Messaline

To begin with, years ago I had watched a 1951 film (with Luis Bunuel alumni Maria Felix and Georges Marchal, the latter also a Cottafavi regular) about the same notorious historical figure – for the record, she would be played in the interim by Susan Hayward in DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS (1954). I would love to be able to re-acquaint myself with that earlier version (incidentally, I still recall the protagonist's hysterical come-uppance) also for the sake of comparison with this one. By the way, the film under review makes for an indirect addition to my stalled Josef von Sternberg retrospective, given that it deals with the era of the Roman Emperor Claudius (though he is a rather ineffectual presence here). While I did manage to acquire a much-superior copy to the one I already owned in time for the Epic Easter marathon I have embarked upon all through this month, my viewing of it still did not occur under the most congenial of circumstances – as the English-dubbing left a lot to be desired!

The short-lived Belinda Lee is ideally-cast in the title role: Cecil B. De Mille had described Cleopatra – actually dealt with by Cottafavi in his subsequent effort LEGIONS OF THE NILE, released the same year and which I have just checked out – as "the wickedest woman of all time", but this epithet would serve this famous harlot ruler even better! Ordained to be a Vestal Virgin, she still manages to seduce her way to the throne (albeit ridding herself of any conquest/associate once his purpose is fulfilled) and even causes discord among childhood pals! The male lead, then, is Spiros Focas – why the role was not given to an Italian actor is a mystery, but he acquits himself quite well under the circumstances. The hero falls for Messalina before her ascent to power, which happens while the young officer is off to war; later, he even commits atrocities in her name – before being brought back to his senses as much by the death of a Senator friend as the love of a Christian girl played by a young Evelyn Stewart (still billed under her Italian birthname).

The rest of the cast includes: Giulio Donnini, a minor genre fixture as virtually the only man not to fall under Messalina's spell and, in fact, is the one to deal her the deadly blow; Arturo Dominici, who bafflingly exchanges loyalties along the way and even becomes Emperor prematurely (after an attempt on Claudius' life is thwarted but, ingeniously, he still sends news to Rome of its success!); and a pre-stardom Giuliano Gemma in a brief role early on as a would-be assassin, subsequently lover/victim, of Messalina's – his head being disdainfully presented on a plate to her befuddled enemies (with this in mind and in view of the vibrant colors on display here, one regrets the fact that Cottafavi steered clear of the horror genre throughout his career)!

In this opulent spectacle the corruption that was at the heart of the Roman Empire is embodied by the infamous empress Messalina, portrayed by Belinda Lee with surprising range from a vulnerable Vestal to the power mad, sexually insatiable, callous mudereress she supposedly became. If anything, the film underplays her infamy, though she is certainly evil enough.

In a memorable scene, a young would-be assassin (Giuliano Gemma) is lured into her bed only to be beheaded before fully awake the following morning. Messalina triumphantly parades into the palace quarters of the desperate plotters bearing the gift of his severed head. Spiros Focas is fine as the naif and devoted centurion who fell in love with her before the rot set in. As mounting evidence of her treachery and licentiousness builds, the enamored lover struggles to break free of her amorous toils and to eventually oppose her reign. Although present and participating in her last violent moments, he at last admits the necessity of her death.

At first sigh, it is only another film from same period in nice sandals-and-swords style. and to choose Messalina as lead characters is the most simple solution for create a fake fresco of ancient Rome, a puzzle of orgy, crime, love, politic, mixing a beautiful actress with hadsome men and few dramatic scenes. because rumours about the wife of Claudius are so, so many. but , ignoring that details, three virtues has this film : the reasonable job of Belinda Lee, the decent effort of Spiros Focas to propose an idealistic character and, sure, Giulliano Gemma as Marcellus, more for aparition than the manner to play a small character. a portrait of Messalina in the spirit of a period cinema. nothing new, nothing bad. only just not surprising.

A colorful story, set in Rome in the year 44 AD, about the love and political intrigues of the evil Empress Messalina, the wife of the Roman emperor Claudius (Marcello Giorda), and her eventual downfall. It begins when Claudius is elected emperor by the Praetorians after having murdered Caligula, and he makes Valeria Messalina, priestess of the temple of Vesta, his wife. With Messalina becoming empress, she will face a group of nobles from Silius, who do not admit her insatiable and irresistible manipulations and the dissolute life she leads. Messalina conspires in her husband's politics, but is seriously harmed by the actions of a centurion named Lucio Massimo (Spyros Focás), who was her ex-lover. The nobles of Silio (Arturo Dominici) commission one of the soldiers named Marcello to kill Messalina, but the appearance of Lucio Massimo will complicate things.

An ordinary peplum, in the fashion at the time that does not provide anything special, following the usual Roman incidents with betrayals, the usual dances, corruption, murders, persecutions of Christians, fights and final confrontations. Although it takes great liberty with actual historical events, the film presents the most famous woman in Roman history as a complex person, with deep and dark passions, who comes to an ignominious end through her excesses and badness. The film does not have a historical perspective, it simply deals with the betrayals and evil of Messalina without delving too deeply into the reality of the events. It stars the British and very beautiful Belinda Lee, an actress who starred in several historical epics such as The Venus of Cheronea, Herod the Great, The Shadow of the Guillotine, Lucrezia Borgia and Constantine the Great, sadly died very young due to a car accident . Along with her are some regular performers of the prolific Italian genres of the sixties and seventies: Peplum, Spaghetti Western, Giallo... such as: Giuliano Gemma, Spiros Focás, Arturo Dominici and Evelyn Stewart or Ida Galli.

Being uneven but professionally directed by Vittorio Cottafavi (1914-1998); He was a complete artist, painter and expert in Peplum, as he directed: ¨Conquest of Atlantis¨, ¨Legions of Cleopatra¨, ¨Mesallina¨ and ¨Gladiator Rebellion¨. He began his professional career in the film industry as a clapper. After progressing to writing film scripts and working as an assistant director with Alessandro Blasetti and Vittorio De Sica, he became a director in his own right in 1943. Many of his films have been lavishly produced, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, "sword" films. . -and sandal" or "Muscleman" epics, which deal with mythological themes involving the Roman Empire or Ancient Egypt. Since the mid-60s, Cottafavi has concentrated exclusively on directing television series and miniseries, under contract for RAI , many of them related to historical events or well-known figures such as Oliver Cromwell, Don Giovanni, Napoleone a Sant'Elena, Vita Di Dante and Christopher Columbus. Rating: 5.5, average but passable and acceptable.

The screenplay itself is a Messalina mess:combining politics ,love,ambitions,crimes,persecutions of Christians (I thought they began during Nero's reign?),it may entertain you if you do not take it seriously.There's nothing "cultural" here as in Cottafavi's notorious "legioni di Cleopatra" (1960) where Linda Cristal(The queen of Egypt!) went to dance in Alexandria's taverns .

Here,in a cheap junk antiquity, Belinda Lee is making it rough all over .But only the last scenes (the orgy turning into a slaughter)have something to do with cinema.A young Giuliano Gemma appears briefly as a killer who falls for the empress:he will lose his head! (in the literal and figurative senses )