The Robe: Special Edition

A cynical Roman centurion (Richard Burton in his starmaking role) who oversees the crucifixion of Christ has a change of heart and a change of faith after he comes into possession of Jesus' robe, which has an overwhelming “cursed” effect on him in this 1953 biblical epic—the first to be filmed in Cinemascope, a great leap of faith for Twentieth Century Fox at a time when studios were desperate to lure people away from their television sets and back into movie theaters. In the case of Henry Koster's The Robe—based on the bestselling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas—the studio's prayers were answered: the biggest box office hit of the year, the film went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, ultimately winning for its art direction and set design. Although very much out of style today with its florid dialogue and over-the-top performances, The Robe is still a significant entry in the annals of Hollywood history. Bowing on Blu-ray, the restored special edition (which is vastly superior to previous pan-and-scan VHS editions) looks splendid and boasts a bevy of extras, including an entertaining introduction by Martin Scorsese, audio commentary by film composer David Newman and a trio of film historians, several featurettes (on the “making-of,” the Cinemascope technique, and Hollywood biblical adaptations), an archival interview with screenwriter Philip Dunne, two picture-in-picture features (one a comparison of the standard and widescreen versions of the film; the other a series of featurettes on the religious aspects of the film), Fox Movietone newsreel segments, and still galleries. A strong optional purchase. (D. Liebenson)