Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus) (1959)

BRAZIL --- fantasy


Dir: Marcel Camus


This fine entry of a fantasy film comes from the country responsible for Cidade de Deus (City of God) and the old Coffin Joe horror films; you guessed it Brazil. Except this is quite some time before the drug wars and such. In what is quite possibly the oldest of all tragically beautiful love stories, "Orfeu Negro" weaves a tale of music and the power of love. In the Greek myth Orpheus was the son of muse Calliope who married a woman named Eurydice. His wife was being taunted by a satyr one day and fell into a vipers nest. When Orpheus found her, he played music for her that made the gods weep on end. Eventually they advised him to travel to the underworld where he played the music for Hades. being overwhelmed by his music, they allowed him to return to earth with his wife, under the condition she was to follow behind him and that he may not look back until they arrived. However, when they do reach the upperworld, he hurriedly looks back, but she had not stepped foot yet and she is lost forever.

"Orfeu Negro" transplants this classic love story from ancient Greece to contemporary Rio de Janiero. Orfeu (Breno Mello) is a trolley conductor, who has a gift for playing the guitar. He's due to marry his beautiful, yet (for lack of a better word) bitchy fiancee Mira. However, he comes across Euridice (Marpessa Dawn) who rides to the last stop on the trolley in search for her cousin. She is directed by another conductor, appropriately named Hermes, to her destination. Meanwhile, Orfeu and Mira go to get the official paperwork for their marriage license. Orfeu even gets somewhat of a premonition of things to come, when the clerk asks Mira if her name is Euridice, like the old, old tale of tragic romance, he says. He admits to just joking to Mira, and she's so consumed with herself, the upcoming marriage, and Carnaval, she blows it off, but keeps an eye on him from then on out.

Euridice arrives atop the hillside of town to meet up with her cousin Serafina, who has just spent her savings on a costume for Carnaval. They discuss what she's doing there, when Euridice confides she ran away from home from fear of a man who is attempting to kill her; death. Serafina says she is perfectly safe now. When Orfeu gets his guitar out of the pawn shop, he escapes the arm of his fiancee and begins to play with the local children who believe he can wake up the sun with his music. During his child-like time with them and teaching one of them how to play guitar, unbeknownst to him he's serenading Euridice who is listening on from the neighboring shack belonging to Serafina. When he ducks out to hide from Mira's girlfriends, Orfeu's plans quickly change when he discovers the pretty new visitor is named Euridice, his destined lover.

He spends most of the film protecting her from death (the satyr), a man who appears clad in an abstract skull mask and black costume. However, fate finds them out, as the tale begins to weave out exactly as the ancient legend did. She eventually tries to escape the man and ultimately falls victim to him under her own circumstance. Orpheus loses her, but is given one final chance during a religious ceremony.

"Orfeu Negro" is a classic and beautiful love story, the best of which usually don't always end in happily ever after. The film uniquely pays careful attention to the homages to the greek legend with familiar characters such as the Satyr, Hermes, Cerebus, and Charon the ferryman of the river Styx. Like most films made in the 50's it features the ubiquitous musical sequence. The cinematography is vibrant and colorful. Even the scenes of Euridice's death is bathed in red light. In fact one of my favorite images in the film is  with Orfeu and the janitor decending a long spiral staircase, in which the bottom is again bathed in bright red light. Many film critics loved "Orfeu Negro", but deemed it a French film made in Brazil. Fair enough. However, I'm certain 3/4 of the product including the mostly Afro-Latin cast, the boss nova bumping soundtrack from Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Floriano Bonfá, and local film crew contributed to its success. I can't see much French influence, especially new wave, on this film. Though I'm sure if made on the nickels and dimes of Brazilian money it wouldn't look and feel nearly as polished as it is. According to Barack Obama, via his book "Dreams of My Father", he wasn't so impressed with the film either.

La Vendetta Di Ercole (Goliath and the Dragon or The Revenge of Hercules) (1960)
ITALY/ FRANCE --- fantasy

Dir: Vittorio Cottafavi

It's back to the peplum genre. To the time of ancient Greece where we find yet another adventure of our resident hero Hercules. This time, however, he's been rechristened Goliath and recasted to a new American bodybuilder named Mark Forest (real name Lou Degni) in his debut performance. Producer Joe Levine (Hercules/Godzilla) owned the rights to the name "Hercules", so this film's hero is now "Goliath". In addition to this, AIP even shot additional material with the help of the Italian crew. To prepare you or save you time, this film drops in the quality department about, oh, 25-30%. Those familiar with this genre should know this is nothing new. These films are replete with cheesy entries, assuring the MSTK and Something Weird Video folks stay in business for a few more years. This review ends up being more about the dubbed versions, as apparently the original negatives of the film were lost.

