Les proxénètes

I happened to notice, by chance, that this was being shown on late-night Italian TV recently; I checked out its entry on the "Stracult" book – where I learned that it was an "extremely vulgar" modernization of the perennial Helen Of Troy story…and, hence, would make for an interesting addition to my current Epic/Historical Film challenge!

Apart from that, I was highly intrigued by the credits including cult director Castellari and co-writer Lucio Fulci, a master film-maker in his own right…as, in fact, were a couple of members from its cast – namely Vittorio De Sica and Luciano Salce. The rest of the acting ensemble (despite the title, no one character takes center-stage throughout) includes Giancarlo Giannini (as Ulysses), Philippe Leroy (Hector – the "Lo Fusto" of the original title translating not to "The Mighty" as above but rather "The Stud"), Rosanna Schiaffino (Helen – depicted as a nymphomaniac, but a curiously unglamorous one), Vittorio Caprioli (Menelaus) and Orchidea De Santis (as a slut brought in especially with her companion from Perugia and who also ends up being contended by the two gangs).

The Greek setting of the original tale has been transposed to the criminal underworld in Rome – with the warring factions involved being a big-time prostitution racket and a more modest rival establishment (the updating also sees the usually stoic warrior Achilles now as a gay "Hell's Angel" though, thankfully, not a stereotype). In this respect, too, the prose of Homer's epic poem "The Illiad" is here replaced by the slang typically found in Italian films of the 1970s – while a shiny new Rolls-Royce (with the much reduced invading army concealed with great difficulty within its boot) acting as the all-important Trojan Horse! Similarly, the famed duel of champions takes place at night with flick-knives and motorbikes as opposed to javelins and chariots respectively.

In the long run, then, the general style is all over the place and the film may seem slightly overlong for its purpose; nonetheless, it's kept going by the enthusiastic performances and a lively score by the prolific and versatile Francesco De Masi. Incidentally, I'd seen three personalities involved with the film in the flesh at the 2004 Venice Film Festival: Giannini (still a star after all these years), Castellari (invited for the Italian B-movie retrospective) and De Santis (ditto – she was present to introduce the excellent but little-known political satire COLPO DI STATO [1969], coincidentally directed by her co-star from this film Luciano Salce!).

Satirical comedy by Enzo G. Castellari with Vittorio de Sica and Giancarlo Prete

This almost forgotten Italian film from 1972 brings together a star ensemble that reads like a "who's who" of ItaloCinema. It was directed by Enzo G. Castellari, who should be a household name again at least since Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (2009). The co-screenwriter is Lucio Fulci, who would become a scandalous celebrity a few years later with horror films such as "Woodoo - The Zombie Island of Terror" (1979) and "Ein Zombie hing am Glockenseil / A Zombie Hung on a Bell Rope" (1980). And in the role of Cardinal Jove (Jupiter) is ACADEMY AWARD nominee Vittorio de Sica, who would become a co-founder of Neorealismo with "Ladri di biciclette / Fahrraddiebe / Bicycle Thieves" (1947).

What is "Ettore lo fusto" (literally translated as: Hector, the great pike), which is also known in the German-speaking world as "Zum Dessert Dirne Helene" (not quite as stupid as "Das Pferd kam ohne Socken / The horse came without socks") about? It's about a modern reinterpretation of Homer's Iliad, which is in turn based on the novel "Le roi de Mirmidous". Understood? So:

The Trojan hero Hector is a Roman brothel owner (Philippe Leroy) who owns a property that Count Mercurio (Luciano Salce) is also interested in building a new hotel. The corrupt Cardinal Jove (Vittorio de Sica) helps his friend and thus triggers a war between two gangs of gangsters (virtually Trojans against Greeks). Starting from the affair between Paris (Juan Luis Galiardo) and Helena (Rosanna Schiaffino), turbulent complications arise in which each Homeric character plays his well-known role. You can see: ACADEMY AWARD nominee Giancarlo Giannini as Odysseus / Franca Valeri as Cassandra / Aldo Giuffre as Agamemnon / Vittorio Caprioli as Menelaus / Philippe Leroy as Hector. Particularly worth seeing are the powerful Michael Forest as Achilles and Giancarlo Prete as Patroclus. The film takes the ancient Greeks at their word and expressly shows the ancient superhero Achilles and his beloved comrade-in-arms Patroclus (which he teasingly calls "CloClo") as a homosexual dream couple that even death cannot separate. Haydee Politoff and Orchidea DeSantis shine in smaller roles.

This film is a light comedy that makes fun of Roman corruption in the 1970s in the guise of an ancient epic. A great car chase through the Roman EUR district is worth seeing. Giovanni Cianfriglia and Armando Bottin appear in supporting roles as whipping boys.

Definitely worth it for fans of Italian genre cinema!