director:
Pietro Francisci
starring: Rossano Brazzi · Tina Louise · Sylva Koscina · Enico Maria
Salerno · Gino Cervi
Circa
214 BC. A young Greek mathematician/inventor named Archimedes happens
to meet Artemis, a traveling gypsy dancer. He falls head-over-heels in
love and is about to end his engagement to Clio, the daughter of the Syracuse
ruler. However, as fate would have it, Archimedes gets picked up by Roman
soldiers outside the city and - since he has no papers - he's detained
for a few days. Meanwhile, there are complications with girlfriend Artemis.
She loses her memory during a similar confrontation and is shipped to
Rome, where - already pregnant by Archimedes - she marries the future
Roman consul Marcellus. Everything becomes more complicated when Rome
decides to declare war on the Greek territory of Syracuse. This story
is loosely based on historic fact and - while it is true that Archimedes
saved the city with one of his solar|fire inventions [see pic, bottom
left] - few details are truly known about his personal life. But it makes
for fun melodramatic action.
Director
Pietro Francisci is the Godfather of the massive Peplum film movement.
His movie HERCULES
(1958) was a huge International hit, paving the
way for another 300+ sword-n-sandal films to be lensed in Europe between
1958-1965. After a steady diet of peplums, he made
the female space alien MISSIONE
HYDRA 2+5 in 1967 with a cast comprised
almost exclusively of popular peplum actors. That would also be one of
his final films as Mr Francisci died in 1977 (at age 70) after retiring
from the business.
Tina
Louise became disappointed with her Hollywood options in the late '50s,
so she left Los Angeles for Italy. She accepted a contract with Cinecittą
Studios in Rome. This was her first European film. It was followed by
SAPPHO:
VENUS OF LESBOS, also directed by Pietro Francisci. A third movie,
Gariboldi - helmed by Roberto Rossellini - was essentially
a disaster for Tina. She did not get along with him. The more they argued,
the more he cut her role. The result was little more than a 'walk-on'
[as a nameless French Reporter]. Disillusioned, after a scolding from
Cinecittą, Tina returned to the States in time for her Ginger Grant
role on Gilligan's Island (1964-68).
An
Italian film with optional ON/OFF English subtitles; uncut (97 minutes);
DVD encoded
for ALL REGIONS NTSC FORMAT; extras include theatrical trailer
Violence/Adult
Material/Implied Sexuality/SemiNudity:
Viewer discretion is advised.
