The Warrior and the Slave Girl (1958) User Reviews

Entertaining Italian/Spanish co-production in which a Roman hero , gladiators and townspeople face off enemies in spectacular battles

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 1 August 2016]

This minor epic with standard plot in a different setting displays action , adventures , humor , climactic battles , luxurious scenarios and results to be quite amusing . It is the standard-issue one about the oppressed citizens rising up to overthrow a tyrant . Thus we have the usual scenes of the townspeople being drilled in the fighting to prepare them to eliminate the occupying force along with a court intrigue in which a nasty princess attempts to overthrow the loyal ruler , a kid whose leadership is his birthright . These scenes are wrapped around a predictable plot about rebel gladiators and a rebellious leader who leads his submitted country . Marcus Numidius (Ettore Manni) , a Roman tribune sent to Armenia to put down a gladiators' revolt , captures the rebels' popular leader , Aselepius (Georges Marchal) and frees a Roman officer (Rafael Luis Calvo) . Later on , Marcus is treated well by the Roman governor (Jesús Tordesillas) who gives him a great attention as guest of honour and splendid welcome but countrymen carry out a revolt . Meanwhile , Princess Amira (Gianna Maria Canale) , with ambitions of being Queen executes astute plans , as the little King is being poisoned to overthrow him . And jealous of Asclepius' popularity , she schemes his death in the arena by substituting a lion for his human opponent . But then , the bare-chested warrior helped by a dwarf (Salvatore Furnari who gives the comic relief) goes in an all-out rampage to save the boy .

"La Rivolta Dei Gladiatori" or "The Warrior and the Slave Girl¨(international title) directed by sometimes-lauded Cottafavi packs brief historical events about Armenia encroachment by Romans , gorgeous landscapes , glimmer scenarios, and battles well staged with hundreds of people . It is a fun film plenty of action , humor , fights , entertainment and amusement . The movie has not characterization accuracy neither expectation historic . This is a simple chronicle about an Oriental province at the Roman Empire where takes place a rebellion . Evocative costumes , bright photography , and a few good vistas help detract from the overall familiarity , and Ettore Manni makes an appealing though not especially charismatic hero . Highlights are gladiator combats , breathtaking battles , thrilling soundtrack and color cinematography . Being a Spain/Italy production there appears several secondary actors , many of them Peplum and Spaghetti's usual such as : Mara Cruz , Rafael Luis Calvo , Santiago Rivero and Jesús Tordesillas . Atmospheric as well as evocative musical score by Roberto Nicolisi . Colorful cinematography by Mario Pacheco , being filmed on location in La Pedriza , Manzanares Del Real , Madrid , Lazio , Rome , as well as studios : Pisorno Studios, Tirrenia, Tuscany, Italy and Sevilla Film Madrid, Spain . The flick will appeal to minor epic films buffs . Rating : Better than average and entertaining .

This motion picture titled ¨La Rebelión de los Gladiadores¨ is an enjoyable Sword and sandals flick , being professionally directed by Vittorio Cottafavi (1914-1998) ; he was a complete artist , painter and Peplum expert , as he directed : ¨Conquest of Atlántida¨, ¨Goliath and the Dragon¨(1961) with Mark Forest , Broderick Crawford , Bruce Cabot , ¨Hércules and the captive woman¨(1963) with Reg Park and the ordinary Ettore Manni , ¨Legions of Cleopatra¨, ¨Mesallina¨ and this ¨rebellion of gladiators¨. Vittorio began his professional career in the film industry as a clapper boy . After progressing to write motion picture screenplays and working as assistant director under Alessandro Blasetti and Vittorio De Sica, he became a director in his own right in 1943. Many of his films have been lavishly-produced, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, "sword-and sandal" or ¨Muscleman¨ epics, dealing with mythological subjects involving the Roman Empire or Ancient Egypt . From the mid-60's, Cottafavi concentrated exclusively on directing TV series and mini-series, under contract to RAI , many of them dealing with historic events or known personages such as Oliver Cromwell , Don Giovanni , Napoleone a Sant'Elena , Vita Di Dante and Cristóbal Colon .

Interesting, if somewhat confused, historical action drama.

