The brilliant Carthaginian general, Hannibal (Victor Mature) despises Rome. Fueled by vengeance, he drives his army of elephants through the treacherous, frozen Alps into Italy, crushing anyone who dared to oppose him. As a strategy to break the morale of his enemies, Hannibal captures the beautiful Sylvia of Rome (Rita Gam) so she may see the might of his army and spread the news of impending doom to her people. However, a love grows between the two that will eventually be his undoing
Hannibal is a visually arresting historical adventure which is about the Carthaginian general who leads his men and elephants through the alps - the opening sequence of the trek is really impressive in its depiction of the struggle, the trials and the danger. Soldier falling, their bodies been left for the wolves, and the detail of the treacherous weather is expressed through a soldier's hand completely frozen to his spear. This opening scene alone is a scene stealer, but the rest of the film is good with some drama, constant politics with the senate bickering, a power hungry senator, and romance. But it's not of a sugary romance - the fate of Hannibal's ladylove (Rita Gam) is tragic. There are some slow spots and much talk, but some well-staged action scenes (such as the battle of Cannae) are interspersed between. Having said that, the focus is on plot and character development rather than action sequences. As for Victor Mature, he's great in the role, imbuing Hannibal with a diplomatic and strong leadership qualities. A decent historical adventure with impressive moments. Ends abruptly though.
Hannibal is a visually arresting historical adventure which is about the Carthaginian general who leads his men and elephants through the alps - the opening sequence of the trek is really impressive in its depiction of the struggle, the trials and the danger. Soldier falling, their bodies been left for the wolves, and the detail of the treacherous weather is expressed through a soldier's hand completely frozen to his spear. This opening scene alone is a scene stealer, but the rest of the film is good with some drama, constant politics with the senate bickering, a power hungry senator, and romance. But it's not of a sugary romance - the fate of Hannibal's ladylove (Rita Gam) is tragic. There are some slow spots and much talk, but some well-staged action scenes (such as the battle of Cannae) are interspersed between. Having said that, the focus is on plot and character development rather than action sequences. As for Victor Mature, he's great in the role, imbuing Hannibal with a diplomatic and strong leadership qualities. A decent historical adventure with impressive moments. Ends abruptly though.