Teodora, imperatrice di Bisanzio

The iconic image of Theodora, Empress of Byzantium, looks down from the mosaic in the Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna. It is hard to believe that this imperious figure had once been an 'actress' for want of a better term, in the sleazy pleasure district known as the Hippodrome. Career opportunities for women at that time were somewhat limited so she simply played the game with the cards she was dealt. Apparently she had an understandably popular 'Leda and the Swan' routine which involved a goose plucking grains of corn from between her thighs whilst she writhed in ecstasy. As this film of Riccardo Freda comes from 1954 we are alas denied such a tantalising spectacle and the dance that the director's wife, former beauty queen Gianna Maria Canale, actually performs is rather anodyne and hardly designed to fill the veins with fire. It seems to do the trick however for the Justinian of George Marchal who is so smitten he makes her his queen.

In the case of Theodora it is difficult to separate truth from legend but what is certain is that she was an extremely strong-willed, determined woman and a capable ruler who is alas portrayed very superficially here. In fact these are all one-dimensional characters and not flesh and blood. The notable exception is the striking and charismatic Irene Papas. She is still serving her time here and is probably best known to cinema goers as the widow in 'Zorba the Greek'. Her portrayal of Theodora's sister is a foretaste of her later depictions of Antigone, Electra and Helen of Troy in which she proved her extraordinary range. The settings are excellent, the Pathe colour glorious and we are treated to a spectacular chariot race. Sadly this is not quite enough. The films poster declares "Never was such passion!" Passion however is the one thing it lacks and although both Canale and Marchal look lovely they are just not compelling enough.

Perhaps I am expecting too much but Blasetti's 'Fabiola' and Gallone's 'Messalina' prove that even in a 'Peplum', strong characterisation is achievable.

The Emperor Justinian (Marchal) is under the control of the patricians; while he wanders incognito among the crowds of a poor neighborhood of Byzantium. He meets Teodora (Canale), a courtesan, with whom he falls in love. Once on the throne, the woman displays extraordinary political qualities: she saves her husband's throne and deeply reforms the state.

Theodora is an impressive looking historical Italian epic with its beautiful pathe colour, superb sets, costumes, but the acting and drama is as impressive - Gianna Maria Canale is superb in the title role, who becomes an empress from a courtesan and helps her husband -the emperor- bridge the gap between his people and hers. But, of course, there's always villains who don't like what she's doing so they plan to wreck her plans by sowing the seeds of misunderstandings.

George Marchal is great as the emperor, and the romance between him and Theodora comes out naturally and gradually. There's plenty of drama and court intrigue so don't expect much action, though that comes at the end and there's a rousing chariot race. The finale is quite a nail biter, too.

This is certainly among the most impressive peplums and one of Freda's very best films (which runs 87 minutes rather than the by-all-accounts fictitious one of 124 listed over at the IMDb!); it is also a significant vehicle for the director's wife Gianna Maria Canale (perhaps surpassed only by her turn in the seminal horror outing I VAMPIRI {1956}, co-directed by Freda and Mario Bava). The leading man, then, is Luis Bunuel regular Georges Marchal: like Canale herself, he would flourish within the field and, in fact, I intend checking out three more during this Epic Easter marathon.

After the black-and-white and merely standard SINS OF ROME (1953), Freda turned to color for his subsequent spectacle which, apart from drawing on Alessandro Blasetti's virtual genre template FABIOLA (1948), was inspired by the likes of Sergei Eisenstein's IVAN THE TERRIBLE (1942-6) for its look – and the result is a truly opulent production. On the other hand, the chariot-race set-piece (in which both stars meet the challenge head-on!) is a veritable dry-run – albeit reprehensibly featuring some of the worst horse-falls I have ever seen! – for the celebrated one in William Wyler's BEN-HUR (1959). The way in which the protagonists 'meet cute' is also memorable: Marchal is the Emperor Justinian who, while mingling incognito with the crowds in a market place, is nearly robbed of a medallion by commoner/dancer/lion-tamer Canale! Of course, the two fall in love and marry but her surprising subsequent influence at court (incidentally, though the print I watched – derived from a late-night Italian TV screening – simply bore the heroine's name, the film is better-known by its full title which translates to THEODORA, EMPRESS OF BYZANTIUM!) is inconvenient to those patricians who seek to overthrow the Emperor! By the way, the plot unfolds in flashback (narrated by the now-aged hero), so that we are left wondering about Canale's fate – for the record, even her own sister (played by a young Irene Papas) bears her ill-will – until the very last moments of the film!

Unfortunately, the Emperor proves to be rather gullible and his wife's relationship with a former beau (which she keeps up as a means of co-ordinating a full-bodied resistance) is misconstrued as an adulterous affair – resulting in Marchal's frequent outbursts of name-calling! This turn-of-events lends an unexpected amour fou connotation to the proceedings which, while bordering on the contrived, culminates in a remarkable sequence in which Canale is surrounded by Marchal's loyal troops ready for the kill…before a horde of steeds, and eventually, lions is unleashed upon the soldiers! By this time, however, Marchal has been alerted to the truth vis-a'-vis who his real allies are, with the intended usurper at long last spewing his bile against the Emperor – amusingly begrudging the latter's handsome athleticism having been favored by the Gods over his own, as Wile E. Coyote would so unforgettably put it, "pure unadulterated genius"!

I wish I could see this film in good quality DVD. One thing that I really liked about the film was the fact that it takes place in the later Eastern Roman Empire under Justinian. This is the only film that I have ever seen covering this period. Most Sword and Sandal films don't seem to go much past 40 AD or so.

Very well done Chariot Race scene especially in view of the fact that it was done five years before William Wylers "Ben Hur". I'm not sure about the aspect ratio of the film. The IMDb says it is 1.33:1.

The director isn't afraid to take the camera outdoors and the sets are pretty good too.

The director of this movie Riccardo Freda, made films of all sort, even fantasy-horror films and this for a lapse of time of 40 years. Maciste al l'inferno (1962) among others is still worth seeing. This movie is full of beautiful women, of course Teodora (a magnificent Gianna Maria Canale) and the treacherous Faidia (Irene Papas!). The general Belisario, (Nerio Bernardi) a complice of Teodora, who wants to save the empire, is also worth to be mentioned. The emperor Justinian (Georges Marchal) acts like a fool but sometimes Teodora has also good ideas he must admit. We have a look at the justice of that time, presided by Justinian and in the politics of the blue and the green factions. After all an entertaining movie and not at least for the splendid costumes.