The gladiators
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The gladiators |
| Original title | Demetrius and the Gladiators |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1954 |
| length | 100 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Delmer Daves |
| script | Philip Dunne |
| production | Frank Ross / Twentieth Century Fox |
| music | Franz Waxman |
| camera | Milton Krasner |
| cut |
Dorothy Spencer , Robert Fritch |
| occupation | |
| |
The Gladiators (Original title: Demetrius and the Gladiators ) is an American epic film directed by Delmer Daves from the year 1954. It is a continuation of the film The Robe by Henry Koster from 1953, the first full-length feature film in widescreen process CinemaScope . This film, also shot in Cinemascope, premiered in Germany on November 4, 1954. In contrast to Das Gewand , the sequel is not based on a novel by Pastor Lloyd C. Douglas .
action
The film begins with a scene from the previous film. The Roman emperor Caligula has Marcellus and Diana executed as a result of the persecution of Christians . Before the execution, Diana gives one of the spectators a robe. She tells him that the robe is intended for the fisherman. She means Peter , who was a fisherman before his apostle call .
Peter hands over the robe to Demetrius at the funeral of Marcellus and Diana, before he sets off on his evangelistic trip north. The emperor Caligula believes that the robe is magical and wants to get it into his possession. He asks his uncle Claudius what happened to the robe.
In a pottery, Demetrius shows his lover Lucia's robes. When Lucia makes himself suspicious in search of the garment, a Roman legionnaire attacks her and is knocked down by Demetrius. He is arrested, sentenced to fight in the arena, and goes to Claudius's gladiator school.
On the evening before the fight, his opponent Dardanius beats him and tells him to turn the other cheek as well. The Nubian Glycon helps Demetrius. Messalina ( Valeria Messalina ), the wife of Claudius, who observed the scene, then lets the two fight each other the next day. These first give an exhibition match. When they are seen through, Glycon feels compelled to be serious, but is struck down by Demetrius. The audience wants to let Glycon live. Caligula lowers his thumb, whereupon Demetrius begs for mercy for Glycon. Glycon is allowed to go, Demetrius has to fight three tigers. With the last of his strength and already seriously wounded, he can defeat the tigers. Messalina tries to win him over as a lover. When he rejects her, he is sent back to the gladiator school.
With the help of a joy girl, Lucia gets into the gladiator school. Dardanius takes it against her will. Demetrius is locked in a cell and asks God to save Lucia. But she loses consciousness and is carried out lifeless. Demetrius, who has lost his faith in God, then goes into the arena the next day and kills Dardanius and his accomplices. He is sentenced, but the Praetorian Prefect obtains his release and offers him to join the Praetorian Guard . Demetrius renounces Christianity at the request of Caligula and joins the guard with the rank of tribune . As a tribune, Demetrius rejects the teachings of Christians and the Egyptian deity Isis . He starts an affair with Messalina and doesn't want to know anything more about Peter, who is visiting him.
After a few months, Caligula learns of the affair. He sends Demetrius to find the robe. Demetrius finds Lucia, who survived the attack. In catatonia she holds the robe tightly. Demetrius prays to God for forgiveness . Lucia awakens from her catatonia and Demetrius finds his way back to the Christian faith.
Demetrius brings the robe to the emperor. He gives the robe to a prisoner, kills him and tries to revive him. The angry Caligula accuses Demetrius of bringing him the wrong robe. Demetrius is brought back into the arena. Before Demetrius can be executed, the Praetorian Guard rise. The executor and the emperor are killed, Claudius is proclaimed the new emperor.
The new emperor does not want the status of God. As emperor he wants to do his best for the people. Demetrius should go to Peter and the Christians and tell them that they have nothing to fear as long as they do not act against the Roman Empire . Messalina returns to her husband Claudius, on behalf of both of them she wishes Demetrius good luck. Demetrius and Glycon meet Peter with the robe and leave the imperial palace.
Reviews
"Show entertainment with effective staging of gruesome gladiator fights and superficial, superficial religious approaches."
background
- The film is considered the only monumental film that is a direct continuation of another monumental film. Victor Mature played the role of Demetrius in the predecessor, Michael Rennie played Peter.
- Woody Strode (as a gladiator) and Julie Newmar (as a dancer) can be seen in small supporting roles . Both remain unnamed in the credits.
- The film was a huge hit at the box office. On a budget of $ 4.5 million, he grossed $ 26 million.
- Oscar-winning employees were: composer Waxman (2 Oscars, 1951 and 1952); Art Director George W. Davis, who was awarded in 1954 together with colleague Lyle R. Wheeler for the previous film Das Gewand (Davis won another Oscar in 1960 with Wheeler, Wheeler was honored in 1940 and 1947 and won another Oscar in 1957); Set decorator Paul S. Fox, who was awarded Wheeler and Davis in 1954 (he won an Oscar with Wheeler in 1957 and another in 1964); his colleague Walter M. Scott (1954 with Wheeler, Davis and Fox, 1957 with Wheeler and Fox, 1960 with Wheeler and Davis, 1964 with Fox, two more Oscars in 1967 and 1970); Sound engineer Roger Herman (awarded in 1944); Costume designer Charles Le Maire (1951, 1954 for Das Gewand and 1956).
- Cinematographer Krasner won an Oscar in 1955.
Historical characters in the film
- The Roman Emperor Caligula ruled from AD 37 to AD 41. His full name is Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. He got the name Caligula as a child from Roman soldiers and means soldiers' boot .
- Caligula's uncle Claudius (full name Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) ruled the empire as Caligula's successor from AD 41 to 54. He too fell victim to an attack - he was poisoned.
- Messalina was the third wife of Claudius. She wanted to divorce Claudius in AD 48 so that she could marry another man. Claudius had her executed.
- It has not been established whether Peter was in Rome during the reign of Caligula. There is evidence that he was in Rome between 65 and 67 AD and died there as a martyr.
Web links
- The gladiators in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Short review at Variety
- The gladiators on Peplumania.com .
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Gladiators. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046899/business