The Robe

 

The Robe is my 9th movie watched in the period drama challenge.  The Robe is a Biblical film that was released on September 16, 1953.  The budget for this epic film was $4.1 million and it grossed 36 million just in the United States.  The movie stars Richard Burton as Marcellus Gallio, Jean Simmons as Diana and Victor Mature as Demetrius.  There are some historical inaccuracies in The Robe.  This movie has the distinction of being the first movie to be shown in widescreen.  

Marcellus is the son of a prominent Roman senator who shows up at an outdoor slave auction.  At the auction Marcellus renews an old childhood friendship with a young woman named Diana.  Diana remembers that Marcellus promised to marry her when they both grew up.  Marcellus grew up to be a ladies man, but he does care for Diana.  However, Diana was promised to Caligula.
    

Diana, Caligula (played by Jay Robinson) and Marcellus Gallio.

At the slave auction, Marcellus angers Caligula by bidding against him for a slave named Demetrius.  Marcellus outbids Caligula and takes Demetrius home to be his personal servant.  Caligula is outraged.  Diana's young girl crush on Marcellus carried over into adulthood and she tries to help him.

Later on, Marcellus is ordered to carry out three crucifixions.  One of the people to be hung on a cross is Jesus of Nazareth.  Marcellus carries out the mission without really knowing anything about Jesus.  

Demetrius is very affected by the Nazarene.  He senses that there is something special about Jesus as he observed him prior to being betrayed by Judas.  Demetrius also witnessed Jesus carrying the cross to his own crucifixion and tries to help him when Roman soldiers start whipping him for falling.

  

Demetrius is in agony as he stands in front of the cross that Jesus is hanging from and he is also holding the robe that Jesus was wearing.  Demetrius knows without a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God.

After the body of Jesus expires Marcellus touches the robe and immediately is affected mentally by it.  Marcellus feels that he is now losing his mind.  As time goes by he learns more about Jesus from people who were healed by Him and from one of the disciples.   Demetrius realizes that he took part in a great injustice.

Marcellus becomes a Christian and warns Caligula that Rome must choose the way of justice and charity if it is to survive.  Caligula is incensed and sentences Marcellus to death.     

 

Diana rejects Caligula and chooses to die with Marcellus as a Christian.  

Marcellus and Diana march off to serve the Kingdom of God and to their earthly end.

Brief Encounter (1974) - Not Recommended

I streamed this version of Brief Encounter on Amazon since it is not available on Netflix.  It was released on NBC television on November 12, 1974 as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series. 

This adaption of the classic 1945 movie is awful.  For one, I found it boring because the way the story unfolded was slow moving.  I expected great performances from two of the world's greatest actors.  Richard Burton played the role of Dr. Harvey  as if he really did not want to do this movie.  Burton is also very stiff.   Sophia Loren was, I think. way too exotic looking for the role of this story.  The script was altered quite a bit I guess to accommodate the fact that Sophia Loren is an Italian actress with an Italian accent, but to me, it just did not work for this film.  Loren's true acting ability does not shine here at all.         
 

Personally, I did not detect a shred of chemistry between Richard Burton and Sophia Loren.  Unlike the 1945 classic, the two characters in this adaption did not ever seem as comfortable with one another as in they did in the original.  

The way that the story unfolds here, it was not really about falling in love through a series of innocent happenstance.  It seemed to me that after Burton removed the grit out of Loren's eyes he was seeking her out for more.  He is clearly a man who is not happy at home.  Dr. Harvey is older in this version as well and Burton not only looks much older then Loren but also tired.

I did not care for the script with the added side stories either.  Robert Shaw was originally hired to play Dr. Harvey, but he bowed out as filming was about to begin and Richard Burton stepped in at the last minute.  Perhaps that can explain his less then enthusiastic performance.  The few times that Burton spoke of his feelings for Loren's character I was not moved.  This entire production was just strange to watch and not at all riveting like the 1945 adaptation was.  Perhaps it is unfair to compare it to the original, but even if I didn't this movie just simply bored me to tears and I had to almost force myself to watch it to the end and I did want to like it.  


   

  

Becket

 

Today I watched Becket as part of my 2013 period drama challenge. I streamed it on Netflix.  Becket is not the type of movie that I usually go for, but I decided to expand my horizons a bit for the challenge and I am glad I did.  Watching this movie also made me want to learn more about Thomas Becket and I spent some time online reading up about him.  

Thomas Becket was a loyal and trusted friend of King Henry II.  King Henry was actually emotionally attached to Thomas Becket.  When the Archbishop of Canterbury died, King Henry elevated Thomas Becket to that of Priest and then the next Archbishop of Canterbury.  King Henry believed that his friend Becket would continue to put him first over the church.  On June 3, 1162, Thomas Becket was consecrated as Archbishop and took his new position very seriously.   Becket now gave his allegiance to God first over King Henry.

  

King Henry II is played by Peter O'Toole and Thomas Becket is played by Richard Burton.  Both actors are brilliant in their roles.

 

In the movie King Henry and Thomas Becket has such different personalities.  Henry has no respect for life, does not value women at all, happily cheats on his wife and cannot stand his own children.  Becket is kind, has a sense of decency and understands the suffering of men.  I wondered how the two became such good friends.  Peter O'Toole does a great job making sure that you can't stand Henry.  Richard Burton brings a nobleness to the character of Thomas Becket.  

King Henry II standing in the crypt next to Becket's tomb.
 

Becket was originally released on March 11, 1964 and cost 3 million dollars to produce.  Looking at this movie today there isn't anything extraordinary about it, however, thinking back to when it was made you can easily understand why it was considered a grand production at that time. 

  The real Thomas Becket