Kindar, O Invulnerável

Although Steve Reeves is the first name which comes to mind when one thinks of "Peplum" movies – and with good reason since he was the subgenre's first (and perhaps only) bona-fide star – the sheer fact that I was introduced to them as a kid in the early 1980s via Italian TV broadcasts of MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES (1961) and GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON (1963) has made me look out for Mark Forest's movies more than any of the others who have likewise stepped in the sandals of such muscle-bound heroes over the years. Indeed, out of 14 titles in Forest's filmography, I have now watched all but one – THE MAGNIFICENT GLADIATOR (1964). The film under review, then, made when the mythological epics had been overtaken in popularity by the newest fad in Italian cinema i.e. Spaghetti Westerns, was his last film appearance since, unlike his contemporaries, he apparently chose not to diversify his curriculum – even though he was a professional singer and a qualified teacher of that art form!

Rather than bow out playing in any one of the roles that had made his name like Hercules and Maciste, Forest's final star vehicle was an "Arabian Nights"-type fable with his superpowers – emphatically stated in the film's very title – here being attributed not to any blood relation to the gods but having his mother being hit by a lightning bolt during the fatal childbirth. This conveniently satisfies a prophecy that this kingdom's first-born can only ever be harmed by "a red flower". Needless to say, a band of rogue desert nomads come to hear of this through the duplicitous court maid and they kidnap the child and murder the latter witness. Curiously enough, the villain (Mimmo Palmara) dispatches his newly-acquired son to be raised by an old woman in a remote part of the sand dunes and only returns to claim him 30 years later!; by that time, he has not only grown into Mark Forest but his favourite past time seems to be swimming in crocodile-infested waters while racing and daring them to catch up with him (even if he is still unaware of his extraordinary powers)! Once he is back into the fold of Palmara's tent encampment, he is belatedly and summary trained in the art of war and sold to the troops – by ordering his astonished archers to cut down his own son with arrows – as their secret weapon against the armies of Forest's real sovereign father – led by his younger brother Howard Ross (here still billed under the more colourful moniker of "Red Ross").

True to formula, given that there are two brothers and two battling factions in the narrative, there must also be two women, one who divides the siblings and one who comes between putative father and adopted son; the former is played by the unlikely-named Dea Flowers (in what appears to be her only role) and the sultry Rosalba Neri fills the latter. Flowers is bethrothed to Ross but soon falls for Forest's tender loving care when kidnapped by Palmara's clan and supposedly given to him as a slave; similarly, Neri is the rebel leader's favourite but soon falls under the spell of Forest's brawny figure. During the course of the film, the two brothers are unknowingly engaged in a duel to the death but the kind-hearted Forest is somehow unwilling to go through with it and spares Ross' life; later still, while ostensibly employed to insinuate himself into the enemy fortress, Forest gets to learn the truth after meeting his father and brother face to face. Needless to say, our hero turns against Palmara and executes him – but not before Neri sacrifices her life for him to "the red flower" (which turns out to be plain fire after all) – and new Prince Regent Ross relinquishes his bride-to-be Flowers to a modest family life in the desert oasis Forest inhabited as a kid.

All in all, while not a particularly outstanding entry in the genre, this proved a surprisingly decent and enjoyable one which I came across dubbed in English on "You Tube" – especially in view of the fact that it was Forest's swan-song, was directed by Civirani – who had made the latter's weakest effort, HERCULES AGAINST THE SONS OF THE SUN (1964) – and, what is more, was originally titled very similarly to Antonio Margheriti's ANTHAR L'INVINCIBLE aka THE DEVIL OF THE DESERT AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES (1964) starring Kirk Morris that I just caught up with a few days ago, which ought to have spelled redundancy!

As foretold by the prophets there would one day arise a man who was born of lightning and would be invincible. And that's who Mark Forest plays in Kindar The Invulnerable.

Someone must have been reading Superman comics and decided to create a Superman like character for their sword and sandal film. Forest is impervious to all, swords, spears, rocks. There is something in the prophecy also about a red flower being his Kryptonite, but no one can figure that one out.

This was the last film made by Mark Forest aka Lou Degni of Brooklyn who went to Italy to study opera and paid his way through the lessons by doing these muscle films. He was the best looking of all the muscle dudes who were glutting the market with these epics in the early Sixties. I sincerely hope he had a good career in opera to make up for some of these films. He certainly had a focus.

Mark is hit at his birth by a bolt of lightning which kills his mother but makes him almost invulnerable: Only the "Red Flower" can harm him, though nobody knows what it is. Unfortunately, he is soon thereafter kidnaped and made the chief warrior of a desert bandit tribe led by Mimmo Palmara, which tries to sack Mark's city of birth. Two great scenes: Mark, without knowing it, has to fight his own brother in a whipping and wrestling duel in the mountains. And: Mark lets himself be put into an iron maiden to prove that he cannot be harmed; he steps out of it and simply states, "I am invulnerable." Extra wooden acting during love scenes (even in comparison to other products of Italian popular cinema of this time)!! Low production costs, partially boring. Recommended for fans of Mark Forest or Italian trash cinema only. Almost the bottom of the barrel. Rosalba Neri has only a very small part to play, which is a pity.

Mark Forest stars as KINDAR THE INVULNERABLE.

As a newborn, Kindar is the fulfillment of a prophesy that tells of an indestructible savior of his people.

Oh no!

Baby Kindar is abducted! This is very disturbing, since everyone involved wants to test infant Kindar's invulnerability by trying to plunge a dagger into him! Bad parenting all around!

Fast-forward to the chuckling adult Kindar, still wearing some sort of diaper, stomping and smashing people for fun and relaxation. Raised by desert marauders, Kindar believes he's the son of their leader, Seymuth (Mimmo Palmara).

Soon, romance blooms between Big K and a captive princess. This makes Seymuth's woman, Kira (Rosalba Neri) jealous, since she's had her eye on him herself. Now, she's up to no good!

Then, Kindar must face his equally huge brother in a fight to the death! The sand really flies when these two crash and bang into each other like a pair of enchanted oak trees!

QUESTIONS: #1- Will Kindar discover his true identity before helping to destroy his own homeland? #2- Can he possibly withstand Kira's aggressive advances? #3- Will he ever tire of cracking people's heads together?

A late entry in the genre, it still manages to be fun and worth a viewing. Forest is his usual, lumbering self, breaking bones and taking names!...

Mark Forest is Kindar this time. At least he's not named Hercules/Maciste or one of the many other strongman names this time. The character is basically the exact same as all of his other roles - a musclebound dude, star of the picture that kicks butt on screen while trying to flex all his muscles for the viewers. But this time he's in an Arabic flavored setting but still showing off his pecks. Oh he has magical powers this time.

Same routine stuff: our "hero" has a love interest, there is an evil bandit (sometimes a evil King or Queen), he has to save the day and battles happen. He kisses the girl. The End.

1/10