[weezeralfalfa · 6/10 · 24 April 2018]

This is a 1958 historical drama directed by Vittorio Cottafavi, sponsored by the Italian Peplum TV organization......The complex politics within the far off Roman province of Armenia are what drives the screenplay. And, yet, I find the various alliances confusing. In the beginning, Roman Senator Lucillus(Nando Tammberiani) sends tribune Marcus Numidio(Ettore Manni) to Armenia to try to placate a rebel organization, mostly staffed by gladiators. who want to throw out the Romans, and their gladiator contests. When he arrives, he is greeted by the Roman governor Crisipius(Jesus Tordesillas), as well as by the Armenian boy King Osvoe(Fidel Martin), as well as his apparent regent, Princess Amira(Gianna Maria Canale), who initially attracts the romantic interest of Marcus, with her beauty and intelligence. Asclepias(Georges Marchal) is the leader of the rebel organization. Amira is jealous of Asclepias's popularity, and tries to have him killed by substituting a wild lion for his usual gladiator combatant(Gladiator victors weren't usually allowed to kill their opponent). Fortunately, this didn't work. Then, apparently, she tried to serve a poison drink to Marcus. Servant Zahar(Mara Cruz) served the drink, but refused Marcus's request that she test taste the wine, implying that she knew it was poisoned. Marcus threw the wine away, and roughed her up a bit. However, instead of ordering her executed, he ordered that she be the personal attendant for King Osroe(strange!). Pretty soon, Osroe falls into a slumber after drinking wine. Zahar hadn't taste tested it, but strongly suspected his wine had been poisoned. It soon becomes obvious that Amira had ordered the poisoning. As soon as she got information that Osroe was nearly dead, she ordered that she be crowned Queen. However, Osroe eventually recovered, with Zahar receiving credit for saving him. Amira was very angry that Osroe recovered, and later would have Zahar whipped, and then try to burn her at the stake. However, Marcos came to her rescue at the last second, and they end as a romantic pair......Now, the confusing part, for me. Marcus would switch from opposing the anti-Roman element to having a Roman cavalry unit help the rebels in their pitched battle against Amira's forces, near the end. Also, strangely, as Asclepias lay dying of a battle wound, he named Marcos as his successor in leading the anti-Amira(not anti-Roman) forces! Also, strangely, King Osroe disappears after the Roman cavalry strikes the capital. He had passed out again, as he and Marcus struggled to find the cavalry. Of course, Amira meets her deserved end in the end, but I won't say how...... Unlike one reviewer, I didn't find the film boring. Gianna always makes a beautiful and forceful lead woman in these types of films. Certainly, there was a reasonable amount of action sequences. I did downgrade it because of the confusion over the rebel's principle target: the Romans or Amira's forces? See it at YouTube

slightly overcooked spaghetti peplum

[Brucey_D · 5/10 · 26 November 2016]

As a genre, this one is now well-worn, to the point of cliché. However when this film was made, this was somewhat less the case. Remember that this film was made two years before Kubrick's 'Spartacus'; it is hard to believe that the look of this film had no influence on that production.

Here, the narrative is a little jumbled, the characters are not that well-developed and some of the plot elements are a bit nonsensical (e.g. when one of the main protagonists decides to prevent the coronation of the would-be queen alone, instead of rounding up a few supporting cohorts first...) but it isn't the worst film ever.

There are some well-made sequences in this film, and as others have said, production values are not at all bad. For example (although the stuffed tiger later on did made me chuckle) they used a real lion (albeit one with a fur coat on perhaps) for some of the combat sequences. The film is well-lit too.

Directorial styles vary of course but to modern eyes, there are very few cutaways to head shots. I can't help but think how much better many of the long shots in the battle sequences would have been had they been shot from a cherry-picker instead of from ground level, too.

I have seen this film on the UK TV channel 'Movies4Men', English-dubbed, with picture in a (slightly mangled) letterbox format. I'd have to say that the print that was used for the transfer was a bit knackered in places; maybe we're spoiled these days with well-restored film prints, but I found the damage (at the start of each reel particularly) a bit distracting.

I have an idea that there is a fundamental problem with the English dubbed version; I don't think the voice actors carried the personalities of the characters very well, there is little in the way of incidental music, and although there is much talking, it seems relatively little is said. Possibly the speed and cadence of the original dialogue didn't match what was possible in English very well, making some of the dialogue seem hurried and without the necessary emphasis.

It has been said that great directors let the images tell the story first, with the dialogue there just to fill in the gaps and aid character development. Here, you might begin to suspect that everyone was paid by the word instead, and didn't care enough about what was said, or how it was said exactly.

So, overall, 'dull' I think is an overly harsh judgement; however unless you have a particular affection for those who made it, this mightn't be a great film, but then it isn't a terrible one either. I've spent an hour and a half in worse ways than watching this sort of thing, even if I do look at it thinking it was something of a missed opportunity.

Intrigue and revolt in Armenia

[alphaboy · 23 November 2009]

Cottafavi directs a fine early genre specimen here. The movie starts out by having us believe that the Romans have grown tired and bored of their empire. No wonder it is crumbling. So this Marcus goes on quasi-vacation to Armenia, where the girls are supposed to be pretty a.s.o., and runs into the people's revolt. Princess Amira (played by lush beauty Gianna Maria Canale - what a lady!) immediately gain his attention. Little does he know she wants to get rid of 5-year-old Osro to ascend the throne herself. Meanwhile, the captives from the revolt are mistreated and paired off in the arena, to the amusement of the decadent Romans and Scythians (Amira's bodyguard). But there is also the titular slave girl, who hates all Romans but conveniently knows a lot about poisoning and might just save little Osro in time. Great heroic music by Nicolosi keeps up the pacing, as do battle scenes full of verve. Amira whips the hero's love interest and ends up being eaten by one of her own pet tigers. Did I mention the midget buffoon? Recommended to genre buffs.

