BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Wordiezett
So much average
Isbel
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Pro Jury
This review contains spoilers.This movie is being played many times per week on GET and, unfortunately, it is too difficult to miss.In the beginning of the film, the Romans light a line of fire in a location that hinders their ability to repel. After this, we do not see two forces attack and battle, but see only one force at a time appear to attack an unseen enemy.In the middle of the film, 5 barbarians capture the 100+ strong armed "Amazon" Roman coed army without a fight or struggle. It plays out like a fantasy based upon a lunatic ramblings. If the entire Amazon Army has no interest to engage only 5 armed enemy and 1 unarmed, what is the point of their existence? We also see an uppity Roman women throw off her sandals to show her rebel-minded willingness to have foot-blisters, but within seconds of doing so, she climbs aboard a carry bed and slave men lift her up and take her where she wants to go.Add all this to seeing women with 1960's modern hair styles and clean shaven soldiers and barbarian men, and viewers are very much on the lookout to find more silliness (and maybe hoping for a laugh track?) rather than watching this as a real movie.The final product is ultimately a waste of film.
gilbertcollins7
Wow! I wish all my Sword and Sandal films looked this good. He print shown on TCM was crystal clear and in widescreen! The story is OK but it is the Cinematography that really makes this film shine.Sylvia Syms is absolutely gorgeous in this one and I don't agree with the reviewer who says that Louis Jordan is miscast for the part. Oh, I agree he is no barbarian. But that isn't his role. His charismatic portrayal is perfect for the part. The opening battle scenes is where he steals the show.Seeing this one in widescreen good quality was a real treat. It's too bad all of the other Sword and Sandal movies couldn't be viewed the way they were meant to be seen. That is good quality and widescreen. See this TCM print!
gridoon2018
The US title of this movie - "Amazons Of Rome" - is rather misleading: the Roman women do occasionally dress up as warriors and carry weapons, but they almost never fight. And since there are so many of them, the accuracy of the original title - "Virgins Of Rome" - cannot be guaranteed, either! Never mind, this film is an above-average sample of its genre, mostly thanks to its cast: instead of having a muscleman who can barely talk as the lead, it has the witty, distinguished Louis Jourdan, who plays a noble barbarian; a contradiction in terms, perhaps, but then again, Jourdan's character describes himself as a "strange bird". He is paired with the very appealing, courageous, smart Sylvia Syms, a great beauty who should be better known: together, they make the thinking man's sword-and-sandal couple. The rest of the cast is also good, and we even get to see Michel Piccoli with hair! The battle scenes are a bit clunky, but you have to admire the authenticity of the stunts - when the women cross a deep river on horseback, it's really them doing it. I watched the US version - the print was quite nice but according to IMDb the original version is 12 minutes longer, which may explain why the narrative feels a bit rushed at some points. **1/2 out of 4.
Maciste_Brother
I recently saw AMAZONS OF ROME on cable. The first thing that stood out was the look. The quality of the transfer was truly beautiful: pristine and sharp. The lighting, the background sky, the sets, the costumes, everything looked authentic and gorgeous. Credit should go to cinematographer Marc Fossard. It looked like it was filmed yesterday. Much better looking than 90% of Peplums made during that time, including the stilted and dull THE 300 SPARTANS. With that said, the story is lifeless. It lacks urgency. Is it a comedy or a drama? The whole thing looks like a bad sex comedy. Sorta like GIDGET GOES TO WAR. Or THE COLOSSUS & THE AMAZON QUEEN.But the film's biggest liability was casting Louis Jourdan as a Barbarian. What, Cary Grant wasn't available? I'm certain producers hired Jourdan in order to get financing for the film but it was a big mistake. He's simply too debonair to be a Barbarian. Sylvia Syms looks like Julie Andrews before Julie Andrews made her first movie. The best actor in the whole thing is Ettore Manni. Totally believable in anything he does, certainly in Sword & Sandal films. What a great, overlooked actor.It's a shame the production team for this film wasn't involved in a more action oriented or serious story. The looked of it all would have rocked even more if it hadn't been involved with such a lightweight story.
