DEMETRIOUS & THE GLADIATORS

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: adultery, thematic elements

Rated:

Many years ago, actor Jay Robinson wrote a biography of his life that covered his fascination with drugs and the inner demons he faced following his depiction of Caligula in The Robe and Demetrius and the Gladiators. It was his belief that he had been tormented by the same supernatural forces that drove Caligula to madness. After watching this film, I believe him.

With Marcellus and Diana martyred for their faith, the Roman followers of the Messiah fear for their lives beneath the violent retribution of the deranged Emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson). Convinced the robe that "bewitched" his friends has supernatural powers, he demands it be brought to him. His soldiers are sent out to search known Christian communities and harm anyone who resists. The robe lies in the capable hands of Demetrius (Victor Mature), who just happens to be present when the centurions march in. The woman he loves risks her life in order to create a distraction so it might be hidden, but Demetrius strikes a Roman soldier and is arrested. Because of his physical strength and aggression, his captors decide he will be put to use as a Gladiator. But murder goes against his convictions, and he refuses to fight.

This reluctance draws the attention of Messalina (Susan Heyward), the bored wife of the seemingly simple-minded Claudius (Barry Jones). Fascinated with Demetrius' strong convictions, she does everything in her power to test his notions of morality. What unfolds is a fairly intelligent film that makes you care enough about the characters that you are frustrated when they make the wrong decisions. In many respects it is not the great spiritual epic that The Robe was, because it depicts a man turning his back on faith for a time before being drawn back into it. The garment itself has no powers beyond those of remembrance, yet it serves a purpose in maintaining the underlining message, that even if you turn your back on God, He will not turn his back on you.

Production values are quite grand and the camera loves to linger on the impressive sets and costuming, often at the expense of a lack of close-ups on the actors. The female hairstyles are also noticeably 1960's in design, which made me cringe on more than one occasion, and is expected from that era of film making, there are a lot of slower moving moments that lack true emotional impact. The acting is somewhat stiff on a few occasions, the one exception being Robinson, who so dominates the screen that I literally got goose bumps while watching him. Even his physical presence is different from The Robe, as though something is manifesting itself through his portrayal of Caligula. This adds a genuine creepiness, particularly if you know about his semi-insanity in the years that followed this role. That being said, it was a good movie and I did enjoy it, but I doubt I will watch it over and over again as I have done many other epics in the genre.

Because censorship was still in place at the time, the screenplay is not allowed to be overly graphic in its depictions either of the immoral lifestyle of the Romans or in the blood-soaked arena. There are numerous gladiator fights in which men are killed, but none of it is gruesome or even particularly graphic. The worst of it was when three tigers were let into the arena, and Demetrius kills them all, one at a time. I did not like that scene, just as I did not like it in Gladiator. Even though there is no sexual content, there is a heavy emphasis on sensuality through implications and dialogue. 

Messalina clearly lusts after Demetrius and tries to tempt him on numerous occasions into being with her. After temporarily losing his faith, we learn Demetrius has been living with her for three months in Capri. Caligula warns Claudius not to leave his wife alone at night, because not all men in the palace are trustworthy. More disturbing is the scene where a Christian girl is attacked by a half dozen gladiators, who proceed to manhandle her. The intention is clearly rape but nothing is shown, and she falls unconscious before she can be more than kissed. It was surprisingly blatant for the rating codes of the time, and will probably be the most emotionally difficult scene in the film for most audiences. You should not look to the film as a history lesson, for it takes a great many liberties for the sake of storytelling, but if the time period is your proverbial cup of tea, it's an entertaining and sometimes even touching way to spend two hours.