Hercules Unchained 1960
Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Sylvia Lopez, Gabriele Antonini, Primo Carnera, Patrizia Della Rovere, Sergio Fantoni, Carlo D'Angelo, and Marisa Valenti. Directed by Pietro Francisci.
Hercules (Steve Reeves) made the main character, the film slowly builds to the epic journey to find the Golden Fleece. As the film begins we see Hercules save Princess Iole (Sylva Koscina), the daughter of the current king of Jalco, from going over a cliff in her runaway chariot. He was en route to Jalco at King Pelias' (Ivo Garrani) request to train both his army and his obnoxious son Iphitus (Mimmo Palmara) in the ways of war. The princess informs Hercules about the details of the current state of political upheaval in Jalco. After the previous king was killed under questionable circumstances, Jason, the rightful heir to the throne of Jalco, was forced into hiding so that the king's brother Pelias could usurp control of the city for himself. Gone missing along with Jason is the fabled Golden Fleece, symbol of prosperity and success for the country. In recent years the waning fortunes of Jalco have made times difficult. There is a growing percentage of the population that believes a possible reason for this bad turn of luck is that King Pelias murdered his brother and the missing Fleece adds to the increasing unrest. Making the king more nervous is a prophecy from the oracle Sybil (Lidia Alfonsi). She foretells that a man will come to Jalco wearing only one sandal, and that this man will bring doom to Pelias.
Curious as to who really killed the previous king, Hercules nevertheless sets about teaching the enthusiastic men of Jalco the skills they'll need to be fighting men. They are very responsive to his tutelage except for Iphitus, who proves himself to be a pompous, spoiled ass. Unable to best young Ulysses in an archery contest, he challenges Hercules to a test of skill and runs off when he loses. Hercules should've smacked the boy around to teach him manners and courtesy but his growing affection for his sister Iole tempers his actions.
At this point the film seeks to include one of the legendary Twelve Labors of Hercules into the story. The Nemedian Lion is reported to be attacking people in an outlying area so Hercules rushes off to stop it. But the vain Iphitus follows and, although Herc kills the beast, the king's son and heir is fatally wounded by it. Pelias is crushed by this and even though he fears Hercules he is pushed by a plotting subordinate (Arturo Dominici, Black Sunday) to punish the demigod in some way as revenge. The king banishes him from Jalco until he fights the Cretan Bull — another of the Twelve Labors. When Herc turns to Iole for sympathy, the weeping girl rejects him.
A confused Hercules leaves the city and goes to visit the Sybil for answers. Expressing his frustration at his inability to strongly feel the higher emotions of love or hate, he seeks a way to become more like the people he lives amongst. Cursing his birthright, he renounces his immortality and sets off with just the strength of a mortal man to fulfill his destiny. Of course, this makes offing that big bull pretty damned hard! And after a rough day kicking bull butt Herc stumbles across the now grown-to-manhood Jason (Fabrizio Mioni) just as Chiron, his last protector, dies. Chiron explains that Jason must reclaim the Golden Fleece and the throne of his murdered father to set things right. Hercules pledges to help the young man in his quest with both of them urged on by Chiron's revelation that the name of the person who killed Jason's father is written on the Fleece.
From here on the adventure kicks into high gear with fights, nefarious plotting and mythological monsters being the order of the day. The only slow spot in the second half of the story is the stretch on the isle of the Amazons but even with the lady's sadly modest costumes this is a diverting interlude. Having watched a fair number of peplum over the years I can see how this film really did set both the tone and structure for what followed. Very much a film of separate tales strung loosely together it still manages to keep its momentum (most of the time) and the script weaves just enough of the legend of Hercules in to make it feel like a larger than life myth. This is the film that made Steve Reeves a star and it's easy to see why. Filling the role of Hercules wonderfully, Reeves comes off as a fierce warrior comfortable with the weapons of war as well as a confused man striving to fit in with people he is naturally superior to. He looks great with a muscular build that makes him stand out without being overly large and bulky. He looks realistic and at the same time towers over all the other muscular men surrounding him. I began to wonder if at times he wasn't somehow being photographed in some special way to make him look so spectacular. This might not be too off the mark when you realize Mario Bava was responsible for the lighting and special effects in the film. Still a couple of years away from assuming the director's chair for his own Hercules movie (the fantastic Hercules in the Haunted World), Bava instills amazing mood and texture into nearly every scene. His trademark colored lighting is in evidence much of the time, with Herc's prophetic scene with Sybil being a great example of set design and skillful lighting creating a masterful piece of cinema. (This film was followed by a direct sequel, Hercules Unchained, in 1959.)
Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la Regina di Lidia, "Hercules and the Queen of Lydia") picks up right where the first film left off. Having completed his voyage with the Argonauts, our hero disembarks in Greece with his new bride Iole (the gorgeous Sylva Koscina) and young Prince Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini). Ulysses, heir to the throne of Ithaca, is accompanying them to receive mentoring from Hercules and to tour the city-state of Thebes, Herc's home town. Even before they arrive there's trouble. (And I'm not counting the sappy ballad, "Evening Star", which Iole sings during the journey — though I certainly could've done without it. It's the worst dubbing in the picture.) While passing through a rocky, bone-strewn valley, their wagon is stopped by a loudmouthed, boastful giant named Antaeus (Italian pro wrestler Primo Carnera) who demands not only their horses and provisions as tribute, but the lovely Iole as well. Hercules isn't going to stand for that, of course (he hasn't been married long enough), so he and Antaeus have to fight. It's an amusing — and alas, all too short — sequence, as Herc is genuinely puzzled that each time he coldcocks him Antaeus gets right back on his feet, laughing maniacally. Ulysses provides the crucial information that the giant draws renewed strength whenever he touches the ground, so Hercules picks Antaeus up and tosses him off a cliff into the sea.
Hercules Unchained just isn't as fun as the first Reeves-Herc flick. Modern viewers will probably find it tedious. It could certainly use more action. Once waylaid by the Waters of Forgetfulness nearly 45 minutes goes by before Herc recovers his wits and realizes it's clobbering time. In between we get love scenes with Omphale, Ulysses' outwitting of the queen's guards, Eteocles ranting and Iole pining. Oh, and of course there's the obligatory floor show courtesy of Omphale's dancing girls — it just wouldn't be a peplum without a dance number! (You might notice the zipper up the back of the lead dancer's costume... Didn't know they had those in the Bronze Age, huh?) When Herc finally does break bad it's the usual statue throwing, bar bending kind of stuff you'll get in virtually every other pepla. Things pick up considerably near the end, though, which sees Reeves wrestling tigers and leading the soldiers of Thebes in a big cast-of-thousands battle against the mercenaries. Better late than never, I suppose.
So why not a lower film rating, then? It a word: cheese. When I was 8 years old I remember taking these movies (and TV shows like Sons of Hercules) very seriously. Now they're just silly fun. This isn't to say these films are ineptly made. In the case of Hercules Unchained, the production values, special effects* etc., are as good as anything out of Hollywood from that time. But the dubbing, voice acting and dialog are often laughable, and the acting can sometimes be over-the-top. (With the Eteocles character all these elements are combined.) As femme fatale Omphale, Lopez is caked with so much makeup she looks like a plastic animatronic figure in Disneyland's Vegas Showgirls of the Ancient World attraction. (Were there such a thing, that is... And did I mention the über-scary eyebrows? I did?) Hercules is really grouchy in this film, too. It's amusing to watch Reeves bellow with indignation — his voice dubbed by someone else, even though his line readings are in English — as he muscles his way through one situation after the other.
While Hercules Unchained may provide some unintentional laughs, the film is certainly too slow and creaky for action fans who just want to see the Greek demigod doing what he does best: picking up big, heavy things and whuppin' ass. At least it's Steve Reeves in the role and not Reg Park or Alan Steel. I'm giving it an extra rating point for that aspect alone.
