L'Enlèvement des Sabines

There are many versions of this movie kicking around but the original is still the best. LBX and all the topless scenes included. If you watch the TRAILER on Y/T you can see glimpses of the topless bits. If you watch any of the movies, those breast scenes are all cut out. I have the original with everything showing. Plus in LBX and great colour it fantastic. Roger Moore is perfect for the role of the Roman leader.

For those of us who love Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and want to know just what inspired those Pontipee Brothers to court their women the way they did we have Romulus And The Sabines out of Roman legends to tell us. Least that's what Plutarch said.

Romulus And The Sabine Women is a cut above the usual peplum product from Italy at the time. It stars Roger Moore as Romulus one of the legendary founders of Rome and we're at the pioneer days of Rome when Romulus who is the son of Mars and therefore half divine has talked a bunch of men to pull up stakes and settle on a promising site on the banks of the Tiber River. But like pioneers depicted in such films like Westward The Women or Paint Your Wagon these guys have cleared the land and made a city, but there aren't any women.

Even the leader is feeling some pangs and he does realize that we do need the other sex if the city is to grow and prosper. Those folks from Sabinia in the next county have women, so get women from them one way or another.

The story is presented accurately as has come down to us. Roger Moore is definitely nice to look at, but for once the leading man in a peplum is not dependent on his physique for attention. The particular object of his affection Mylene Demongeot, Sabine princess and consecrated vestal virgin and French cinema legend is also an eyeful.

Speaking of eyefuls Romulus And The Sabines has as a real treat a meeting with the Gods. In a dream sequence Romulus seeks advice from dear old dad, Mars the God of War, but that other Roman deity Venus insists on putting her two cisterces in. They're played by Jean Marais and Rosanna Schiaffino and they have the best dialog in the film, even dubbed.

This is not bad and might even prompt a reading of the classics by some young viewers. That's always worthwhile, at least that's what Plutarch said.

childish, heroic in few moments but not impressive. testimony of a time , in which blockbusters are skin for historical subjects, it is seductive only for cast. and for ambiguous intentions of director. sure, Roger Moore or Jean Marais are perfect names for epic but, in same time, important source of frustration. because the beautiful story is a strange mixture of feminism, myths, jokes and love story. all in same place, maybe the public is master of choices. the tale is thin, the fight scenes - nice, the beauty - not spectacular but interesting for understand sensitivity of a time. but the central error is its role of page from a movie type. after so many films inspired by Antiquity it is difficult to be happy at meeting with "Il ratto delle sabine". not for the force of the other creations - it is not Spartacus or Ben Hur - but for the ambition of director to say all in not well manner.

Romulus, the founder of Rome and his men want wives. The Romans decide to take them from the Sabines and they head to Sabinia to find them. The men of Sabinia will fight back to save their wives and daughters from the first Romans.

The movie is just okay (being generous), it's not really funny these days - but might have been humorous at the time of it's release.

This film has 007 himself, Roger Moore, in his early career. Roger Moore fans might find this film interesting for that reason.

Overall I was not happy with the film. It's just not funny to me.

2/10

...for they do appear ,when Romulus is fast asleep ,and try to change his destiny:after all ,he is Mars's son .The God and the Goddess are played by earnest thespian Jean Marais and Italian beauty Rossanna Schiaffino :they would team up again ,this time as the principals in André Hunebelle's remake of "Le Miracle Des Loups" the very same year.

Richard Pottier is an odd job man whose works are eclectic ,from the first version of "some like it hot" ("Fanfare D'Amour") to social concern (euthanasia in "Meurtres" ) to ...sword and sandals .His Peplum can be looked upon as the continuing story of Romulus which Sergio Corbucci began with "Romolo E Remo" the same year.Steve Reeves is replaced by Roger Moore who is not a muscle man but anyway was Romulus an athlete?Mylene Demongeot ,who provides the main love interest ,was considered a Brigitte Bardot clone and her career who brilliantly began with "Les Sorcieres De Salem" suffered accordingly.

It seems that Pottier did not know what he intended to do:the movie is now a comedy nay a farce ,now a dramatic tale with lots of death.Historical interest is thin and the low budget does not help :Moore and vestal Demongeot wear the same costume during the whole film.Francis Blanche ,as a myopic potential husband provides the movie with its comic relief (comic,so to speak).Women ,ahead of their time don't want to be treated as cattle :they want to choose their husband !