The Lion of Thebes

This is another above-average peplum and one that's actually a follow-up to Ferroni's own THE Trojan HORSE (1961), since it follows the exploits of Helen Of Troy after the fall of that city; the earlier film had already had a sequel, THE AVENGER (1962), made by other hands but again featuring Steve Reeves in the role of Aeneas (who doesn't show up here)!

Anyway, for an obviously low-budget spectacle (with flashback footage borrowed from HORSE), the film certainly looks good - courtesy of cinematographer Angelo Lotti, who later shot the Jess Franco masterpiece VENUS IN FURS (1968)! - while the plot is filled with amusing suspense trappings: secret passageways, dungeons, a duel to the death by a snake-infested fountain, intrigues, murders, a coveted treasure, a nick-of-time escape for the heroine - strapped to a stone slab - from being crushed to death by a descending massive piece of machinery, etc.

The cast, too, is peppered with familiar faces: he-man hero Mark Forest (whose favorite role this was, according to the "DVD Drive-in" review of Trimark Home Video's 7-film set THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULES!) doesn't alter the expression of his face much during the course of the film but, at least, he fares better here than in the earlier laugh-fest GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON (1960); Yvonne Furneaux appears as Helen Of Troy and, given that the film is largely set in Egypt, I couldn't help being reminded of her role in the classic Hammer horror THE MUMMY (1959); Massimo Serato and Alberto Lupo provide a double dose of (sometimes) ripe villainy; and Rosalba Neri (yet again) as the current Pharaoh's jilted fiancée but who takes her rival Furneaux's defences, against usurper Serato, when Helen Of Troy is accused of murdering the Egyptian ruler - and suffers the consequences for her actions!

Il leone di tebe(1964) Regia di Giorgio Ferroni Con Mark Forest, Yvonne Furneaux, Massimo Serato, Rosalba Neri, Pierre Cressoy, Enzo Fiermonte, Alberto Lupo

That the set are well done but a bit in the studio, the costumes and hairstyles are good.The story at the beginning is a bit' slow and boring, but then it becomes interesting.Yvonne Furneax is beautiful and she had breathtaking close-ups, has a wonderful body. No chemistry with Mark Forest and their love story is boring. The music is recycled and not very incisive.Rosalba Neri is beautiful and manages to be more provocative, sensual and charismatic of Furneax.Mark Forest better than usual but in the fight scenes you can see his double . Very good Alberto Lupo, Massimo Serato and Pierre Cressoy as the villains.There are some interesting twists. A good peplum film even if there are moments of bore.

One of the approximately 300 Italian peplum (sword and sandals) films made between 1957 and 1965, Lion of Thebes is unusual for a number of reasons: one, there is actually something like a coherent story rather than a simple collection of "strongman set pieces"; two, there is actually a fair amount of dialogue, and the acting is rather better than usual--one almost has the impression that the muscleman (Aryan) cares about what is happening; three, the film is a little more ethically ambiguous than usual: the good woman (Helen) and the "bad" woman (Naïs) actually want the same thing; the "usurper" is actually the proper heir to the throne; the wicked counselor is evil, but actually wants to save Thebes from its weak and careless leader. Peplums tend to range from laughably bad to simply agonizingly bad--this one's actually okay.

Mark Forest's personal favorite of his films is one of the best Italian sword & sandal films of the 1960s. Superior writing and direction, and handsome Egyptian sets and costumes, make it seem like a wonderful comic book come to life. Forest, in great shape, has never been better or been better-photographed. Furneaux capably heads a strong supporting cast.

The story finds the Pharaoh Rameses in love with Helen of Troy (Furneaux), who prefers Aryan (Forest), her beefy bodyguard. A mythological mix-up, but it's one of the genre's strongest, most logical and compelling stories.

A film like this, in an unfaded print with strong bright colors, makes one wonder if some of these films aren't actually better than they seem in their ludicrously-dubbed American TV versions. If this had been made by Fassbinder, David Lynch or some other fashionable director, it might be acclaimed as an avant garde masterpiece.

What actually happened to the beautiful Helena after the Trojan War on the way back to Sparta to her old husband Menelaus? Homer and Herodotus give different answers.

The director Giorgio Ferroni gives us a third answer. With him, Helena (Yvonne FURNEAUX) ends up as a castaway in the land of the pharaohs, accompanied by her extremely strong bodyguard Arion (the body-built opera singer Mark FOREST). There, Massimo SERATO, Rosalba NERI and Pierre CRESSOY are both drawn into a crazy series of intrigues. It's good that Arion (in Herodotus he's still the guy with the dolphin) can fight so well! Against Cinecitta-known cascaders like Nello PAZZAFINI and the massive MESSINA brothers (Emilio and Roberto) he even manages to become the "Lion of Thebes"!

Honor where honor is due! But we know our sword and sandal films! Despite all the difficulties and surprises, the Greek beauty and her brave hero return home to Hellas. With a well-built lover like Arion at her side, Helena will be able to endure the Spartan conditions again.