Le gladiateur magnifique

The sword and sandal genre which Italy had revitalized and modernized in 1958 with Steve Reeve's international hit "Hercules," was nearing its end when this was made in 1964. Yet this film is quite watchable and entertaining thanks to a talented cast, the usual lush color/scope cinematography, and some innovative plot elements.

The setting is ancient Rome, invading Huns and conflict between the Empire and a neighboring country. What makes this unusual is the subplot involving an enemy within whose conspiracy kicks into action when he finds a dead ringer for the Emperor. He brings his imposter into the city and at the right moment, effects a swap - now his puppet king can grant him anything he wants, but how long before someone, like the Emperor's daughter, catches on?

Happily, the film doesn't bog itself down with Forest's enslaved character being thrown into irons and tortured as so often was the case in these movies. Instead, after a single gladiator battle (which he easily wins), he earns the (real) Emperor's favor and enjoys an elite station within the court...until the imposter takes over.

What follows are several enormously entertaining scenes of our protagonists conspiring against each other, culminating in a final revenge which is most satisfying. The last 10 or 15 minutes are terrific.

While there isn't as much eye-popping near male nudity in this as in, say, "Giants of Thessaly" or the "Ten Gladiators" films, beefcake fans will still get an occasional eyeful. The score is probably the weakest element of the movie but not a deal-killer. At the feel-good fadeout, one feels it was time reasonably well spent.

Attalus (or "Hercules" in the English version) is captured by Roman soldiers on the frontier during the reign of Gallienus (AD 253-268). Attalus is brought back to Rome and forced to fight in the arena as a gladiator, but once there, he becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the emperor.

Mark Forester plays a gladiator. He surrenders to the Rome and is placed in the arena to fight other warriors, then later volunteers in fighting the Huns but the problem he looks too happy as a gladiator- he smiles too much; a little moodiness on his part would up the tension. He gets in the emperor's good books early and even his romance with the emperor's daughter is too quick, and the pace can be laborious and a bit of zest is lacking, however it's watchable with some humour from the imposter Emperor, some good sword clashing action and two beautiful ladies (Marilu Tolo and jolando modio).

Those sword-and-sandal movies of the early 60s may not have scored particularly well in such areas as acting, dialog, and characterization, but they frequently offered lively and colorful doses of entertainment. "The Magnificent Gladiator" comes toward the end of this cycle and while it isn't out and out bad, it seems tired, anemic, and bland.

Mark Forest, who doesn't appear to have his heart in this project, is too easy-going a hero to engage our interest. He never seems sufficiently troubled or challenged and he's never subjected to one of those tortuous tests-of-strength which are often a staple in these endeavors. What's more, he's never seen completely bare-chested, instead choosing to wear an outfit which has leather straps crossing his upper torso.

The villains also register as lightweight threats. Paolo Gozlino plays the ambitious nobleman who wants to become Caesar and Jolanda Modio appears as his conniving girlfriend, but they offer only token amounts of evil. Marilu Tolo provides the requisite but quite forgettable "love interest." Like Ms. Modio, she looks and dresses less like a Roman aristocrat and more like a Victoria's Secret model. Fortunately, there are none of those annoying, wise-cracking midgets in the cast but we get instead an annoying, wise-cracking shepherd who comes across as a combination of Jerry Lewis and Bugs Bunny and whose every pronouncement is unaccountably greeted with gales of indulgent laughter from those around him. Franco Cobianchi takes acting honors, such as they are, in the dual role of Caesar and his look-like. He, at least, seems to be enjoying himself.

Production values are quite thin with all of ancient Rome apparently consisting of just three or four rooms and maybe three dozen citizens.