Orazi e Curiazi

This international co-production tells of a "famous" duel between two sets of three brothers (one from each side of the Romans and the Barbarians) which was to decide the fate of the ongoing war between them. While the production values sounded promising on paper – co-director Terence Young, American actors Alan Ladd and Robert Keith (whose last film this turned out to be), French star Jacques Sernas, ex-Fellini alumnus Franco Fabrizi, four noteworthy screenwriters, etc – the film comes off as a rather talky and undernourished affair which cannot hope to do justice to its mythical subject.

A visibly tired Alan Ladd, then, is evidently miscast and seems to be playing his role as if he has just stepped in from the American West rather than being at the head of a Roman legion! The hokey, would-be tragic "Romeo and Juliet" subplot involving Ladd's sister and Barbarian Fabrizi doesn't help matters either; on the plus side, however, is a sequence early on where Ladd is teared at by a pack of hungry wolves and the forest hunt by the three barbarian brothers for Ladd (after having killed his two siblings) which rebounds on themselves – with our hero, naturally, emerging victorious at the end to walk off into the sunset with his beloved.

While those of us interested in ancient stories and sword and sandals productions will find this story to be interesting, it falls short, well short, in production quality and script to be the epic it could have been.

The plot follows the story of one of the Orazi brothers of Rome, at war with Alba. This brother is accused of cowardice in battle and is captured by the Albans. He escapes, but is not warmly welcomed upon his return to Rome. After years of war, the Romans and Albans agree to decide the battle in a duel of 3 Roman brothers (the Orazi's) vs. 3 Alban brothers. In the end, this Orazi wins the day but the victory is bittersweet as displayed with his disgust for the need for killing.

What stands out is the epic musical score composed by Francesco Lavagnino at his peak. Clearly, the music is at a far different level than the movie, it elevates the story but cannot raise the production near to the realm of an epic. Still, it is a collectible for ancient movie fans. Available on budget DVD, the DVD transfer is terrible.

Obviously we know historically how things turn out in the Roman-Alban conflict, so that element of the plot is obvious. Costumes and sets are very well prepared and the musical score is fairly good. Great job casting Alan Ladd. The supporting cast is also quite good. It's the story of the brothers that is quite moving and lends a unique touch to this film (no spoilers, go watch the movie for yourselves). The film quality on the version I saw was a little low-resolution and with subtitles, but I believe that there's a fairly decent English translation available here through IMDB.

The story of this movie has been described here by others and suffice it to say I found the movie to be very average. I think the really memorable aspect was the chance to see Alan Ladd and Robert Keith at the end of their careers. Alan Ladd would go on to make two other movies before his untimely death at 50. Unfortunately, from this movie, it is clear that his personal and professional lives were in decline at this time. He appears sluggish and bloated with only the infrequent flashing of a smile to remind viewers of past glories. Although he plays a general his performance doesn't really command the screen. If you want to see him, in his later movies, I would suggest you pass this up and settle for his final role, in the Carpetbaggers, which shows much more bite. Secondly, this represented the final film in the long career of actor Robert Keith (here playing the King of Rome). Although, by modern standards, a relatively young man (63) when this movie was made, it would be his last before his death five years later. He appears very frail but conveys a strong sense of dignity and maintains a masterful diction. Perhaps, given the combination, a suitable finale for a character lead.

A duel takes place in order to put an end to the long and bloody war between the Romans and the Albans. Three valiant brothers are chosen for each side. The Romans choose three brothers: the Orazi. The Albans are represented by the Curiazi.

Alan Ladd plays Horatio, a Roman general fighting in a war against the Albans. In battle, Horatio tries to lead a small party of soldiers on a guerrilla flanking maneuver. When the Romans are defeated, he is accused of having fled the battlefield. Of course, he returns to fight with his brothers against the Albans, but only after some drama.

Yes, Alan Ladd looks tired and puffy-eyed, and maybe someone else could've been chosen for the lead, but he acts quite well, his tired looks fits the world-weariness and dejectedness his character feels. After all, he accused of cowardliness, loses his love to his brother - his scenes with the character who plays his former girlfriend is well-emoted. The supporting cast is very good, especially Robert Keith ( father of Brian) as the intelligent and weary emperor.

The tone of this peplum is serious, it has a certain glumness and expresses the futility of war - but it also has some decent battle scenes such as in the beginning around the mountain and in the last twenty minutes. It's not a bad film, it has more drama than action, and the story idea is really good, it just needed a sharper screenplay and more liveliness. It lacks that punch, that's all, but its drama is decent.