The Robe (1953): 135mts
Directed by Henry Koster
Cast: Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Michael Rennie, Jay Robinson, Dean Jagger, Torin Thatcher Richard Boone.
Adapted from Lloyd C. Douglas’s 1942 novel, this 1950s Hollywood Bible epic tells the faith affirming story of Roman centurion Marcellus Gallio, who crucified Jesus and gradually converts to Christianity, ultimately becoming one of the early martyrs along with his lover, Diana. Marcellus, a disenchanted and drunken Roman tribune, recaptures an escaped Greek slave named Demetrius at an auction. In Rome, Demetrius reunites with his childhood sweetheart, Diana, now ward of Emperor Tiberius and betrothed to the notorious Caligula, Marcellus’s rival. Marcellus bids for Demetrius, saving him from Caligula, earning Demetrius’s loyalty. Vengeful Caligula transfers Marcellus to Jerusalem. Before departing, Marcellus promises marriage to Diana, who pledges to intercede with Tiberius. In Jerusalem, as Jesus is hailed as the Messiah and plotted against by his enemies, Demetrius becomes a devoted follower and tries to save Jesus. Despite his efforts, Jesus is condemned, and Marcellus leads the soldiers who crucify him.
Marcellus wins Jesus’s seamless garment after the crucifixion but treats it trivially, using it during a thunderstorm and experiencing severe pain. Demetrius grabs the robe, condemns Marcellus and Rome, and escapes. Haunted by nightmares and guilt, Marcellus believes the robe is cursed. Emperor Tiberius’s soothsayer confirms this, and Tiberius commissions Marcellus to destroy the robe and find Jesus’s followers, promising Diana’s hand in marriage upon completion. In Cana, Marcellus encounters Christians proclaiming the Resurrection. He meets Demetrius, experiences miraculous healing from the robe, and is converted. Marcellus joins the apostle Peter and travels to Rome under Caligula. Demetrius is captured, but Marcellus, with Diana’s help, rescues him. While fleeing, they are captured, and Marcellus surrenders to save Demetrius. Before Caligula, they refuse to renounce Jesus. Before their execution, Diana entrusts the robe to Marcipor, a secret Christian, to deliver to Peter.
Jeremiah (1998): 90 mts
Director: Harry Winer
Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Oliver Reed, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Hitcham Ibrahimi, Leonor Varela, Mohamed Majd, Vincent Regan.
This film dramatizes the life of Jeremiah, one of the most important Old Testament prophets, who lived during ancient Israel’s most crisis-ridden times. His prophetic life spans from King Josiah’s rule to the Babylonian destruction of Solomon’s Temple and Israel’s enslavement. Jeremiah, the son of Temple priest Hilkiah, is called to prophesy while young. He preaches repentance and warns Israel against idol worship, resulting in brutal persecution, but his prophecies come true. As a boy, Jeremiah visits Jerusalem, sees the sanctuary with the Ark of the Covenant, and has a vision in which an angel calls him to be God’s prophet. Though he feels that he is very young, God assures him of his calling. Jeremiah falls in love with Judith and promises to marry her. During the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s quest to conquer Jerusalem, Jeremiah performs his first priestly duties. Despite Israel’s compromise with Nebuchadnezzar and idol worship, Jeremiah’s visions demand repentance to avoid Babylonian enslavement. Ignoring his warnings, the king seeks an alliance with Egypt. Jeremiah prophesies invasion and promises divine protection if the people repent, but faces persecution from the king’s advisors and false prophets. God commands Jeremiah to remain single and sends Ezra as his scribe. Nebuchadnezzar makes Zedekiah king, who listens to but wavers on Jeremiah’s advice. Safan, the king’s adviser, plots against Jeremiah, resulting in his torture and imprisonment. Judith is murdered, and her family enslaved. Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and makes Zedekiah his vassal. After his release, Jeremiah continues his mission, predicting Jerusalem’s fall, which comes true. He also speaks of Israel’s restoration and the future arrival of God’s Kingdom, including other nations.
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