O Gladiador de Roma

More or less u know what u will find in a peplum film. the genre which started in Italy in late 50s with reeve's classic Hercules film and grew with more than....300 films until the late 60s when spaggeti westerns took over causing peplum (sword and sandal genre) to decline. the peplum films are divided in two categories. those who are not so much worth the time and those which have some value. this film is belonging in the 2nd category. we get a lot of politics in the time of the cruel emperor Caracalla (211-217) and we even get to see for the first time in a movie the only official roman emperor who was promoted to the throne while he was serving as leader of the praetorians before the assassination of Caracalla. yes...i'm talking about macrinus who ruled for a brief period from martch 217 to the summer of 218 before he was defeated and executed by the Syrian legions who promoted the mad boy emperor elagavalus to the throne cause he was the supposed illegal son of Caracalla. Anyways if u like this B Movie genre then this movie is for you.

Gordon Scott is a Silesian servant to a princess who family was killed by a usurper and she and Scott sold into slavery by the Romans. The Silesians are friendly barbarians in the pay of Rome guarding the Empire's boarders and the usurper wants the princess found and killed.

Gordon Scott stars in a fairly average peplum which has some dull moments, however a little action and some striking visual (such as the finale with Scott, a chunk of barbed wire around his neck, and others tied to a post) keeps thing at least a interesting. The problem is that this peplum gets convoluted and over complicated as well as talky. There's a subplot with persecuted Christians, there's a gladiator uprising. Gordon Scott acts well, though, he's one of the best peplum stars and he's got the acting chops. Usually his films are top notch, but this one is an exception.

Sword and Sandals film with Gordon Scott and Wandisa Guida

The Roman Empire under Emperor Caracalla (around 217 AD): The country house of the respected Valerians is attacked by the emperor's henchmen because they are suspected of being followers of the emerging Christianity. In the absence of young Valerius (Roberto Risso), who is currently fulfilling his military obligations, his parents are cruelly murdered and all of the house's slaves are condemned to building roads. Among the slaves who are still loyal to the Valerians are the beautiful Nisa (Wandisa Guida) and the powerful Marcus (Gordon Scott). Nisa, who is actually a princess (that's it!), sincerely loves the young Valerius, who also wants to marry her. The loyal Marcus becomes her battle-hardened protector on their journey together. This leads to all sorts of complications. Nisa falls into the clutches of an unscrupulous new mistress, and Marcus quickly becomes a gladiator in the arena. But love is not neglected even for the broad-shouldered hero. Aglaja (Ombretta Colli), the muscle man's great love, will give the returning Valerius the crucial clue to finding his beloved Nisa again. She is in great danger, from which even the brave Valerius cannot save her until an action worthy of Spartacus takes place...

In terms of plot, nothing out of the ordinary happens in this classic sandal film by veteran director Mario Costa. The time of persecution of Christians in which the whole thing takes place is interesting. The gladiator theme isn't as central to the game as one might expect from the title. But there are plenty of fights with fists and swords to see. A big plus of the film is the actors. Gordon Scott (1926-2007), retrained Tarzan from the US cinema, is convincing as always as an ancient muscle hero. Wandisa Guida, born in 1935, is also an experienced Peplum actress. Roberto Risso (1925-2010), who is best known as the admirer of Gina Lollobrigida in "Brot, Liebe und Phantasie / Bread, Love and Fantasy" (1953), acts really well. And the beautiful Ombretta Colli (born in 1945) surprises with her further career. The actress was also successful as a singer and later became a member of the European Parliament. Raf Baldassare and Nello Pazzafini appear in smaller roles as gladiators.

Solid and entertaining sandal film that scores incredibly high points thanks to the actors' enthusiasm.

A must for genre fans!

Those looking for brutal fights to the death in a Roman gladiatorial arena will most likely be extremely disappointed by peplum classic Gladiator of Rome: the only scene of gladiators fighting each other is a rather tame training session in which muscle-bound warrior Marcus (Gordon Scott) shows off his undefeatable sword-swinging skills (after having his muscles lightly oiled by comedic sidekick Pompilio, played by Pietro De Vico).

How Marcus came to be a gladiator, and how he eventually breaks free of his bonds, is a tragic tale that is part Ben Hur, part Spartacus, part Quo Vadis and part every other sword and sandal film/Biblical epic you've ever seen: the self-appointed protector of Silesian princess Nisa (Wandisa Guida), Marcus whisks the pretty royal away from her homeland after her father is violently usurped by King Uras. In Italy (currently under the rule of the cruel emperor Caracalla), the pair of fugitives find themselves sold into slavery, working for the family of Roman soldier Valerio (Roberto Risso), who falls in love with the princess, unaware of her true lineage. Before Valerio is able to ask his mother and father to free Nisa and Marcus from bondage, his parents are accused of being Christians by Caracalla and killed, the slaves sent to work on the building of a new road. When Valerio learns of this, he vows revenge on those responsible and sets out to find Nisa and her guardian. Also searching for the princess: General Astarte (Piero Lulli), an ambassador from Silesia who has been ordered to kill the girl.

Aided by beautiful serving wench Aglae (Ombretta Colli), Valerio organises an escape attempt for Nisa and Marcus, which fails; Marcus's punishment is to be blinded by hot pokers, but he is spared this fate by Roman governor Anio (Charles Borromel), who takes Marcus and Nisa back to his home, where the princess is put to work as a serving girl, and the strong-man as a gladiator. On discovering where Nisa has been sent, Valerio asks Anio's wife Prisca (Eleonora Vargas) to take pity and free the slaves, but she refuses. When Nisa is accused of being a Christian, and is thrown in prison (to await a nasty fate in the jaws of a hungry lion), Marcus rallies his gladiator pals and arranges an escape (which is more successful this time around). Learning that his slaves and prisoners have absconded, Anio and his soldiers go in pursuit and a battle ensues. Nisa and Marcus are recaptured and tied to wooden crosses to be burnt alive, but before the fires can be lit, Valerio and the surviving gladiators attack. Outnumbered, things look grim for Valerio and his pals until, in a really contrived happy ending, new emperor Macrinus shows up (Caracalla having been assassinated by a disaffected soldier) and, recognising Marcus as the man who saved his life earlier in the film, grants freedom to all of the slaves. Hurrah!

The few battle scenes in Gladiator of Rome are well handled, and star Scott is impressive as Marcus, the ex-Tarzan actor still possessing a formidable physique, but all of the lovey-dovey stuff, which makes up much of the movie, really makes matters drag. Excellent widescreen cinematography ensures that the film is nice to look at, but pretty pictures don't compensate for the dull stuff. And with that ridiculous sappy ending, the film simply isn't a great example of the genre - just a passable one.

One reviewer here said Gordon Scott was the only player in the cast with any charisma. That's because he was the only cast member voicing himself with his own garsh golly Oregonian twang in the English version, EVERYONE else is so lacklusterly dubbed that, despite the intricate intrigues, plots, counterplots, brutal violence and passionate romance of the story, the monotone droning of the English translation could literally drone you to sleep!

Seen in the original Italian, it's actually a very engrossing historical drama chockful of elements that constituted the glory of Rome, at its best and worst.

If you want to see Gordon Scott in English, with all his usual muscles, he won't disappoint. Just be prepared to snooze thru the droning till the action wakes you up. But if you're willing to forgo his distinctive twang in favor of an otherwise fully rewarding movie experience, see it in the original Italian. . .