This is a spectacular Italian film , though full of historic inaccuracy and being well starred by Anthony Quinn as Attila . This ¨Attila¨(1953) by Pietro Francisci boasts itself a good cast with Anthony Quinn , Sofia Loren , Irena Papas , Ettore Manni and Henry Vidal as general Aecio . Epic and historical portrayal about Attila , including court intrigue , romance , treason , impressive battles and it is set during the waning days of Roman Empire , as the barbarian Huns are making their way toward Europe . As a valiant warrior named Attila (Anthony Quinn) violently assumes Hun leadership confronting his brother Bleda (Ettore Manni) . But this is not enough for him , Attila seeks to create an empire and he will stop at nothing to accomplish it . Attila , the leader of the barbarian Huns combats enemies and , finally , the Roman Empire until he and his violent warriors reach the gates of the city itself . He's the Barbarian Attila , king of the Huns , whose hordes from various tribes and allies have been sweeping the Asian steppes and both Roman empires . But an egoistic princess called Honoria (Sofia Loren) now offers her hand and the empire as dowry to Attila , just what Bleda hoped for . While scared , nutty Roman emperor Valentinian (Claude Laytu) can only mourn his pet cheetah and Roman general Aethius is appointed by Galla Placidia (Collete Régis) to lead a desperate defense , who fear nothing , except perhaps the mysterious Christian god along with his earthly representative , Pope Leo I . Men followed . Women worshiped . Rome trembled . Surging Spectacle and Savagery Overwhelms the Screen With Passion and Violence! Cast of Thundering Thousands! See the Hun Hordes Storm Out of Asia to Crash Head-On Into the Vaunted Roman Legions! Against the ravaging hordes of Attila stood a warrior's might and a people's faith! . Against his ruthless pagan lusts , the power of a woman's love!
Attila's feats in the Western and Eastern Roman Empires with some historical incorrectness . It deals with Attile from his confrontation with his more popular brother Bleda who was murdered during a hunt party , and subsequently persuading the Barbarian hordes to march with him on the empire until his death . It results to be an epic adventure yarn set in 5th-Century about the chieftain Attila the Hun who joins the warring clans under his banner , as he was a leader of the Hunnic Empire , a tribal confederation consisting of Huns , Ostrogoths , and Alans , among others , on the territory of Central and Eastern Europe , while Roman Empire is bristling under the leadership of cunning General Aetius and of the incompetent Caesar Valentinian . This thrilling movie contains action , overwhelming battles , emotion , fights , hokey historical events and the crowed scenes of the Huns are impressively made . Big production design , lavishly produced , brilliant photography and rousing soundtrack as you'd expect from a big-budgeted movie at the time , being financed by two greatest Italian producers : Carlo Ponti and Dino de Laurentiis . There takes place a fictitious battle of wits between Attila/Anthony Quinn and Aethius/Henry Vidal . Anthony Quinn dominates with his bravery this historical adventure , while Valentinian rules badly the empire , being grumpily performed by overacting Claude Laydu in Neron/Peter Ustinov style . Henry Vidal plays appropriately the Roman general Aethius who knows the Huns well as a result of former hostage exchanges , fails to get a true peace but buys a shaky one promising doubled tribute . Here stands out Anthony Quinn who gives a nice acting , as usual ; Quinn work is well up to his ordinary high standards . Anthony played a lot of exotic roles , such as : Osceola in Seminola , Crazy Horse in They died with boots on , Chief Yellow Hand in Buffalo Bill , Kublai Khan in Marco Polo , a bullfighter in Santos the magnificent , an Emir in Simbad the sailor , a Mexican rebel in Viva Zapata , Quasimodo in The hunchback of Paris , a Basque in The passage and Zorba the Greek , among others . But the beauty and attractive Sophia Loren is the real star of this film . Great support cast provide some solid secondary interpretations , such as : Claude Laydu as Valentinianus , Irene Papas , Colette Régis as Galla Placidia , Ettore Manni as Bleda , brother of Attila , Eduardo Ciannelli and Christian Marquand . Brilliant and glimmering cinematography in Technicolor by Aldo Tonti . Evocative as well as moving musical score by Raoul Kraushaar and Enzo Masetti . The motion picture was professionally directed by a Peplum expert , Pietro Francisci , though it has some flaws and historical mistakes .
The picture is based on historical events about Attila called by the Romans "The Scourge of God", as he sweeps onto the Italian peninsula , defeating all of the armies of Rome , and other essential roles appearing as the valiant general Aecio or Aethius , the clueless emperor Valentiniano , Gala Placidia who married King Goth Ataulpho and her daughter Honoria . When a powerful King Hun dies , he leaves the throne to two sons : Bleda , who tired of war and hungry , bloody campaigns , wants to settle as allies of Rome in peace and his brother Attila who believes only in the power of the sword . Then , Attila kills his brother and he rules over the Barbarian Huns . While , the court of weakling emperor Valentinianus , moved north from Rome to Ravenna , where the true ruler is empress-mother Galla Placidia , widow of a barbarian king , who refuses the terms imposed by Attila and imprisons Aethius , who still refuses to seize power with Valentinian's sister Honoria . Aethius is pardoned and is appointed commander-in-chief of the Roman troops . During his reign , Attila was one of the most feared enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires . In an attempt to quell a Hun invasion , ambitious Roman General Flavius Aetius attempts to form an alliance with the eastern Roman emperor Teodosius and Visigoth King Theodoric scheming against their mutual enemy . By the way Attila crossed the Danube twice and plundered the Balkans, but was unable to take Constantinople . His unsuccessful campaign in Persia was followed in 441 by an invasion of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire , the success of which emboldened Attila to invade the West . He also attempted to conquer Roman Gaul (modern France) , crossing the Rhine in 451 and marching as far as Orleans before being defeated at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains . He subsequently invaded Italy , devastating the northern provinces , but was unable to take Rome . As Attila marches across Empire to Rome and things look bleak for the weakened imperial forces . As the neglected legions without serious fortifications are no match for the Hun hordes . While Attile attempts to march against Rome but this plan backfires , and it soon becomes clear that a violent confrontation between all three armies awaits . Emperor Valentinian III sent three envoys , the high civilian officers Gennadius Avienus and Trigetius , as well as the Bishop of Rome Leo I , who met Attila at Mincio in the vicinity of Mantua and as the conqueror had an awe of the power of the Christians' God , he obtained from him the promise that he would withdraw from Italy and negotiate peace with the Emperor . Finally , Aecio vanquished Attile in Chalons . He planned for further campaigns against the Romans but died in 453 . After Attila's death his close adviser Ardaric of the Gepids led a Germanic revolt against Hunnic rule, after which the Hunnic Empire quickly collapsed .
Other films dealing with this historical character are the following ones : ¨Sign of the pagan¨(1954) by Douglas Sirk with Jack Palance as Attila , Jeff Chandler , Ludmilla Tchérina , Moroni Olsen . ¨The Nibelungos , vengeance of Siegfried¨ (1967) by Harald Reinl with Herbert Lom as Attila . And mini-series ¨Attila¨ (2001) with Gerard Butler as Attila , Powers Boothe , Simmone Mackinnon , Jonathan Hyde , Steven Berkoff , Tommy Flanagan and and Red Rogers as Valentiniano .