In this outing, Emilius the mighty (nicknamed the Goliath of Thebes or Pheobes but I will stick with Thebes) must find the blood diamond, which was stolen by King Eurysthesus a man bent on usurping Thebes for himself and killing Goliath. To accomplish this, Eurysthesus (played by Hollywood heavy Broderick Crawford) hid the blood diamond in the cave of horrors. The film opens with a rock cimbing scene, where we find Goliath has found the cave and no sooner battles what appears to be a fire-breathing Cerebus. If you haven't stopped watching after this laughable scene, we are introduced to the scar-faced Eurysthesus, who gloats like a Batman villian about his impregnable trap for Goliath. His counselor and allies want proof of Goliath's death before they take Thebes. Meanwhile, Goliath treks deeper within the cave to finds the skeleton of a man and the dragon who most likely did him in. Commanding him to continue on for the blood diamond, Goliath obeys the word of the pagan goddess.

Illus, Goliath's younger brother, secretly goes to meet with Thea who stays in the courts of Eurysthesus. He plans to return to meet her, but the soliders have another plan for him. Meanwhile, Goliath battles a Maurice Sendak looking Man-bat creature (i.e. expendable stuntman in a costume), just as he finds and secures the blood diamond. Back at the Eurysthesus' court, his shady counselor Tindaro (who strongly favors a 60's era Star Trek Romulan) plots to invade Thebes and soldiers capture Illus on his way out from sneaking kisses from Thea.

When Goliath returns home, he is disturbed to learn of his brother's intentions with Thea, as it was her father who killed his parents. Before long, Eurysthesus finds that this development can be used for his own plans to take over. He plots to have Illus poison Goliath, but the slave girl, Alcinoe, who he sent to do the job betrays him. Eurysthesus even goes so far as to wed Thea for himself. Eventually, Goliath's brother is abducted and snet to die under the foot of an elephant, that is until Goliath comes to the rescue. Things only worsen when they get a prophecy about his Illus ruling and a centaur kidnaps Goliath's wife Dejanira. He takes her to Eurysthesus, where he holds her captive in the cave of horrors. Ultimately, this typical peplum's convulted plot ends up making less and less sense the more you think about it. In addition to the bad special effects and laugh out loud scenes such as Goliath wrestling some dude in an unconvincing bear suit, this is still surprisingly entertaining.

There you have it. Another Velveeta-flavored peplum yarn. Well other than renaming the titular hero after a biblical Philistine villian, and having plotholes as big as the caves in this film, this film is something slightly enjoyable to watch. The cinematography is just bad, though you can tell they were trying to emulate Bava's style in select scenes. The low budget special effects have to be seen to be believed, and that's about it. "La Vendetta Di Ercole" is simply another Saturday afternoon matinee flick. Enjoy.

Hercule et la Reine de Lydie (Hercules Unchained or Hercules and the Queen of Lydia) (1959)

ITALY/ SPAIN --- fantasy

Dir: Pietro Francisci

In this direct follow-up to the 1958 film "Hercules", Steve Reeves returns for his second and final portrayal as the mythological muscleman Hercules. Also returning is the beautiful Sylva Koscina as Hercules' now wife Iole and Gabriel Antonini playing a young Ulysses. We catch up with the trio on a horse-drawn chariot en route to Thebes. They soon run into danger, when an arrogant brute harasses them with intent. Confronted by Hercules, they realize their tormentor is more than meet the eyes as Ulysses councils Herc that he may be Antaeus son of the Earth goddess. His defeat must come by his separation from solid ground, so Herc tosses him in a body of water nearby.

When they arrive in Thebes, Hercules finds the blind king Oedipus prepared for death. He has been dethroned by his two sons Eteocles and Polynieces, who agreed to switch off duties annually, but that agreement has soured as both plot to destroy each other by any means necessary. Hercules willing plans to intercede for the brothers in an attempt to restore peace on the land. His good intentions, however, are interrupted as he leaves Iole behind with Eteocles' camp to serve as messenger with Ulysses. En route, Hercules drinks from the waters of Lethe (one of the of the five rivers of Hades, being the river of forgetfulness), and is seduced by what sounds like Iole singing. He is lured to a ravine where he passes out, but Ulysses finds he is surrounded by soldiers. He wisely plays the part of the deaf mute, as they are captured.

