O Gigante de Maratona

This is an OK sword and sandal flick. Not the best I've watched and it doesn't have any super natural creatures involved so this is just human vs human. However, they really abuse the poor horses in this thing. 5 of 10, best if watched in a riffed variety like The Film Crew did which is pretty amusing (the team pre-Rifftrax). It's on the internet free as a regular film (bad copy) and on places like Tubi to watch riffed by The Film Crew.

What immediately catches the eye about THE GIANT OF MARATHON is the fact that it stars the one and only Steve Reeves, and is co-directed by none other than Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava! Bava would go on to direct HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD, arguably, the best of the many Hercules movies.

Reeves is larger than life as Phillipides, who, after watching two oily wrestlers batter each other, must take one of them on. He makes quick work of the bloated behemoth. Lusted after by the beautiful Karis (Daniela Rocco), Phil is actually drawn to the lovely Andromeda (Mylene Demongeot), who is sworn to marry the treacherous Teocrito (Sergio Fantoni).

Meanwhile, Phil's Greeks are at war with Persia, putting a crimp in his love life. Can he get the Spartans to join forces with Athens to defeat the Persians? And, what about Phil and Andromeda? Will these two kids ever get together?

One of the more sophisticated films of its type, it contains far less cheeeze than most such productions. It also puts more energy toward the historically-based plot, characters, sets, etc., instead of focusing on one sweaty fight after another. The battles are actually huge in scope, unlike the constrained, horseback slugfests in other, lesser movies.

Don't worry, Phillipides does get a chance to start an avalanche, complete with tumbling, sofa-sized boulders! He also helps his comrades set an ingenious trap for the Persian fleet! The ensuing battle at sea is quite impressive.

Highly recommended for lovers of the genre...

A momentous collaboration between two (past and future) masters of the horror genre which should perhaps have been made in that particular field, especially since the overall effect (as with most Italian low-grade epics) is somewhat juvenile - unlike either's best work - but also because there are no monsters involved (unlike, say, THE GIANTS OF THESSALY [1960])!

Steve Reeves and Sergio Fantoni make for an above-average hero and villain; Daniela Rocca fares a lot better here than she would do in COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN (1960); and Mylene Demongeot is one of the loveliest heroines in all peplums, evoking memories of the early Brigitte Bardot - who had herself appeared in a supporting role in HELEN OF TROY (1955), one of many film versions centering around another legendary Greek battle (among them THE Trojan HORSE [1961], starring Reeves himself and which I watched later on in my peplum marathon!).

The slow-starting film (which, thankfully, features no intrusive comic relief) eventually picks up with the impressive battle sequence, which occupies about half its length! Bava's camera-work is exemplary and his special effects are apparent in the over-the-top violence, particularly towards the end.

Most of the other reviews are on target, I will limit myself to a couple of points needing consideration.

This was not intended as a muscleman-'sword & sandal' show, but a straight-ahead epic and a war movie. The reason this is easy to miss is because of the choice of Reeves for the lead. He actually tries hard to act in this film - but he has no capacity for it whatsoever.

In order to give him a chance to demonstrate this, the film gives Reeves an annoying romance that takes up half the film.

As an epic, the film is only half here, the second half, the battle itself. The battle sequences aren't bad at all, they are all technically correct, well mounted and nicely shot.

In fact, the visuals of the film are very striking, especially in the meetings with city elders trying to decide strategy. The print used for the DVD is an old TV copy, washed out and grainy; but remembering its original colors, and that it was made in wide-screen, a lot of this must have looked pretty awesome in theaters on first release.

However, visuals work best when the acting isn't important; besides the Reeves' problem, in fact only the central villain is performed with any gusto or skill. Everyone else walks around like cardboard on string. For the better actors involved, that may be partly because, with the exception of the romance, there's very little character-based drama involved here.

I suggest watching it for the battle sequences, and to forgive the damage done to it by the fortunes of poor preservation.

This is the ultimate tribute to Steve Reeve's phenomenal male beauty, captured in all its glory at the peak of his powers in l959. "Giant of Marathon" is given an exhilarating beginning with the powerful music score of Roberto Nicolosi, whose symphonic theme, underscores a nearly naked Reeves in brief scenes that showcase his power in the beginning of this vastly entertaining swords and sandals saga. When he swims towards the camera and comes up for air, the music swells and we see a rare glimpse of Reeves laughing. In another snippet, he's shown wrestling with another athlete and both are clad in very brief white loin clothes. It's sexual connotations is definitely there but Reeves looks so god-like you can't imagine him doing anything so earthy as coupling with another handsome jock. Throughout the running time, Reeves magnificent torso and charisma are given the star treatment, especially in the final portion where he and his warriors swim underwater to sabotage the enemy. In their flimsy briefs, this proves to be a beefcake bonanza, featuring not only Reeves but numerous handsome Italian extras. Mario Bava and Jacques Tourneur directed this classic adventure tale with Bava also responsible for the outstanding photography. From this film, he was launched into his legendary series of horror classics, creating such classics as "Kill, Baby, Kill," "Black Sabbath" and others. Reeves is beardless in this adventure and it adds to his boyish charm. At the beginning, he is crowned with a wreath of olive leaves and wearing only his loin cloth, his incredible torso is displayed in all its glory. If you're a Steve Reeves fan--which I definitely am--you might also explore the series of muscle man moveis made by Reeves American cohort, Lou Degni, re-named Mark Forest from the Bronx and a Mr. America winner. His physique is also stunning with a handsome face and acting ability to go with it. "Giant of Marathon" should be restored to its full technicolor glory. Even more than "Hercules Unchained," this is the Steve Reeves movie that fully exploits his extraordinary beauty.