Aníbal, O Conquistador

The print that I viewed was the one available from "Belle and Blade Video". The print quality is not great but watchable. This one really needs to be seen in the widescreen format as this Pan and Scan version has many scenes where actors are speaking and are not even in frame. I can only guess how this would effect some of the many battle scenes. The problem with this movie is not so much in the screenplay, with all the elements we have come to expect in the Italian Sword and Sandal movies. The obligatory "love story" and the not too historical depiction of Ancient Combat. Trying to tell the complete story of the Great Carthaginian leader who kept Rome in Terror for nearly a decade is not an easy one. The direction and editing is what I think is the real problem here. Some scenes are just too long while others cry out for more attention. There is a disturbing quality to some of the battle scenes, which switch from outdoor photography to sound stage. Since it is the only movie out there on Hannibal, it wins by default. I am amazed that this story has not been redone. Overall, if you are into Ancients and the Sword and Sandal Genre you probably will like this film. Oh, by the way the obligatory "Elephants" are there, and handled as well as one might expect from this type of film.

This exciting Peplum in average budget blends historic events , drama and spectacular battles . It is an epic and fiction film released by the producer Ottavio Poggi and professionally directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and Edgar G. Ulmer . Hannibal history is imaginatively brought to life on colorful images with acceptable production values by means of hundreds of extras and spectacular shots filmed in SuperCinemascope . This cardboard costumer saga contains sword-crosses , drama and a love story between the known general badly performed by Victor Mature who falls in love with a Roman virgin played by Rita Gam , all of them abound in this moving adaptation on audacious Hannibal's existence , one of the most glorious military in the History . The Carthaginians were given the habitual all-purpose Mideastern costuming.

The actual historical deeds are the following ones : Two new powers rose to the West . On the south shore of the Mediterranean there was Chartage, a Phoenician colony grown rich on trade . On the north, there was an impressive city on the peninsula called Italy . The two were bound to collide . They did , in a series of wars called the Punic . Carthage's most extraordinary general was Hannibal (Victor Mature towards the end of his career) , who achieved the feat of attacking Rome from the north by going through Spain in crossing the Alps into Italy . At the beginning he made an oath in the presence his father, Amilcar Barca , to revenge the injustice inflicted on his country , Charthago. Amilcar had three sons , Hannibal (wooden acting by Victor Mature) , Mago (Mirko Ellis) and Asdrubal (Rik Battaglia) , both of whom gather together for battling Romans . Hannibal broke the ¨statu quo¨, as he crossed the river Ebro, the natural frontier between the Roman power and the Charthaginian and he attacked Sagunto as allied of Roma, causing the second Punic war . The mastermind Charthaginian commander going on crossing the Pyrinees and Alps with a colossal Army : 5o.ooo military, 9.ooo horses and reportedly bringing with him a corps of 37 trained elephants transported from Africa . As Hannibal's army coped with engineering problems involving elephants and Alpine streams . As he vanquished the Roman Army in several battles : Trevia (218), lake Trasimeno (217) which caused a great commotion and Rome appointed a Dictator named Favio Maximus (Gabriele Ferzetti) . Finally the Romans suffered the most great defeat : Cannas (216) . Then was appointed as General of the Roman Army , the commander Publio Cornelius Scipion who achieved to defeat the Charthaginians and he took Cartago Nova and Gades and beheaded to Asdrubal , whose head was sent his brother Hannibal . Despite the Anibal's theatrical coup de main , he was eventually beaten by Romans . While Hannibal hoped reinforcements from Chartago , Publio Cornelio Escipion the African disembarked in Africa and threatened Chartago . Then Hannibal returned to Africa for confronting Escipion . And Hannibal was ultimately defeated in Zama (202) , in spite of getting a most numbered Army . He flees and takes refuge under king Antioco III in Syria and he posteriorly committed suicide.

Other films about this famous historic character are as follows : ¨Jupiter's Darling¨ (1960) , a musical full of anachronisms with Esther Williams and Howard Keel as Hannibal, the Italian classic titled ¨Scipio Africanus : the defeat of Hannibal¨(1937) and the recent and spellbinding documentary/fiction titled ¨Hannibal" (2006) played by Alexander Siddig .