The soldiers bring Hercules and Ulysses to the beautiful sorceress queen Omphale (played by French model Sylvia Lopez). When Herc awakens, he finds himself surrounded by a bevy of female servants and the queen swimming. He asks of Omphale his identity, as she tells him that he is king of the land and that she is his bride. Soon, Ulysses must help Hercules restore his memory before Omphale has him killed, by way of suspended animation. To make matters worse, the warring brothers are preparing to strike and the populace of Thebes are growing restless. Sending word for help by carrier pigeon, Ulysses finally does pull Herc out of the grasp of Omphale, with the help of the Argonauts. After they escape, Hercules and the group must get back to Thebes, and rescue Iole before bloodshed erupts.

"Hercules Unchained" is loosely based on the Aeschylus' "The Seven Against Thebes" as well as other various Grecian myths. Let me be honest with you. Of all the countries in the world to have a operating film industry, Italian cinema are on the bottom rung for me. The very fact that they refuse to record on set sound as a collective stylistic choice and most of their films are cheap ripoffs of Hollywood fare is just baffling to me. Having said that, all of this has its expected charms. Spaghetti westerns is a favorite sub genre of myself and many others, and I like even some of the esoteric films that most would not sit through. These Sword & Sandal epics are in the same boat. An good-looking imported American lead actor, a convoluted plot, and lots of action. That pretty much sums up Italian cinema in my opinion.

The cinematography of Mario Bava allows the viewer some eye candy besides the oiled-up men and scantily clad women. The musical interludes makes the film feel very dated and the dance sequences are pretty much designed for a popcorn/restroom break. Costumes and production design in general are once again admirable, and given the source material and locale, it should be. Unfortunately, as it goes for these films, this is top notch. Steer clear if your not an aficionado of Italian cinema, Greek mythology, or just plain old MST3K style films on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

La Fatiche di Ercole (Hercules aka The Labours of Hercules) (1958)
ITALY --- fantasy

Dir: Pietro Francisci

Mythological superhero, Hercules (or in Greek known as Heracles), has been around for centuries. Though he's had many contemporaries such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and even the Scandanavian Thor, none of their exploits have been as famous as Hercules. The son of Jupiter (or Zeus) and the mortal woman Alcmene, by his very birth, he was an enemy of Hera. Cinema has attempted to capture Hercules' superhuman adventures since the silent film era. He appeared in a 1914 film titled "Cabiria", under the name of Maciste. He also had a completely different appearance, sometimes dressed in contemporary clothing and other times in the typical loin cloth and sandals. Going by Maciste, the character and films slowly but surely began to transform into the sword and sandal Hercules films we know of. In the 60's, to cash in on the success of this very film, Italian filmmakers reused Maciste as well as other characters such as Samson, Goliath, etc. There was really only one Hercules and this film set the standard.

"La Fatiche di Ercole" (aka The Labors of Hercules) stars American bodybuilder beefcake Steve Reeves as the titular demigod in an episodic adventure. When he rescues princess Iole from a runaway chariot, Hercules promises to escort her back to her village of Jolco, if only for her own protection. In a flashback sequence, she retells the events that have turned her village into a place of betrayal and intrigue. Her father, Pelias, and uncle (once King of Jolco) met a platoon on the road including a soldier named Eurysteus, and it is inferred that they know each other. Jolco is home to the golden fleece, which Iole once showed her cousin Jason. Soon the king turns up dead, both Jason and Eurysteus is missing, and her own father claims the throne. Though many believe it was Jason who was responsible since was the direct heir to the throne, some believe differently.

Hercules of Thebes tells her the rumors are that her own father murdered the king to usurp the throne, and that he feels he needs to be with her in Jolco. Meanwhile, an oracle warns king Pelias a stranger with one sandal, just as Hercules enters the scene. Seeing Herc is not the man he was forewarned about, the king invites him in. Hercules offers his help as master-at-arms, and the king needs him to assist and tutor his son, Prince Iphitus.

Eurysteus turns up again in royal clothing talking with King Pelias. We find out they did indeed plot the murder of Pelias' brother for the throne. The bone-headed Prince, however, grows envious and continually rebellious against Hercules as he trains Ulysses and a band of men. Eventually, Iphitus' attitude and stupidity results in his own demise when he's killed by the Nemean Lion. Hercules kills the lion, and when the Jolco soldiers find them, they return to the city to give the king the unfortunate tidings. but the event results in Hercules' banishing by the suggestion of Eurysteus. Hercules then goes off to the oracle and demands the gods he become mortal for the sake of his love for Iole. The gods allow it and soon Hercules goes off on a quest for the Golden Fleece with Jason and the Argonauts as events set into play for Jason to rightfully claim the throne.

