Hot Picks
|
|
|
La Guerra di Troia
The Trojan War
La Guerre de Troie / Kampf um Troja / The Trojan Horse / The Wooden Horse of Troy
Italy/France 1961
produced by Giampaolo Bigazzi for Europa Cinematografica, Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique (= CICC), les Films Modernes, Lovcen Films
directed by Giorgio Ferroni
starring Steve Reeves, Juliette Mayniel, John Drew Barrymore, Arturo Dominici, Edy Vessel, Nando Tamberlani, Warner Bentivegna, Nerio Bernardi, Lidia Alfonsi, Luciana Angiolillo, Carlo Tamberlani, Mimmo Palmara, Andrej Gardenin, Giancarlo Bastianoni, Giovanni Cianfriglia, Luigi Ciavarro, Giulio Maculani, Nello Pazzafini
written by Giorgio Ferroni, Ugo Liberatore, Giorgio Stegani, Federico Zardi, based on the epic Iliad by Homer, music by Mario Ammonini, Giovanni Fusco
Aeneas, Ulysses
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
|
|
|
Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Because Paris of Troy (Warner Bentivegna) has stolen Helena (Edy
Vessel) from her husband Menelaos (Nando Tamberlani), the Greek army led
by king Agamemnon (Nerio Bernardi) and the hero Achilles (Arturo Dominici)
besiege Troy, a siege that has now lasted for ten years - not only because
Troy is virtually inconquerable, but also because the city has its own
hero, Aeneas (Steve Reeves), known for his many incredible feats. But
Aeneas is opposed to the policy of Paris, and Paris doesn't like Aeneas'
righteousness ... Eventually, a truce can be brokered between the
Trojans and the Greek, and Aeneas uses that opportunity to get troops from
neighbouring regions to fight the Greeks, while treacherous Paris hands
over Creusa (Juliette Mayniel), Aeneas' wife and his own sister, to the
Greek as hostage. But why did the Greek agree to the truce in the first
place? Because their military advisor Ulysses (John Drew Barrymore) had
an idea to build a giant horse. You see, when Aeneas returns with a fresh
army, he has no problems chasing the Greeks off into the sea, and kill
Achilles and Greek strongman Ajax (Mimmo Palmara) in the process - as well
as freeing Creusa of course. But the Greek left behind the giant wooden
horse, supposedly as an offering to the gods, and proudly, Paris, who
thinks he has won the war, has the horse dragged into the city, not
knowing that it is filled with Greek heroes who emerge from it at nightto
open the doors for the Greek army that is finally able to overrun Troy and
set it ablaze. Only Aeneas, his newborn son and a handful of righteous
Trojans manage to flee - and eventually make it to Italy in the sequel, The
Last Glory of Troy ... Competently made
sword-and-sandal epic made on a budget that by and large does justice to
the demands of the story, featuring nice sets, costumes and large armies
of extras to bring its plot across. Also, telling the story from the
Trojan point of view (with Ulysses coming across as a scheming baddie for
a change) is a rather original approach. That all cannot hide the fact
though that the whole thing is too long for the story it's telling, pretty
boring at times, and - original approach or not - full of clichés a bit
too well-known from other Italian sword-and-sandal movies (or peplums, if
you may). Still, the film is totally watchable, and there are a lot
worse peplums out there (but also a lot better or funnier ones).
|