Dull

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 21 October 2014]

Despite some decent set-pieces and good characterisation, I found THE WARRIOR AND THE SLAVE GIRL to be a pretty dull and routine entry in the peplum genre; even sub-par outings like THE SWORD OF EL CID are more fun. It sounds strange to call a film which features gladiator battles against lions and a full scale uprising against cruel oppressors dull, but there you go.

The problem with THE WARRIOR AND THE SLAVE GIRL is that it just plods along to a joyless climax without making much effort to intrigue or indeed excite the viewer. The various plot elements of the Roman film genre are all present and correct, and yet you get that "seen it all before" feeling about the production.

Not that there's anything particularly at fault here; certainly, seasoned cast members like Gianna Maria Canale and Ettore Manni do their best, and the production values are mid level; the scenes of spectacle are a lot of fun. Yet it's not good enough to come across as a classic, nor is it cheesy enough to be entertaining as a B-movie, nor is it bad enough to laugh at. Instead, it's just a forgettable, middle-of-the-road kind of production.

THE WARRIOR AND THE SLAVE GIRL (Vittorio Cottafavi, 1958) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 17 April 2011]

This is another splendid peplum (actually the director's entry into the field he would revisit 6 more times) vastly undersold by the "Leonard Maltin Film Guide", which he rates at a mere **. That said, I managed to acquire and watch a widescreen print in Italian (albeit somewhat worn and with virtually illegible credits!), and could not picture it English-dubbed and panned-and-scanned afterwards – which may well be how many foreigners caught the film, on TV, to begin with...and, in fact, it has frequently aired on the U.K. channel "Movies 4 Men" this last year! Anyway, it re-unites Gianna Maria Canale and Georges Marchal from Riccardo Freda's equally fine THEODORA, SLAVE EMPRESS (1954), though the two do not actually meet face-to-face here – as the passage of just 4 years had relegated the former (despite receiving top-billing) to a villainess role and the latter to second lead! The hero, then, is Ettore Manni who would virtually become synonymous with the genre (in fact, he appeared two more times for Cottafavi) and, in this case, is possibly at the very top of his game.

Its deceptively-brief running-time of 82 minutes betrays a busy and rather complex plot (whose essence neither the bland English title nor the prosaic original, translating to THE REVOLT OF THE GLADIATORS, can really hope to capture!) that sees the Romans, led by Manni, taking on two different countries that rarely featured in this type of fare – the Armenians and the Shi'ites. Canale is the aspiring Queen of the former (the official ruler is a child whom she is slowly poisoning to death!), ingratiating herself with the conquerors in order to keep her status (but subsequently conspiring with the latter people so as to regain the upper hand), while Marchal is the rugged leader of a rebel Armenian army – who has lived much of his life fighting, either in the gladiatorial arena or for his country's freedom. There are several twists-and-turns along the way which has all the protagonists going from victor to vanquished (the hero's hatred of injustice and display of clemency towards the barbarians actually brings about the titular rebellion!): more importantly, following the obvious initial enmity, Manni and Marchal eventually earn one another's respect and, through a mutual understanding, join forces against a common enemy.

Similarly, an Armenian girl whose father had been killed by the Romans and ends up as Canale's slave (her knowledge of medicine even results in the little King's recovery!), is confounded by her feelings for Manni but, by the end, the two are at each other's side (in fact, rather than the standard anonymous long-shot of the landscape, Cottafavi emphasizes the intimacy of the narrative by sticking with them, silent observers to Marchal's funeral procession, for the closing shot). Indeed, such sturdy film-making abounds in this outing (in direct contrast to the director's two subsequent juvenile adventures featuring the mythical Greek demi-god Hercules!)...but, as with his picaresque masterpiece THE HUNDRED HORSEMEN (1964), we also get a mischievous dwarf thrown into the fray for (thankfully not over-stressed) comic relief purposes! Other memorable scenes here include: Marchal's duel in the arena with a lion; Canale's demise at the hands of one of her escaped pet tigers; Manni getting virtually single-handedly freed from prison by his devoted strong-man lieutenant (hilariously, the midget is thought to have thrown a guard clear across the room when it was really him!) but who pays the price with his life – incidentally, both he and Marchal also have strong-minded female companions (which is quite atypical of the genre!); and the heroine being herself saved from the stake at the proverbial eleventh-hour by her lover.