Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

mark.waltz The curse of being at the cross and the memory of being responsible for the death of the savior of humanity has haunted Roman soldier Richard Burton to the threat of losing his sanity. Under emperors Tiberius and Caligula, Burton has been assigned the task of exposing his followers. With the aide of the followers of that cult religion, Christianity, he finds a new moral code that outshines the love of any emperor or even his own people.It is thanks to his slave, Demetrius (the rugged Victor Mature), as well as the lovely Roman lady of good background, Diana (a gorgeous Jean Simmons) that he finds his life following a new course, aided by encounters with two men who knew the immortal Jesus very well. A brief encounter with a guilt ridden Judas and meetings with Simon Peter aide Burton on his own road to salvation, bit with the mad emperor Caligula (an over the top Jay Robinson) on his trail, the only ways out are either denial of his new found faith or crucifixion.Beautifully made version of Lloyd Douglas's best selling novel, this was the very first of the wide screen epics, and it stands the test of time. Messages within the movie are so prevalent today with anti-Christian sentiment spreading across the globe.A great musical score, impressive sets, costumes and photography, this is just as much a Roman history lesson just as it is a valentine to basic Christian values often forgotten by practicing Christians. Even though he is only briefly heard and never shown in a facial close-up, Jesus remains a vital character. My only issues are the outrageous performance by Robinson as Caligula and the historically inaccurate portrayal of Tiberius, here essayed as a basically decent man by veteran character actor Ernest Theigeser. Other than that, I highly recommend it for spreading the important message of humanity and hope.

rooak This poorly directed, woodenly acted, cliché-scripted, musically over-scored film was worth at least four stars simply for the over the top performance of Jay Robinson as Caligula. He minced, posed and sneered magnificently! Clearly an inspiration for Dr Evil, and for the Romans in The Life of Brian (I was waiting for him to say, "Welease Woger!") The colour was often pretty great too, and had the feel of religious paintings.It's a pity that this overly sentimental movie couldn't decide what it wanted to be: love story, religious inspiration, historical epic, or camp comedy! Poor directing and poor scripting really didn't give the actors much opportunity.I did finish with a sense of gladness that the mini-toga has not resurfaced as a fashion item. Victor Mature looked decidedly uncomfortable in his.

donwc1996 I saw this film at its premiere in Tucson in 1953 on the new Cinemascope screen and was utterly enthralled. Fifty some years later the film is an absolute disaster! The script just stinks period. They took one of the best selling books of all time and gave a Reader's Digest version of the story with characters that have absolutely no basis in reality - they come across purely as cardboard. There is no character development at all. What the writers did was take the most important plot points from the book and put them into a script without any idea of how they related to one another and what would motivate them to begin with. The result is a confusing mish-mash that leaves the viewer in a constant state of ignorance that is really annoying and forced me to give up on the film after an hour of utter torture.

ianlouisiana ......dipped 'O' level Latin as a result and never got to university as in 1953 you needed 'O' level Latin or Greek to get accepted in even the the most modest Redbrick.My Divinity master was not placated when I offered slipping away to the "Odeon"as an excuse for my miserable failure to get my name on the school Honours Board alongside several of my more smug chums who were not movie fans.Ah for the road not taken.... It was not,perhaps,the wisest decision I ever made.Mr R.Burton,with his pretty curls and petulant mouth was nobody's idea of a Roman Tribune.His every line full of studied pauses as befits a young man who,try as he might,never entirely shook off his classical training. Miss J.Simmons seems lost as his sweetheart Diana,never bringing any authority to her role.Mr.V.Mature with a face like one of those very expensive Japanese dogs,is hopelessly at sea as Burton's slave,but suffers stoically with very little change of expression. The movie is long and very slow,suitably reverent,but,sadly dull as dishwater. "The Robe" is the sort of epic that gave epics a bad name.Leaving religious sensibilities aside the sub - plots are not exactly riveting and the actors seem overawed by the subject matter.Nobody looks even remotely natural wearing their costumes which all scream "Hollywood wardrobe dept."at you from their first appearance. I was disappointed in 1953 and I hated Latin so I daresay I would have skipped it anyway to listen to the Test Match on the school wireless,but then the Games Master wouldn't have been happy and he was not the sort of bloke you'd want to upset unless you wanted to do 100 sit - ups.I'd sooner have missed University I reckon.