Sous le signe de Rome

Only ruins remain of Palmyra today, but it was once one of the greatest cities in the east dominating the eastern part of the Roman empire from Ancyra down to Egypt. Zenobia was always the object of myths and legends, she was not stupid but highly cultivated, and Palmyra was second only to Alexandria for culture and civilisation. However, Rome would not allow it but had to swallow it all down in its own imperial preponderance and bring Zenobia a prisoner to Rome. There she was apparently granted some freedom and worthy sustenance unto her dying day. The film makes a romance out of it, making a Roman soldier a prisoner in Palmyra, whom Queen Zenobia falls in love with, thus complicating both the lives of herself and her Roman lover. Eventually they find each other in peace at Rome. The film is a monumental typical Peplum feature with very much pomp and circumstance and a great battle in the end. The music tries to equal the pompous ostentation without succeeding. It is no more than a superficial entertainment with Anita Ekberg at the centre of it with plenty of space for the admiration of her beauty, but she was never a great actress. Her best performances were in totally different genres.

Roman consul "Marcus Valerio" (Georges Marchal) finds himself captured and tortured by "Zenobia" (Anita Ekberg), the warlike Queen of the rebelling Palmyra. Rather than just crucify him, though, she reckons he might be of some use as they plan to defeat their enemy in an even bigger battle yet to come and so secure their freedom. He's very easy on the eye is old "Marcus", and the Queen promptly takes a bit of a shine to him - despite the protestations of her scheming minster "Semanzio" (Folco Lulli). Pretty swiftly we are let into the truth about the Roman's mission in her kingdom, but just as with the queen, he too is becoming just a bit conflicted. Can he save her without losing his honour and betraying his own people? Can she survive the machinations of her warlike advisor and save her new love? Well none of that is really in jeopardy at any point in this amiably colourful piece of peplum, but the writing (from Sergio Leone, no less) and the acting are really pretty woeful and there's not the slightest jot of chemistry between the wooden as a post Marchal and an Ekberg who really did look like she was there for the cash and the holiday. There are some enjoyably photographed and staged battle scenes at the end with flames and catapults a-plenty and though it could never be called good, it's by no means the worst of these 1950s sword and sandal efforts.

I assume this isn't the easiest film for people to see. It isn't on video (to my knowledge), doesn't turn up at cinema's. In Australia it turns up occasionally on our foriegn language channel as part of their "sword & sandal" series. And my God, Anita Ekberg. Already a fan of her....um, talents. This film offers a rare view of more of her talents than before. Her outfits are very sensuous. Given the chance to meet her, I think my manhood would have shrunk away, as she is a very powerful icon, yet watched from a far, she is an Amazonian entity to adore. For serious film fans, you shouldn't feel guilty for watching this "trash", as Sergio Leone's name can be glimpsed in the writers credits!

Made at a time when the popularity of the Sword and Sandal sub-genre was at its height, before giving way to the Spaghetti Western, this is a rare example of romance and court intrigue taking precedence over mindless, muscle bound heroics.

At one would expect it plays fast and loose with historical fact for although Queen Zenobia was defeated by the Romans and her life spared by Emperor Aurelian, there is no record anywhere of a relationship with a Roman General whilst the makers have gone so far as to give him the name of Marcus Valerius whose military exploits took place a century later!

The film's poster promises 'a wondrous spectacle bigger than anything you've seen before' which certainly applies to Anita Ekberg's chest whilst the exotic Chela Alonso, affectionately known as the Cuban H-Bomb, performs one of her hoochie-coochie dances guaranteed to quicken the pulse and send a rush of blood to the corpora cavernosa.

The film itself is something of a hotchpotch and betrays the input of various contributors. Credited director Guido Brignone became ill during production, fatally as it turned out so Riccardo Freda and a certain Michelangelo Antonioni were drafted in whilst the cinematography by uncredited Mario Bava is evident, especially in the dungeon scenes. Heaven only knows which segments Antonioni directed but there is no doubt that Freda was responsible for the climactic battle scene which will have animal rights activists foaming at the mouth. Credited composer Angelo Lavagnino provides a truly magnificent score.

The production is certainly well mounted and lavishly decorated whilst the version I saw has mercifully been spared the dreaded mid-Atlantic dubbing with Ekberg's Zenobia and Aurelius of Georges Marchal voiced by the ubiquitous Lydia Simoneschi and Emilio Cigoli.

Zenobia was a fascinating woman and by the standards of her time an enlightened ruler and one would hope that one day a film will emerge that will do her justice but that alas hardly seems likely.

I believe it is. Even reduced in it's intended length, the film has a number of curious elements to make it worth while even today. It was one of the first great productions from the "peplum" film industry, in this case in association with German, French, and Jugoslav studios. The army action relied entirely on men and horses, and also the war machines and traps that are here quiet realistic - catapults and multi-spear throwers, mainly (Stalin Organs, avant la lettre). Then, for arty fans, this is a good way to see where did Michelangelo Antonioni start perfecting his interior shots of dialogue; if you watch the German video copy (one of the best colors and editing around) without knowing the language (as I did), you'll notice that the interior shots are never boring - although you get to see some very poor "Egyptian" wall paintings... Finally, the two most prominent topics for most male viewers: Anita Ekberg riding a horse in mini-skirt, wearing daring low-cut evening dresses, and getting her man with a kiss, and a vengeful spear; Chelo Alonso proving in 4 minutes (longer, in the original version) how to be the focus of attention of the film industry with just one choreography... She mixes hand movements from Indian dance, with minimalist ballet and Turkish belly-dance to a perfection; she was famous as a dancer when discovered by film-makers, and with good reason.