Despite being one of the late entries in the peplum genre, GIANTS OF ROME is one of the better historical adventures from the period – and that's mainly down to the plot. Instead of utilising the tired, unoriginal uprising/court intrigue-style plot, top Italian scriptwriter Ernesto Gastaldi opts for a storyline that's more akin to a WWII spy thriller than a standard historical adventure. This makes for a fresh-feeling adventure yarn full of intrigue and a surprisingly high body count. I've always enjoyed films where a select band of characters are whittled down one by one, whether it be a swords-and-sandal adventure flick or a backwoods slasher.
Here, the characters are varied enough to remain different and interesting. Harrison, one of my favourite actors, is the clear-cut hero Claudius; instead of being a warm good guy, Harrison is a ruthless leader, in one scene allowing a boy to be tortured to death – all for the sake of the mission! Harrison's coldness makes him an atypical protagonist and the film's all the better for focusing on his ruthless characteristics. A varied bunch of actors support him, including Ettore Manni (almost unrecognisable without the beard), sexy love interest Wandisa Guida (great in GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON and just as good here), a teenage boy, a strongman barbarian-type (played by Rulph Hudson, unfortunately his only role) and a cool bald knife-throwing guy. Facing them is a bunch of druids (!) led by a guy who looks like that chap out of KNIGHTMARE.
Although the dubbed dialogue is about average for this genre, what I enjoyed were a bunch of well-directed action scenes that never disappoint. There are some fine battles on horseback, and a great, claustrophobic climax in a cave where our surviving heroes are picked off one by one. An underwater attack on a couple of rafts is very well shot, as is the bit where the strongman meets his fate as he faces down a horde of attacking cavalry, using his axe to cut the horses' legs out from under them! As well as this, there's a crucifixion, a bit of self-imposed torture from Harrison, and even a traitor in the group to keep things moving nicely along. Antonio Margheriti is one of my favourite Italian directors and he does himself proud once again with this adventure flick. Fans of historical films will have a ball
Here, the characters are varied enough to remain different and interesting. Harrison, one of my favourite actors, is the clear-cut hero Claudius; instead of being a warm good guy, Harrison is a ruthless leader, in one scene allowing a boy to be tortured to death – all for the sake of the mission! Harrison's coldness makes him an atypical protagonist and the film's all the better for focusing on his ruthless characteristics. A varied bunch of actors support him, including Ettore Manni (almost unrecognisable without the beard), sexy love interest Wandisa Guida (great in GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON and just as good here), a teenage boy, a strongman barbarian-type (played by Rulph Hudson, unfortunately his only role) and a cool bald knife-throwing guy. Facing them is a bunch of druids (!) led by a guy who looks like that chap out of KNIGHTMARE.
Although the dubbed dialogue is about average for this genre, what I enjoyed were a bunch of well-directed action scenes that never disappoint. There are some fine battles on horseback, and a great, claustrophobic climax in a cave where our surviving heroes are picked off one by one. An underwater attack on a couple of rafts is very well shot, as is the bit where the strongman meets his fate as he faces down a horde of attacking cavalry, using his axe to cut the horses' legs out from under them! As well as this, there's a crucifixion, a bit of self-imposed torture from Harrison, and even a traitor in the group to keep things moving nicely along. Antonio Margheriti is one of my favourite Italian directors and he does himself proud once again with this adventure flick. Fans of historical films will have a ball