This film derives its story on the classic Greek epic poem "Argonautica" by Apollonius Rhodius as well as the myths of Hercules including his infamous twelve labors. Though, it of course, does not stick to the source material much at all due to time constraints. Characters are missing like Hercules' friend Hylas, we see a couple of actual labors, such as the slaying of the Nemean Lion and the capture of the Cretan Bull, and there isn't much emphasis on the Argonauts. It also features some interesting sequences such as a battle with a dinosaur (that sounds all too conspicuously like our Japanese friend Godzilla), a race of vicious monkey men, and a visit with beautiful amazon warrior women.

"Hercules" can make a good companion piece to the '60's Hollywood "Jason and the Argonauts" featuring the sfx work of legendary Ray Harryhausen. Though the perspectives are of course switched out as Hercules takes a back seat as simply a supporting player. It is interesting that many of these Grecian mythological stories seem to have their root in the Hebrew bible. Both Hercules and Jason have their biblical counterparts in Samson and Gideon. It's not so far-fetched, as we well know Jerusalem was under Grecian authority for some time.


"Le Fatiche Di Ercole" was really the first of the 'sword-and-sandal' movies to garner world-wide attention. As for these badly post-dubbed low-budget pepla films, filmmakers like Mario Bava and Sergio Leone cut their teeth on the tales of the brawny oil-soaked heroes of the ancient world. You can almost feel Bava's presence in this film with the staging of the oracle's speech and the Skittle-flavored cinematography. The costuming and art direction is also impressive and looks historically accurate. What's really odd is how much they've lost their appeal these days. I could imagine this genre would be particularly of interest to young ladies, as nearly every film looks like lost footage from a Chippendale club or bachlorette party. Though they are campy fun, I much prefer the Hollywood versions such as "Jason and the Argonauts" if only for Harryhausen's special effects.

Ulisse (Ulysses) (1954)
ITALY --- fantasy/Greek Myth

Dir: Mario Camerini/ (uncredited Mario Bava)

Based on Homer's epic poem, "The Odyssey", this Italian production from legendary Dino De Laurentis is one of the better sword & sandal films of its time. The Italian film industry was still a few years away from their spaghetti western influx. There were plenty of classic myth tales to adapt, most starring Steve Reeves as Hercules.

This one, as mentioned, is the cream that rises slightly above the rest. It seems that performance and story is more paramount than that of production value and loin cloth. In a similar situation to Russell Crowe's Gladiator turn that ended up making him action material from then on, thespian turned beefcake, Kirk Douglas stars as Ulysses, king of Ithaca. His wife Penelope (Played by Silvana Mangano who pulls in a dual role in the film) is introduced to tell the tale of her husband's fateful voyage, as her many suitiors surround her door and mock her and her son for waiting for the king to return.

The film uses flashbacks as a device to frame the story of Ulysses' long strange trip and wanderlust. We go from his victory from the battle in Troy, challenging the power of Poseidon (Neptune in this film) and causing him and his crew to become shipwrecked. Finding him struck with amnesia and in the arms of a princess Nausicaa to which she makes him heir of the kingdom. Soon, however, he comes to his wits and regains his memory, and he's off again to the open sea bound for home, but not before a few more stops. This includes, of course, an encounter with the Cyclops, being tricked by the goddess Circe (also Silvano Mangano), and his men being seduced by the mellifluous-voiced Sirens.

Anthony Quinn also puts in a excellent performance as vain suitor of Penelope, Antinoos, who unlike others, wants the kingdom with an entitled unquenchable thirst and will take it by force if need be. Once Ithaca's prodigal king returns in secret, he must prove his identity by a test of archery designed so that only he can be the victor. As it goes, Penelope offers the suitors each a chance to wield Ulyssess magic bow, that is until its true bearer decides to take a turn at the contest.

The Odyssey is a classic of early literature, and this film version done in the setting of its creation, and as mentioned performed by stellar actors of the time, is a landmark adaptation. It will come to pave the way for Pal and Harryhausen epics to come in the following decade. Surely just another paycheck for Douglas who (knowing his method background) would likely put his experience here to good use in the Kubrick masterpiece Spartacus a few years later.