Hercules Unchained 1960
Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Sylvia Lopez, Gabriele Antonini, Primo Carnera, Patrizia Della Rovere, Sergio Fantoni, Carlo D'Angelo, and Marisa Valenti. Directed by Pietro Francisci.
Hercules (Steve Reeves) made the main character, the film slowly builds to the epic journey to find the Golden Fleece. As the film begins we see Hercules save Princess Iole (Sylva Koscina), the daughter of the current king of Jalco, from going over a cliff in her runaway chariot. He was en route to Jalco at King Pelias' (Ivo Garrani) request to train both his army and his obnoxious son Iphitus (Mimmo Palmara) in the ways of war. The princess informs Hercules about the details of the current state of political upheaval in Jalco. After the previous king was killed under questionable circumstances, Jason, the rightful heir to the throne of Jalco, was forced into hiding so that the king's brother Pelias could usurp control of the city for himself. Gone missing along with Jason is the fabled Golden Fleece, symbol of prosperity and success for the country. In recent years the waning fortunes of Jalco have made times difficult. There is a growing percentage of the population that believes a possible reason for this bad turn of luck is that King Pelias murdered his brother and the missing Fleece adds to the increasing unrest. Making the king more nervous is a prophecy from the oracle Sybil (Lidia Alfonsi). She foretells that a man will come to Jalco wearing only one sandal, and that this man will bring doom to Pelias.
Curious as to who really killed the previous king, Hercules nevertheless sets about teaching the enthusiastic men of Jalco the skills they'll need to be fighting men. They are very responsive to his tutelage except for Iphitus, who proves himself to be a pompous, spoiled ass. Unable to best young Ulysses in an archery contest, he challenges Hercules to a test of skill and runs off when he loses. Hercules should've smacked the boy around to teach him manners and courtesy but his growing affection for his sister Iole tempers his actions.
At this point the film seeks to include one of the legendary Twelve Labors of Hercules into the story. The Nemedian Lion is reported to be attacking people in an outlying area so Hercules rushes off to stop it. But the vain Iphitus follows and, although Herc kills the beast, the king's son and heir is fatally wounded by it. Pelias is crushed by this and even though he fears Hercules he is pushed by a plotting subordinate (Arturo Dominici, Black Sunday) to punish the demigod in some way as revenge. The king banishes him from Jalco until he fights the Cretan Bull — another of the Twelve Labors. When Herc turns to Iole for sympathy, the weeping girl rejects him.
A confused Hercules leaves the city and goes to visit the Sybil for answers. Expressing his frustration at his inability to strongly feel the higher emotions of love or hate, he seeks a way to become more like the people he lives amongst. Cursing his birthright, he renounces his immortality and sets off with just the strength of a mortal man to fulfill his destiny. Of course, this makes offing that big bull pretty damned hard! And after a rough day kicking bull butt Herc stumbles across the now grown-to-manhood Jason (Fabrizio Mioni) just as Chiron, his last protector, dies. Chiron explains that Jason must reclaim the Golden Fleece and the throne of his murdered father to set things right. Hercules pledges to help the young man in his quest with both of them urged on by Chiron's revelation that the name of the person who killed Jason's father is written on the Fleece.
From here on the adventure kicks into high gear with fights, nefarious plotting and mythological monsters being the order of the day. The only slow spot in the second half of the story is the stretch on the isle of the Amazons but even with the lady's sadly modest costumes this is a diverting interlude. Having watched a fair number of peplum over the years I can see how this film really did set both the tone and structure for what followed. Very much a film of separate tales strung loosely together it still manages to keep its momentum (most of the time) and the script weaves just enough of the legend of Hercules in to make it feel like a larger than life myth. This is the film that made Steve Reeves a star and it's easy to see why. Filling the role of Hercules wonderfully, Reeves comes off as a fierce warrior comfortable with the weapons of war as well as a confused man striving to fit in with people he is naturally superior to. He looks great with a muscular build that makes him stand out without being overly large and bulky. He looks realistic and at the same time towers over all the other muscular men surrounding him. I began to wonder if at times he wasn't somehow being photographed in some special way to make him look so spectacular. This might not be too off the mark when you realize Mario Bava was responsible for the lighting and special effects in the film. Still a couple of years away from assuming the director's chair for his own Hercules movie (the fantastic Hercules in the Haunted World), Bava instills amazing mood and texture into nearly every scene. His trademark colored lighting is in evidence much of the time, with Herc's prophetic scene with Sybil being a great example of set design and skillful lighting creating a masterful piece of cinema. (This film was followed by a direct sequel, Hercules Unchained, in 1959.)
Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la Regina di Lidia, "Hercules and the Queen of Lydia") picks up right where the first film left off. Having completed his voyage with the Argonauts, our hero disembarks in Greece with his new bride Iole (the gorgeous Sylva Koscina) and young Prince Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini). Ulysses, heir to the throne of Ithaca, is accompanying them to receive mentoring from Hercules and to tour the city-state of Thebes, Herc's home town. Even before they arrive there's trouble. (And I'm not counting the sappy ballad, "Evening Star", which Iole sings during the journey — though I certainly could've done without it. It's the worst dubbing in the picture.) While passing through a rocky, bone-strewn valley, their wagon is stopped by a loudmouthed, boastful giant named Antaeus (Italian pro wrestler Primo Carnera) who demands not only their horses and provisions as tribute, but the lovely Iole as well. Hercules isn't going to stand for that, of course (he hasn't been married long enough), so he and Antaeus have to fight. It's an amusing — and alas, all too short — sequence, as Herc is genuinely puzzled that each time he coldcocks him Antaeus gets right back on his feet, laughing maniacally. Ulysses provides the crucial information that the giant draws renewed strength whenever he touches the ground, so Hercules picks Antaeus up and tosses him off a cliff into the sea.
Hercules Unchained just isn't as fun as the first Reeves-Herc flick. Modern viewers will probably find it tedious. It could certainly use more action. Once waylaid by the Waters of Forgetfulness nearly 45 minutes goes by before Herc recovers his wits and realizes it's clobbering time. In between we get love scenes with Omphale, Ulysses' outwitting of the queen's guards, Eteocles ranting and Iole pining. Oh, and of course there's the obligatory floor show courtesy of Omphale's dancing girls — it just wouldn't be a peplum without a dance number! (You might notice the zipper up the back of the lead dancer's costume... Didn't know they had those in the Bronze Age, huh?) When Herc finally does break bad it's the usual statue throwing, bar bending kind of stuff you'll get in virtually every other pepla. Things pick up considerably near the end, though, which sees Reeves wrestling tigers and leading the soldiers of Thebes in a big cast-of-thousands battle against the mercenaries. Better late than never, I suppose.
So why not a lower film rating, then? It a word: cheese. When I was 8 years old I remember taking these movies (and TV shows like Sons of Hercules) very seriously. Now they're just silly fun. This isn't to say these films are ineptly made. In the case of Hercules Unchained, the production values, special effects* etc., are as good as anything out of Hollywood from that time. But the dubbing, voice acting and dialog are often laughable, and the acting can sometimes be over-the-top. (With the Eteocles character all these elements are combined.) As femme fatale Omphale, Lopez is caked with so much makeup she looks like a plastic animatronic figure in Disneyland's Vegas Showgirls of the Ancient World attraction. (Were there such a thing, that is... And did I mention the über-scary eyebrows? I did?) Hercules is really grouchy in this film, too. It's amusing to watch Reeves bellow with indignation — his voice dubbed by someone else, even though his line readings are in English — as he muscles his way through one situation after the other.
While Hercules Unchained may provide some unintentional laughs, the film is certainly too slow and creaky for action fans who just want to see the Greek demigod doing what he does best: picking up big, heavy things and whuppin' ass. At least it's Steve Reeves in the role and not Reg Park or Alan Steel. I'm giving it an extra rating point for that aspect alone.