging character study. 

The Robe is truly a unique work within the genre of these religious leaning swords and sandals epics. It is a culmination of all the filmmaking techniques which came before it and blown up to an impressive widescreen. The bold bright colors fill each and every frame and as always, the physical nature of the sets give the film a timeless look that still holds up. With a sprawling script, The Robe offers a unique take on a biblical story while also showcasing all the magic that cinema can provide. It may not have the same front of mind recognition as other similar films to come out of Hollywood in this era of epics, but it is a formative work that pushed the limits of the medium forward and without it, we simply would not have spectacle filmmaking as we know it today.