Le colosse de Rhodes

Technically master director Sergio Leone's debut, The Colossus of Rhodes wasn't his first foray into swords-and-sandals epics. He was famously the second unit director for Ben-Hur and had to take over the reigns himself for The Last Days of Pompeii. Although he's known now for his Westerns, he certainly had a little niche going at the start. Unfortunately, there's fundamental flaws with that niche and it just doesn't hold up to today. Bland characters, bland story. It takes itself too seriously and ends up overly camp. It wants to have a camaraderie about war but it comes off awkward and childish ending with meaningless conflict and catastrophe. It's an interesting film and relatively watchable but it's terribly dated. While it has the pace of his subsequent films, it has none of the grit or tension. The most disappointing aspect is that the photography is incredibly flat. While the frames take a massive expanse for a debut, there's no depth and the sets are just obvious. Well, at least he got better.

5/10

I suspect it's curiosity that brought most of us reviewers to "The Colossus of Rhodes", an Italian swords-and-sandals blockbuster set in the Greek antique world and whose most prestigious name on the credits belongs to the director, Sergio Leone. His thunder isn't even stolen by his no-less legendary partner in film: the late Maestro Ennio Morricone. I confess it, if it wasn't for the film's reputation as the first directed movie from Sergio Leone, chances are it wouldn't have made it even in my Top 500 to-watch list.

And so like many fans, I was wondering how the film looked, how the hyperbolic style of Leone and his infatuation with detached and outcast characters would translate into a peplum? Yes, the film about one of the wonders of the Antique world started with a personal wonder. And so, maybe distracted by years of impregnation with Leone style, I kept looking at the film like an oddity, a canvas where I could spot here and there one or two trademarks from the Maestro. And I was so focused on that that I perhaps forgot to watch the film.

The distraction was so grand that I don't even feel entitled to review the film properly. I guess what I can say is that there is something in Rory Calhoun's impersonation of the Greek Darios that emerged from the usual heroic archetypes, here's a womanizer who gets itself caught in several plots converging toward the same goal, which is the destruction of the local tyrants. A Clint Eastwood he ain't but there is something in this colorful mosaic of talking and fighting and courting scenes that can't allow such characters to express themselves. As I noticed after watching "The Robe", peplums are movies designed for the spectacular and the epic, and it is a credit to the better ones to allow personalities to emerge.

Leone who was no stranger to that genre as he assisted Wyler in "Ben-Hur" and took part to the "Last Days of Pompei" had the instinct for such movies and "Colossus" features some remarkable sequences and set-designs, starting with the recreation of the big statue but something was missing. Leone's camera work has always been known to turn even the ugliest or most remote locations into subjects of eye-catching quality such as Goya paintings, his films portrayed the least appealing matters with great operatic lyricism, a capability to transcend the lowest instincts of humanity and turn them into things of epic aesthetic scales rather than morales. The Dollars trilogy was about greed or manipulation, ugly traits, the "Once Upon" trilogy about people incapable to cope with their time and also betrayal.

Great movies can be defined into simpler words and the simpler they are, the more they allow their directors to fully express their talent. "Colossus of Rhodes" has such a convoluted plot and historical mishmach doubled with the usual devotion to heroism as a value that it's remotely impossible to come up with anything fresh and new. At least, "Ben-Hur" had a universal story to tell, both "Spartacus" and "Quo Vadis" had Peter Ustinov. "Colossus of Rhodes" lacks colorful characters that could have humanized it. It's spectacular all right, the earthquake sequence is nothing short but brilliant but the film strikes as big chunk of antic splendor displayed only as a feast to the eyes, a "movie with gladiators" like another reviewer point it out, mentioning the infamous line from "Airplane!".

I don't feel like going further, this review isn't the highlight of my work either, but "Colossus" is more of a film you 'check' rather than watch, I checked so I could say that I saw all Leone's movies, Leone resurrected the Western genre and found the true arena of his colossal talent there and it had to to go through that step, one little step before the giant leap. Anyway, it was an Interesting watch, but legacy-wise, closer to the 'Manneken-pis' than the Colossus...

Leone served his apprenticeship in film by assisting various Italian directors as well as Walsh, Wyler and Melvyn Le Roy… By the late '50s he was writing scripts for gladiatorial epics, the genre in which he first gained directing experience, and took over "The Last Days of Pompeii" when the director Mario Bonnard fell ill before directing alone "The Colossus of Rhodes." Not until 1964, however, did he establish himself as a true original with his first film in what would come to be known as the Man With No Name trilogy…

"The Colossus of Rhodes" begins in the island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea 280 B.C.

Rhodes is celebrating a proud day in her history… A magnificent statue will now dominate the seas… But the Colossus was erected in blood and the people in Rhodes do not want slavery… The chief of the rebels, Peliocles (Georges Marchal) needs a man like that visitor Dario (Rory Calhoun), who's a great warrior in Greece…

Thar (Conrado San Martín)—who is in love with Diala (Lia Massari)—is no longer content with the power Serse (Roberto Camardiel) stupidly bestowed upon him… He wants this beautiful island to sell to Phoenicia, than he'll be the reigning monarch… Of course the rebels don't have enough men to attack them openly…

There's only one plan, to enter the Colossus… But the Colossus is impregnable…How could they hope to get in? Rhodes' best soldiers are imprisoned underground… A heavy gate seals the only exit… This gate can only be opened by a control in the Colossus…

If you want to see how the Colossus is a huge trap don't miss this Sergio Leone's directorial debut

...there was the movie that probably should not have been. It's not THAT bad, it's just surprising to see the director is Sergio Leone. But we all have to start somewhere don't we? And Leone started with this sword-and-sandals epic.

