Fort Alésia

"Giants of Rome" is an average storytelling about Caesar and Vercingetorix , dealing with adventures of a brave group behind the enemy lines . This is a fairly Sword and Sandals standard from the 60s starred by the American hunk Richard Harrison who acted in several Spaghetti Westerns and Musclemen epics . It's made middling scale with some spectacular scenes and Peplum style . It concerns Julius Caesar and his famous existence on Gaul, including feats , fights , political events , betrayal , wars and eventually the known battle of Alesia . Vercingetorix provokes a general rebellion against Roman domination, he rallies his people and tribes when they are threatened by a powerful army commanded by Julius Caesar (Alexandro Sperli) . Caesar asks troops to senate ruled by senator Pompeius (Piero Lulli) for fighting against the Barbarians . Caesar assigns a risked mission to Claudius Marcellus (Richard Harrison) who enlists a squad of specialists (Ettore Manni , Alberto Dell'Acqua.. ) and swears Caesar that they will encounter the giant arms before Caesar carries out his attack some days later . Our heroes get trapped and tortured repeatedly but manage to getaway . Along the way , they flee from a Druid jail and take an imprisoned Roman soldier and while the gorgeous Livilla (Wandisa Guida) falls in love with Marcellus . Although the deeds described are historically inaccurate, some events are vivid and authentic .

The action is regularly done and the story drags occasionally ; however , to be liked for Peplum hardcore lovers. This Sword and Sandals movie is a crossover in Peplum ink of ¨Guns of Navarone¨ with a powerful weapon that threatens the army , including a traitor and ¨Dirty dozen¨ also with a squadron of experts on diverse skills . The picture is partially based on historical events when happened Roman-Gaul wars . These are the following ones : Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix (dead 46 a.c) was an insightful and valiant warrior , whose father was captured and executed by the Romans , he was leader a rebellion against Roman domination . He seeks justice by winning freedom for Gaul from the Romans , and soon he raises an army of his own to defeat Caesar . Vercingetorix was definitely defeated in Alesia , where took place a long siege.

Other adaptations about Caesar and Vercingetorix are the following ones : ¨Julius Caesar the conqueror¨(1962) with Rik Battaglia as Vercingentorix and Cameron Mitchell as Caesar ; 'Vercingetorix (2001)' by Jacques Dorffman with Chistopher Lambert and Klaus Mara Brandauer ; 'Julius Caesar (2004 TV)' by Uli Edel with Jeremy Sisto as Caesar and Heino Ferch as Vercingetorix.

The motion picture was professionally directed by Anthony M. Dawson or Antonio Margheriti , an Italian craftsman expert on adventure and Peplum or Sword and Sandals , as he proved in 1964 Ursus, Il Terrore Dei Kirghisi , 1964 Soraya , Queen of desert , 1963 El Justiciero Rojo , 1963 Il Crollo di Roma , 1962 La Freccia d'Oro , among others . Rating : 5,5 ; passable and acceptable.

This sword and sandal film by Antonio MARGHERITI tells a story from the Gallic War. In 52 BC, the decisive Battle of Alesia is imminent. Gaius Julius Caesar (Alessandro SPERLI) puts together a suicide squad to scout out a feared secret weapon of the Druids behind the Gallic lines and, if possible, destroy it. Under the leadership of Claudius Marcellus (Richard HARRISON), several experienced warriors (Ralph HUDSON, Ettore MANNI and Goffredo UNGER) set off and end up in the dungeon of Vercingetorix (Renato BALDINI). There they meet the beautiful patrician Livilla (the hair is perfect as always: Wandisa GUIDA) and her injured and broken bodyguard Drusus (Philippe HERSENT). Thanks to the young runaway Valerius (the exceptional acrobatic actor Alberto DellACQUA in his first role), the squad manages to escape. Now the heroes still have numerous battles ahead of them, and there will be painful losses to mourn...

The classic sword and sandal film borrows from upcoming war films such as THE DIRTY DOZEN and ATTENTATO AI TRE GRANDI by Umberto LENZI, in which battle-ready gallows birds are used as a suicide mission. This offers solid genre entertainment, but also leaves a bitter aftertaste.

"The forces of Rome are out to defeat the Druids but are shocked to learn their enemy has a powerful secret weapon that could spell defeat for them. Claudius Marcellus, a Roman Centurion, leads a small band of soldiers behind enemy lines to discover the location of this doomsday weapon and destroy it before the Druids can use it to attack Rome," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Titled "The Giants of Rome" for English listeners, this nicely paced "sword and sandal" epic stars an Adonis-handsome Richard Harrison (as Claudius Marcellus) in a bulging pair of satin briefs. He is supported by a "beefcake" quartet of Roman soldiers, including right-hand man Ettore Manni (as Castor). The accent is on men, but Wandisa Guida (as Livilla) adds a little femininity.

Up-and-coming young Alberto Dell'Acqua (as Valerius) makes a particularly strong impression herein. As the soldier who wants to join Caesar's selected quartet of soldiers, Mr. Dell'Acqua (later known internationally as "Robert Widmark") is given what must have amounted to a star-making role in his home country. Watch out, especially, for his startling "crucifixion" sequence.

****** I giganti di Roma (9/10/64) Antonio Margheriti ~ Richard Harrison, Ettore Manni, Wandisa Guida, Alberto Dell'Acqua

In Giants Of Rome Richard Harrison leads a handpicked crew to seek and destroy a legendary secret weapon that the Druids have constructed blocking a pass. Given that this is an ancient world epic, how advanced technologically could the weapon be?

The plot is a homage to The Guns Of Navarone and while it isn't anywhere up to the standard of that film, it's a bit better than some of the peplum films I've been viewing lately. The dialog is a bit much however. When the band of warriors have to kill some Gauls and take a couple of prisoners, one of them is a woman. To which Harrison asks her why she hates the Romans so much. I mean really.

None other than Julius Caesar himself gives Harrison and his band their mission orders. Just what is this terrible secret weapon? All I can say is it's nothing the Roman legions hadn't faced before, just bigger.

GIANTS OF ROME stars Richard Harrison as Roman soldier, Claudius Marcellus, who is chosen to lead an elite team into Gaul. There, they will locate and destroy a secret weapon of the dreaded druids.

Under almost continuous attack, Marcellus and his cohorts, including the living side of beef known as Germanicus (Ralph Hudson), go through much travail before reaching their objective. By this time, Germanicus is covered in so much body oil that he could carry his weapons by slapping them onto his chest like post-it notes!

THE BURNING QUESTION: Why is Germanicus the only one who gets a studded mini-skirt?

He does get to go out in style, tossing his foes around like human bean bags!

This movie has a true sense of adventure, danger, and derring-do. Those who have compared it to THE GUNS OF NAVARONE aren't far off. Harrison is his usual heroic self.

Co-stars the beautiful Wandisa Guida...