Herodes - Blut über Jerusalem

No sooner did I state in my review of THE PRODIGAL (1955) above that it was going to be my only tribute to the late Edmund Purdom, that a visit to the local DVD rental shop also provided me with the opportunity to watch this Italian biblical flick. Unfortunately, the end results were even less satisfactory than that earlier Hollywood epic! For one thing, Purdom makes for a decidedly wooden ruler of Judea who, at the film's start, is seen returning from a lost battle against Octavius Caesar(!) to find all of his elderly subjects (who, naturally, had stayed home) seemingly out for his blood! Even his son and mother-in-law openly hate and scorn him! Eventually, Herod regains his composure with the appearance of his wife – and how could it have been otherwise when she is portrayed by the red-headed, curvaceous beauty Sylvia Lopez? Tragically, in real life she would be dead of leukemia before the year was out but not before making Steve Reeves' head spin in her most significant role in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959)! Out of the blue, then, the film's second half takes the form of a retread of Shakespeare's "Othello" with Purdom the jilted monarch, Lopez the compromised queen, Alberto Lupo as Herod's innocent right-hand man and Corrado Pani (as young Herod Antipas) as his Iago-ish brand new confidant! The strain is too much for Herod-Purdom to bear and, a little while after ordering the proverbial slaughtering of Judea's first born, he just keels over and dies at the foot of his throne! Ugh…which is a pity since a few months ago I had rather enjoyed Purdom's next collaboration with director Tourjansky, THE COSSACKS (1960) – which also shares at least three other distinguished participants (actor Massimo Girotti, screenwriter Damiano Damiani and cinematographer Massimo Dallamano) with this one.

The biblical story of the Herod, King of Judea. Herod is captured by the Pagan Romans and held prisoner. Herod's lieutenant, Aaron, believes that he is dead. Aaron had orders from Herod to kill the Queen when he dies, but Aaron could not do it and brought her into the desert to hid her. Herod pleas to Augustus enough that Herod was able to go back to his palace. When Herod arrives, he is told by his son, Antipater, that Aaron has betrayed him and the Queen is still alive. Now Herod must find his wife and face her pursuers.

It's an alright film. One of the better movies in the Warriors 50-pack by Mill Creek. Herod was a person that really lived and there is plenty of proof of that. So in it's way, the film is a History and Biographical film as well as being a Bible Story.

I will say it again, I do not rate these types of films based on how accurate to history they are or how true they are or not. I base my ratings on how well entertained I was by the film.

4.5/10

The acting in this Italian spaghetti sword and sandal film is really second-rate; there isn't a good performance in the whole lot of characters. Purdom is as hammy as a German deli, and his queen's red hair does not exactly look like it is very real. Neither is her acting.

It is interesting to see what happened to Herod after he crucified Christ, but the film gets bogged down in silly and romantic intrigues that, to say the least, are not very interesting. I did enjoy the stoning sequence, however, although tomatoes would have been more appropriate; pelatis even better.

There is really no development of any characters outside of Herod and the Queen, and we are left with Aaron dangling in the breeze.

When Marco Antonio is defeated by his enemies, his former allied King Herod of Judea (Edmund Purdom) travels to convince Augustus to support his government by the Romans. He makes his chief commander and friend Aaron (Alberto Lupo) swear that he would kill his beloved Queen Miriam (Sylvia Lopez) if he died. When Herod is arrested by the Romans, one of his men returns to Judea and lies, telling that he was killed by the Romans. However Aaron is not able to keep his promise and Miriam stays alive. When Herode returns to his palace, his son Antipater, poisons Herode with the lie that Aaron has betrayed him and had an affair with Miriam. The madness of Herode destroys his friends and his kingdom.

"Erode il grande" is a good epic of betrayal and revenge in a nest of snakes. The theatrical performance of Edmund Purdom is very exaggerated and quite ridiculous in the love scenes with Sylvia Lopez, but in the rest of the movie he works well. The character of Antipater seems to be inspired in Iago of Shakespeare's Othello. Unfortunately the DVD released in Brazil by the distributor London Films is horribly dubbed in English, and the quality of the image is awful. But this movie is a worthwhile entertainment if the viewer disregard the previously mentioned problems. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Herodes o Grande" ("Herode The Great")

As with almost every Sword and Sandals movie, you get some historical thing or figure and than the movie runs with it. In this case it does not take it and runs completely away with it, which has been the case before. No it does stay in a timeline that is quite close to History.

Having said that, do not take anything that happens at face value. This is her to entertain and while the 60s proved to be filled even more with Sword and Sandals in Italy, this has the formula/bluepring down