In the year 280 BC, Rhodes is a rich and powerful seaport island nation. King Serse (Roberto Camardiel) has just unveiled the Colossus, a massive metal statue of the god Apollo that stands over the port entrance. Greek hero Dario (Rory Calhoun) is in town for the festivities when he's approached by Peliocles (Georges Marchal) to join in a slave uprising against the Rhodesian oppressors. Dario is reluctant until he learns that the Phoenicians are plotting to overthrow the king and take the city's treasures.

This handsome production strives more for Ben-Hur or Spartacus style epic grandeur than Hercules Unchained B-movie pablum. Calhoun is a very dubious casting choice as the hero, and the French star Marchal is a more suitable lead. The costumes are nice and colorful, and the sets are very impressive, especially the Temple of Baal. At 127 minutes, this goes on about a half hour too long. However, there are some good action scenes, including an extended gladiator arena sequence. Unfortunately, a guy in a gorilla suit glimpsed briefly near the beginning never returns. This was the first credited directing job from spaghetti western maestro Sergio Leone, but his skill was not readily evident from this effort. Still, there's enough spectacle to keep this from being a complete waste of time.

Warner Brothers actually restored this and put this one on DVD, with commentary even. And yet they never got around to doing the same for Showboat. The speed in technology changes - DVD to Blu, physical to streaming, and throw in the Great Recession of 2008, and you see what seems like some strange choices by the studios. This one is often on Turner Classic Movies since Warner Bros. owns the rights. It is probably worth a watch for the novelty of it all.

After dying Alexander the Great , his empire was split itself, originating some independent kingdoms ruled by descendants of the Alexander's generals, this one was called the Hellenistic time. In fact , this is one of the few films to be set in the Hellenic period that spanned the period from the death of Alexander the Great to the rise of Rome as a world power . It's set in 280 B. C , the starring is Dario (a likable Rory Calhoun , though the original choice for the role of Darios was John Derek) an Athenian on holidays living in Rodi with his uncle Lisipo (Jorge Rigaud) . There he meets a good girl (Mabel Karr, wife to Fernando Rey, starring in The last days of Pompeii) and a bad girl (a gorgeous Lea Massari) . A tyrant (Roberto Camardiel) and his hoodlum (Conrado San Martin) govern tyrannically the town . But rebels led by Peliocles (Georges Marchal) fight against the nasty rulers . Meanwhile, a Phoenician army attempts to attack Rodi . Dario trying to clean up the doomed Rodhes town from enemies and a foreign invasion .

Some years before conducting a master class on the art of widescreen composition in The good , the bad and the ugly , Sergio Leone directed his credited directorial debut , though he had previously stepped in to finish most of The Last Days Of Pompeii when the original director fell ill, with this equally epic sword and sandal film starring American cowboy actor Rory Calhoun. Ample cast formed by American Rory Calhoun and familiar faces as Spanish as Italian actors ; Rory was in Italy for the title role in MGM's Marco Polo (1962), stepped into the lead role of "Colossus" on only one day's notice . Roy is solid and sympathetic though uninspired in the lead role as a honest adventurer caught up in the prior momentous to earthquake that threatens noblemen and slaves alike , but acting honors go to the villains played by Roberto Camardiel and Conrado San Martin . It's an European co-production by Spain/Italy/France with several actors from various countries , the screenplay was reportedly the work of nine screenwriters and filmed in lavish Budget . Leone's dynamic framing of the towering statue at the center of the film combined with the frenetic action scenes set on top of it made sure the Saturday matinée crowd stayed glued to their seats for the film's excessive 128 min. Running time . This historical epic about the Hellenistic time bears no relation whatsoever to real events and much of the dialog is of the wooden variety . In fact some scenarios contain abundant anachronism such as 'the Garden of the Granja of Segovia' built in XVIII century . The highlights are the images of the Colosso , one of the marvels of the world . The real Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was 32 meters high and stood on a hill , the cinematic version stands 110 meters and its legs bestride the harbor . In the pier of Laredo (Cantabria, Spain) was built feet , and head and shoulders were made in ordinary size and a maquette reflecting its whole splendor . Some spectacular scenes including the explosive climax when ground shaking and the town blows its top .

Colorful cinematography by Antonio Ballesteros , the widescreen process used is TotalScope, an Italian version of Cinemascope and evocative musical score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino . The film bears remarkable resemblance to 'Last days of Pompeii' by Mario Bonnard and Sergio Leone, such as the earthquake in which numerous images are taken , repeat several actors actors as Mimmo Palmara , Carlo Tamberlani, and of course, technicians, producers, writers : Ennio De Concini, Duccio Tessari, same cameraman : Antonio L. Ballesteros and assistant direction, Jorge Grau, among others . The motion picture was professionally directed by Sergio Leone . Although he had experience directing other films, this was the first to give full on-screen credit to Sergio .