If you're looking for an Italian sword and sandals (peplum) ,you must move on; "Dacii " ,which takes place between 101 and 106 ,during the reigns of Domitian (Roma) and Decebale (Dacii) is devoid of cardboard characters ; the spectacular scenes are few and far between (and the very last pictures ,perhaps inspired by underrated Mankiewicz' s "Cleopatra" , are simply great .)
Coproduction with France explains the presence of three actors who seem particularly unexpected in this context :Georges Marchal and lovely Marie-José Nat were well known by the French audience whereas Pierre Brice was an icon in Germany,although a Britton.
The characters are detailed ,there's no cardboard characters , not the obligatory love story between the Dacci girl and the young Roman;instead, the viewer has a depiction of these "barbars"' civilization : they believed in immortality. They sent messages to their god supreme Zamolxis and Decebale's son's fate packs a real wallop : his sister has her moment of doubts though and does not rejoice with her people .
The kind of message he sent to the invaders denotes a certain sense of symbolism .The Roman emperor ,Donatian , does not appears in a flattering light :he was liked by the people and the army but the senate was almost powerless under his reign (they hint at it in the movie, quite rightly so). Hence his reputation for being a tyrant , which the modern historians deny; a brief scene hints at decimation,which is very rare in the average epic .
And a wonderful use of the lanscapes,particularly in Marie-José Nat's scenes.
Coproduction with France explains the presence of three actors who seem particularly unexpected in this context :Georges Marchal and lovely Marie-José Nat were well known by the French audience whereas Pierre Brice was an icon in Germany,although a Britton.
The characters are detailed ,there's no cardboard characters , not the obligatory love story between the Dacci girl and the young Roman;instead, the viewer has a depiction of these "barbars"' civilization : they believed in immortality. They sent messages to their god supreme Zamolxis and Decebale's son's fate packs a real wallop : his sister has her moment of doubts though and does not rejoice with her people .
The kind of message he sent to the invaders denotes a certain sense of symbolism .The Roman emperor ,Donatian , does not appears in a flattering light :he was liked by the people and the army but the senate was almost powerless under his reign (they hint at it in the movie, quite rightly so). Hence his reputation for being a tyrant , which the modern historians deny; a brief scene hints at decimation,which is very rare in the average epic .
And a wonderful use of the lanscapes,particularly in Marie-José Nat's scenes.