Rome is just beginning to turn into a power to be reckoned with. However, its war against Alba drags on and on : the Romans may be warlike, tenacious and proud, but exactly the same can be said of the inhabitants of Alba. Meanwhile hundreds of brave young men - the flower and future of their nations - die on the battlefield, while the general population suffers and commerce and agriculture dwindle. In despair, both kings decide to consult the gods...
This movie deals with a subject known to all lovers of Roman history and myth, to wit the champions' fight between the Horatii and the Curatii brothers. It's a bold, interesting subject but the movie isn't entirely up to the task. For some reason or another, the various makers of the movie found it difficult to direct, stage, choreograph and/or film scenes of battles and fighting. This does not make for the most rousing of movies, especially since much of the action involves battles or fighting. The acting too isn't anything to write home about, although both Alan Ladd and Robert Keith - to give them their due - work honestly for their paycheck.
The movie also glosses over some of the darker aspects of the Horatii versus Curatii episode. You will notice that, near the end, a woman commits suicide out of grief over the death of her beloved. In the Roman tale, she is killed by her brother, for crying over a private sorrow during a day of triumph for her people. (And her brother, as a result, finds himself into some very hot water indeed.)
The story itself, of course, remains relevant to this day. More than 2500 years ago, some people seem to have come to the conclusion that it's no use waging war, if waging war implies a collective death from violence, hunger and disease. As a result the outcome of the conflict was decided by a duel between two sets of brothers, who acted as champions for their nations. Compare and contrast to the present day, where the stocks of many a powerful country contain enough weapons to wipe out all life on the planet - several times over.
Finally the movie proves, once again, that the male warrior dress of the ancient Greeks and Romans had a polarising effect. If you had a well-proportioned and well-trained body, you looked like a god amongst men ; if you did not have a well-proportioned and well-trained body, you looked like a fool or a weakling. For all I know, this may have acted as an instant fitness test...
This movie deals with a subject known to all lovers of Roman history and myth, to wit the champions' fight between the Horatii and the Curatii brothers. It's a bold, interesting subject but the movie isn't entirely up to the task. For some reason or another, the various makers of the movie found it difficult to direct, stage, choreograph and/or film scenes of battles and fighting. This does not make for the most rousing of movies, especially since much of the action involves battles or fighting. The acting too isn't anything to write home about, although both Alan Ladd and Robert Keith - to give them their due - work honestly for their paycheck.
The movie also glosses over some of the darker aspects of the Horatii versus Curatii episode. You will notice that, near the end, a woman commits suicide out of grief over the death of her beloved. In the Roman tale, she is killed by her brother, for crying over a private sorrow during a day of triumph for her people. (And her brother, as a result, finds himself into some very hot water indeed.)
The story itself, of course, remains relevant to this day. More than 2500 years ago, some people seem to have come to the conclusion that it's no use waging war, if waging war implies a collective death from violence, hunger and disease. As a result the outcome of the conflict was decided by a duel between two sets of brothers, who acted as champions for their nations. Compare and contrast to the present day, where the stocks of many a powerful country contain enough weapons to wipe out all life on the planet - several times over.
Finally the movie proves, once again, that the male warrior dress of the ancient Greeks and Romans had a polarising effect. If you had a well-proportioned and well-trained body, you looked like a god amongst men ; if you did not have a well-proportioned and well-trained body, you looked like a fool or a weakling. For all I know, this may have acted as an instant fitness test...