Good morning!
My friend John and I are doing an early lunch so my time on-line this morning may be brief. Beautiful day here, and I'm looking forward to being out in the fresh air and sunshine for part of the day. May be out more than I expect if those Blu-rays I want (THE ROBE, QVO VADIS) don't arrive today.
"The Robe" had me blown away last night. I've never seen it like this. The richness in detail is exhilarating. The score sounds incredible, especially on Audio Channel 6 (isolated). It's long been one of my top 5 favorite scores and Fox Home Entertainment served the film and the soundtrack very well with this massive restoration.
I noted for the first time in all my many viewings of the film that the photography is quite special -- master cinematographer Leon Shamroy did some incredible work during his career, but most folks know him as the man behind those special filters for "South Pacific". His work on many films, including "Cleopatra", is exquisite. Here, working with a brand new medium, you can see the extraordinary efforts Shamroy went to in order to "properly light" his shots, especially those where the only light sources were oil lamps or torches. When Marcellus bursts into the room in Cana where he learns Demetrius is staying, the light streaming in through the window -- the light by which Demetrius was reading -- is absolutely poetic.
"The Robe" is seldom, if ever, cited for the absolutely clever and innovative composition of images in shots through the film, but director Henry Koster FILLED his screen with highly dramatic placements of people. Some of the shots are staggeringly beautiful. The "Palm Sunday" sequence as Marcellus rides toward Jerusalem is stunning. As the procession passes Demetrius, there is this TRUE sense that Jesus is off camera and "behind us" as we look at Demetrius watching him pass. Add to that the wonderful scoring and it's an extraordinary cinematic moment. And this film is FILLED with extraordinary moments -- Marcellus' entry into the slave market, Diana's farewell to Marcellus at the docks in Ostia, the sequence where Demetrius seeks out Jesus in order to warn him of what the Romans are doing and his conversation with Judas (an unbilled Michael Ansara), the entire Crucifixion sequence (and it's extremely moving), Marcellus' madness, the arrival at Capri (stunning shot), the rescue of Demetrius, the chase and the final confrontation with Caligula in the palace are all extremely memorable and satisfying. I can think of NO CinemaScope film that used the process more dramatically or more satisfyingly (contrast it with MGM's "It's Always Fair Weather" where folks often seem lost in cavernous spaces).
Performances in this film are NOT -- repeat NOT -- under the radar, despite the common pap you read time and time again. Burton is wonderful as Marcellus, Jean Simmons is exquisite as Diana, and Victor Mature is a revelation as Demetrius. In fact, Mature probably turns in the best performance of his career in one of the better performances in this film. Not to be left out is Jay Robinson whose Caligula is one of the finest screen creations I've seen.
I have no idea what the Standard DVD of this film looks like, but I can tell you that in Blu-ray, it's heartbreakingly beautiful.
I was disappointed, however, in the special features section of publicity materials. I was hoping to see press materials, posters, lobby cards and stills unknown to me. Instead, I see a rather beat-up copy of the souvenir program (I have two in my collection in far better condition), a few lobby cards from the 1963 reissue set (I have that set, plus 80% of the original lobby set), NO stills from the color front-of-the-house (8 X 10) variety (I have a mint set of these) and nothing but a few black and white samples from the campaign/pressbook (I have a complete pressbook with color stills throughout). I did see one poster I'd never seen, but I have tons more stuff in my meager collection than was offered. There were, in one section, some wonderful color portraits I've never seen, including one of Caligula and some posed shots of other actors in the cast.
I have to say that on the basis of the smiley-boxed "How the West Was Won" and this issue of "The Robe", my investment in Blu-ray has been MORE than worth it!