This makes a good addition to the Victor Mature section of your film library. But I was mostly disappointed in just about all the aspects. First the music in the background did not match the situation. Then the movie starts in the middle of Hannibal's life as he started over the mountains if you do not know the history then you will be lost thru the movie. The dubbed voices reminded me of the voices in "Fractured Fairy tales." The were all sort of squeaky and of course as in the tradition of dubbed Italian movies did not match the speech timing. The one exception was Victor he would show the right or left profile and read his likes perfectly. I don't know how he kept a straight face. By the way he was 45 at this time.

After he makes it over the mountains it becomes a love story between Hannibal and Sylvia the niece of the Roman determined to do Hannibal in. Even Hannibal's men think they are in trouble because Hannibal is gaw gaw over a Roman girl. Here uncle thinks she is a traitor but still loves her like a daughter.

A few wars with some so so elephant scenes and a lot of obviously fake blood. Hannibal's ex turns up and Sylvia runs off.

Will Hannibal and Sylvia ever get their lives together? Who wins the war? Why did they stop the story so abruptly?

This material is difficult to see, the photography and color are not the best, and from time to time you see cut scenes. Poor Annibale that Hollywood never wanted to make a film about a real revolutionary and hero. This Italian film tries to give an idea of what Annibale did, but it might have a lot of invention. For example, I am not sure about his love for a woman called Sylvia, who was the nephew of Fabius. Annibale (Victor Mature) was famous because of using elephants in his battles. The animals are seen at the beginning of the film when Annibale and the troops were coming to Italy through very snowy roads in France, but at the time of the battles the elephants were not seen anymore. The force of antique Rome is once again shown here, the Romans were defeated at the beginning by the Annibale's troops, but once they got united in the Senate and all power was given to Fabius, Annibale started to loose.

This film is perhaps one of the first one of the then young Terence Hill. In addition, Victor Mature showed once again that he was probably the best actor in epic films. In my personal opinion, he was much better than Charlton Heston. The film can be seen, but one may need to read the history to know what was real or not.

I like Victor MATURE and would even go as far as to call myself a "fan" of this Arnold Schwarzenegger-predecessor/archetype (with Austrian roots actually), but even I have to admit, that this flick ain't any of his better ones, unfortunately (sigh).

It's awkward from beginning to end: The first scene takes place in the Roman Senate, then you have a long one with the elephants crossing the Alps (that's probably the best of the whole picture, actually you can now turn off your TV-set) and now we're already well over 5 minutes into the picture, still no Hannibal/Annibale. Suddenly one sees some elephants getting loose and a guy which we can identify on second look as Victor Mature does some awkward gestures to get the elephants away. Pretty strange entry for "the hero". Only in scene number 4 and well 10 minutes into the movie someone takes the chance to identify our hero and calls him with his name. OK, the introduction of "the hero" has been managed, somehow.

The ending is equally abrupt, we see Hannibal's army moving along and get a voice over. Obvioulsly the directors (Edgar G. Ulmer usually does it better, but I assume he didn't have much to say in this one) had decided that enough celluloid had been "wasted" and called it a day.

The dialog is so unsophisticated, it hurts, but still not unintentionally funny, only hammy and boring, witless.

Everything in this picture is unfortunately mediocre to sub-par: ahead and foremost the script, but also acting (Victor is certainly also already too old for the role, sorry), photography, whatever. Only the music by Carlo RUSTICHELLI is slightly better, of course he's no Miklos ROSZA either, but at least the music is fitting and powerful. But that does not justify sitting through the whole picture (enjoy the main theme and quit).

For Terence HILL Fans it is worth mentioning that Mario GIROTTI, later known as TH, has a medium large part here and you can watch him "acting" (woodenly, but so what) a Roman.

So my rating is: If you are a Victor Mature fan: 4 out of 10, if you are a Terence Hill fan: 3 out of 10, if you're neither nor: 2 out of 10, so better stay away.

I wish I could have written a better review. :-(