A number of peplums distributed in the U.S. via MGM often used to turn up on the TCM UK cable channel; in fact, I had caught up with DAMON AND PYTHIAS (1962) and HERCULES, SAMSON AND ULYSSES (1964) in previous Easter marathons – while the film under review, another such instance, had eluded me but, apparently, this also occurred on Italian TV
since the copy I now watched off "You Tube" was derived from a screening on a particular channel that is no longer available in my neck of the woods, but on which such genre outings had long been a matinée staple!
Anyway, this is a thoroughly routine effort – even if not as bad as some entries I have watched previously. Both the international and Italian titles, however, are a reference to nothing in particular as, while there are characters emanating from Sparta and the hero does a stint as a gladiator at some point, neither issue is ultimately given much weight! That said, it was called LA RIVOLTA DEI SETTE (literally "Revolt Of The Seven") on its home ground – which, again, alludes to the amount of people engaged in opposing the villain (I do not even call him tyrant as in myriad other such fare, since he is only looking out to protect himself from being exposed as a traitor!); yet, their number is never discussed, nor do they possess any special skills a' la THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) – which one supposes was the point behind it to begin with! In fact, even though the townspeople are never shown as being oppressed or even in on what the heroes were up to, they still take time out at the end to bid a long-drawn-out farewell to departing hero Tony Russel et al!
For good measure, we also have the intrusion on the dreary main narrative of elements from two popular swashbucklers: Rafael Sabatini's "Scaramouche" in the fact that the rebel group adopts a traveling show disguise (or rather appropriates a genuine one towards its end, with Livio Lorenzon hammily quoting Greek Tragedy every time he opens his mouth and the whole crew dressing up as vestal virgins for a caper at a crowded temple, the object being an incriminating statue!) and Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers" (given that Massimo Serato's mysterious relationship with Helga Line' – though both are wasted here – recalls that between Athos and Milady De Winter!). The climax, then, sees the obligatory showdown turning into a veritable mudfight for no very good reason
while, in the foreground, two unfortunate horses attached to a chariot are struggling to get up on their feet all through the scene! Having said that, as if to claim authorship of his movies, the director has Serato interrupt Russel's execution of the villain so that he himself can accomplish that task in return for the latter's killing of Line'
as had been the case with the finale of De Martino's THE INVINCIBLE GLADIATOR (1961)!
