Les Derniers Jours de Pompéi

Sergio Leone's uncredited debut is nowhere near the masterpieces he churned out starting from A Fistful of Dollars. His credited debut Colossus of Rhodes is a much better Sword and Sandal film. The production design, very good looking men and women and the widescreen cinematography are the good things in here. The bland acting(?) by most of the actors, ludicrous plot etc makes it uninteresting for the most part. Including a bit of homosexuality is commendable for the time period. Even though most of the film is not very good there are moments that entertains and makes it a little memorable.

Oh man, if life was so dull in Pompeii, I think most people would have left the place long before the Vesuvius erupted! A mostly covered-up Steve Reeves tries to find out who is behind his father's murder - as if it could be anyone else other than Fernando Rey (when has he NOT played the villain?). A total drag, until the good special effects take over in the last 15 minutes. *1/2 out of 4.

Once again Steve Reeves is perfectly cast in a period film -- this time set in the final days of Pompeii with paranoia about Christianity running rampant. The costumes are exquisite (though perhaps more GREEK than ROMAN if you know your history and fabric patterns), with a MAJOR plot twist towards the end -- NO SPOILERS, go watch the movie! -- as Reeves investigates his father's murder.

There's some confusion as to why folks in Pompeii were worshiping the Egyptian Isis throughout the movie, so I'll have to hit the history books again to see if that was a thing or just a liberty taken by the director. (To my knowledge they followed the usual suspects: Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, etc.)

This appears to be Sergio Leone's first film, and as such it is interesting enough. He made a few films like this in the beginning, another was "The Colossus of Rhodes" which was even worse, and already here you find all the worst sides of the director, the sadistic penchant for meaningless cruelty, the crude characterizations and as much brutal violence as possible.

The plot is completely changed from the famous novel of Bulwer-Lytton's, there is no mention of christianity in the novel, while here it is used to make another sort of "Quo Vadis?" Nothing wrong with that, the plot is actually quite interesting and well thought out, but it's the character of Julia that ruins the film - she is utterly unconvincing. Fernando Rey as Arbaces the scheming villain is good enough, and Steve Reeves has not yet developed into the dummy he was to turn into by too much muscular performances. He was no Charlton Heston, and his mere presence in a film ensures its second hand qualities.

The film was given a generous budget, though, which was used more than well. The epic apocalyptic scenes of the volcano eruption and the overwhelming catastrophe of the downfall of the city are rendered in great detail and very convincing. For Sergio Leone, it was not bad for a start.

This may have been the first film Steve (Mr. Hercules, himself) Reeves made after his enormously popular two Hercules films. Reeves certainly did not lose any of his granite carved physique before signing on to do this film. Story concerns Reeves as roman tribune who returns home to Pompeii after a sabattical in the roman legions. He discovers his father dead and seeks out to avenge his murder, all the while keeping the ruling class in Pompeii in worry that he may use his influence and go to Rome to emperor Tiberius. The christians are blamed for a load of murders in and around Pompeii, but in the background it is not the christians who are committing murders but a well organized band of roman traitors, who disguise as leaders during the day but murderers at night. One of the corrupt leaders is the lovely Anne Marie Bauman, who merrily rides along on a home made roman sled early in the film. Even the local church leader is part of the gang of henchmen...Reeves meets the daughter of the roman counsel and a relationship begins. Reeves is in love, but doubts the sincerity and truth of the lovely Christine Kaufman who is a self professed Christian and meets secretly with them at night in a cave. Reeves quickly discovers and learns the christians are not murderers and sets out to prove it...he then gets gang attacked by the roman traitors. Correct part of the film shows blind roman girl named Nydia who is also a Christian convert and is a maid to Kaufman. In the original novel about Pompeii there is a blind girl named Nydia. Soon Reeves fights off and kills band of traitors along with the help of his followers. Volcano then erupts and shows the total destruction of Pompeii....only Reeves and Kaufman are able to escape via a small boat.....very good special effects showing the destruction of Pompeii with Reeves running in the streets trying to find his love.... Check out scene with Reeves pulling chains out of prison walls and his set of massive biceps bulging. Reeves certainly had the body of a roman gladiator and then some...a body carved from granite. Of of Reeves best films.