MovieChat Forums > The Robe (1953) Discussion > Flogging scene

Flogging scene

posted 19 years ago by Shazbut
5 replies | jump to latest

When I was a little kid, I caught a glimpse of this film on TV and seem to remember a scene where somebody was getting whipped really badly. They had deep cuts all over their body and they seemed to be slipping out of consciousness. My memory has probably blown a very tame scene out of all proportion, but for some reason I've always had a horrible disgust and fear of being whipped, and I had nightmares for weeks. I'm still worried about ever seeing 'The Robe' despite being a 20yr old guy who lists Battle Royale as one of his favourite movies

Is there a flogging scene in this film? Can anyone tell me what it's like?

[–] krp-7 18 years ago

I think that you are refering to the scene where the slave Dimitrius is being whipped and racked (which is real torture, not the fraternity pranks that liberals bitch about in Iraq) and questioned over the whereabouts of Marcelus. He is beaten to within an inch of his life and nearly dies.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cwente2 18 years ago

"Bravely spoken." -- Sheik Ilderim ("Ben-Hur")

[–] dinky-4 16 years ago

A nearly-naked Demetrius being "interrogated" by the Romans while spreadeagled face-up on a table is one of the great torture scenes of the 1950s, but I don't think he's being racked -- which implies stretching. I think he's being pressed, as a wooden plank is tightened down over his mid-section. A Roman soldier does give his chest a quick lash but the whipping is incidental to the pressing. (What makes this scene is the fact that Demetrius' legs are spread wide apart, which makes him seem both more vulnerable and more sexual.)

[–] shulma2002 15 years ago

Except for the scene where Jesus is briefly whipped when he drinks water from the cup of Demetrius, the only whipping scene was the 1 you guys described with Demetrius spread eagle on the rack. It was a shocking scene back then in 1953 and could be upsetting to kids.