Il sacco di Roma

This is an obscure early i.e. monochrome Italian spectacle with unimposing credentials, but which proves surprisingly decent in the long run. It deals with Romeo and Juliet-like vicissitudes, albeit set in Rome, at the time of famed 16th century sculptor Benvenuto Cellini – on the strength of which I will be watching presently two loose biopics, one emanating from 1930s Hollywood and another likewise from the "Euro-Cult" stable but made a decade later and filmed in color, as part of my Easter Epic marathon!

Incidentally, both English-language titles of the film under review are misleading: the original, in fact, translates to THE SACKING OF ROME (a real historical event – the oppressors being the Spanish armada of King Charles V – that was also dealt with by the cinema in 1910 and 1920). Shot on authentic locations, THE BARBARIANS looks quite good…making up for a hackneyed script and some rather stiff swordplay (with the participants invariably coming across as if they were attending fencing classes instead of being engaged in a duel to the death!); on the other hand, the climactic siege is competently-enough staged.

The acting, too, is hardly classy but the two leads are perfectly acceptable under the circumstances: Pierre Cressoy seemed to thrive within the genre, while Helene Remy (surprisingly displaying a prominent cleavage throughout!) would later star in a seminal – albeit minor – Gothic Horror entry i.e. Renato Polselli's THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA (1960). Also on hand in a supporting role is Franco Fabrizi, who would soon be elevated to leading man status himself and eventually corner the market in shady character actor parts.

This film covers the sack of Rome in 1527 by the mercenary armies of Charles V of Spain. Renaissance warfare has rarely been covered in film so, for the military buff, this film is rewarding. As the film opens Rome is being approached by an invading army, but the Orsini and Colonna families fight among themselves (shades of Montagues and Capulets). Also featuring in the story is Benvunuto Cellini, the artist. Murder, intrigue, betrayal and warfare all take the stage along with some well staged battle scenes. The dubbing in the English language print is also quite well done. It's no classic, but is worth seeing for the history buff and fan of costume dramas. There is also some good swordplay present.

Originally titled "The Sack of Rome", this film tells the story of the taking of Rome in 1527 by the Spanish armies of Charles V. While those times were full of intrigue, power plays and brutal battles, you sure can't tell that by this sluggish film. The overheated script combines with acting that ranges from over-the-top to nearly comatose and hackneyed, by-the-numbers direction to sink whatever possibilities this "epic" may have had. On the upside, the producers managed to get their hands on some medieval castles that look like they may well have dated back to the period in which this film is set and could even have been involved in the battles themselves, and they sprung for the expense of utilizing hundreds of extras in the action scenes, On the downside, though, is the fact that those action scenes are so ineptly staged--some of the "cavalrymen" have trouble controlling and staying on their horses--poorly shot and sloppily edited that whatever money was spent on them was a waste. The costumes look authentic--although they would have looked better in color--and the score isn't as inappropriate as they tend to be in these Italian spectacles, though it's a bit tinny.

Worth a look, maybe, but don't expect much.