Le colosse de Rhodes

Original title: Il colosso di Rodi

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

4.5K

YOUR RATING

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Sword & Sandal Adventure Drama History War

While holidaying in Rhodes, an Athenian war hero becomes involved in two plots to overthrow the tyrannical king: one from Rhodian patriots, and the other from sinister Phoenician agents.While holidaying in Rhodes, an Athenian war hero becomes involved in two plots to overthrow the tyrannical king: one from Rhodian patriots, and the other from sinister Phoenician agents.While holidaying in Rhodes, an Athenian war hero becomes involved in two plots to overthrow the tyrannical king: one from Rhodian patriots, and the other from sinister Phoenician agents.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

4.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:26

The Colossus of Rhodes

Photos60

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Trivia
Le colosse de Rhodes (1961) is set during the time following Alexander the Great's death (323 BC) but before the rise of the Roman empire (27 BC), known as the Hellenistic era. Most sword-and-sandal epics of the 1950s and 1960s were set in either classical Greece or even earlier (Les travaux d'Hercule (1958), Ulysse (1954), La bataille de Marathon (1959)) or the later Roman period (Ben-Hur (1959), Le gladiateur magnifique (1964), Quo Vadis (1951)). The only other films made during the peplum era to use a Hellenistic setting are Hannibal (1959), Rewak, le rebelle (1960) and La Charge de Syracuse (1960).

Goofs
The picture dates itself to 280 BCE. The island of Rhodes is shown as an independent state, which is true enough for the time; however, it's alleged to have a king although Rhodes was a republic at the time. The king bears an uncharacteristic non-Greek name: Serse, an Italian corruption of Xerxes, a Greek corruption of an Iranian name that it scarcely resembles. The king receives an ambassador from Phoenicia - at the time an integral part of the Seleukid Empire (Syria). Greece is referred to as if a united country, which at the time was untrue - divided as it was between Attika, Lakaidemon, the Akhaian League, the Aitolian League, Epiros, Makedon, and other states.

Quotes
Mirte: [seductively] I can grant your most secret desire.
Darios: Which one?

Alternate versions
There are several different versions, running from 126 minutes to 142 minutes. The French version is shortest but has some longer shots than English and German version. The Italian original is available in a restored 142 minute long version which contains all scenes. The main title sequence also differs between versions.

Connections
Edited into Caligula et Messaline (1981)

User reviews39

Featured review

5/10

Well, at least Leone got better.

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