The Caesar's Legions

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Movie
German title The Caesar's Legions
Original title Le legioni di Cleopatra
Country of production Italy
France
Spain
original language Italian
Publishing year 1959
length 100 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Vittorio Cottafavi
script Vittorio Cottafavi
Robert de Nesle
Natividad Zaro
Italo Zingarelli
production Virgilio De Blasi
Italo Zingarelli
music Renzo Rossellini
camera Mario Pacheco
cut Luciano Cavalieri
Julio Peña
occupation

The Legions of Caesar (original title: Le legioni di Cleopatra ) is an Italian-French-Spanish monumental film in color by Vittorio Cottafavi . The script was written by the director together with the writing team Robert de Nesle , Natividad Zaro , Italo Zingarelli . The main roles are cast with Ettore Manni , Linda Cristal and Georges Marchal . The work had its world premiere on November 27, 1959 in Italy. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the film first came to the cinema on August 22, 1960.

action

The film takes place in the year 30 BC in Alexandria and the surrounding area. The Roman legions under Augustus occupied the north of Egypt and are on the verge of extending Rome's rule to the whole country.

In the palace of Queen Cleopatra also lives Mark Antony , a renegade Roman who is a slave to his mistress. Augustus wants to give him the opportunity to reconcile himself with his country of origin. For this purpose he instructs the warrior Curridio to persuade Antonius to return to his homeland. When Curridio arrives in Alexandria, he pretends to be Greek. As soon as he stops at the first tavern , he meets the hard- drinking athlete Gotarze. The two are equally likeable and become friends with each other.

At the slave market , Curridio acquires the 12-year-old Rais and his older sister Marianne. Although the girl is extremely attractive, her owner initially does not have a look at her. One night Curridio sees the dancer Berenice, who immediately sets his heart on fire. He does not yet suspect that she is none other than the queen herself. He only becomes aware of this when he has tricked the palace guards by surprise and penetrated the sacred rooms. Because Cleopatra admires his boldness, she now demands his love.

When Curridio gained entry to the palace for the second time, he found the renegade Antonius. But he refuses the mediation offer and declares that he wants to fight against Augustus. Curridio is undoing that the conversation has been overheard. Now he is in great danger, but thanks to his friend Gotarze he can save himself at the last minute. The little Rais, however, pays for his courage with his life. Then Curridio learns how much he has been deceived by Cleopatra. Deeply hurt, he confronts her; but she only scorns him and orders his death.

In the following battle Augustus wins. After Cleopatra has turned away from Antonius, the latter commits suicide. Thereupon the queen drives eight horses to meet the victorious Caesar . But her art of seduction leaves him cold. Back in her palace, she also takes her own life.

Gotarze had managed to save Curridio a second time. He now says goodbye to his friends and returns to his homeland with Marianne, whom he has since learned to love.

Synchronization of the most important roles

role actor Dubbing voice
Cleopatra / Berenice Linda Cristal Gisela Trowe
Curridio Ettore Manni Gert Günther Hoffmann
Mark Antony Georges Marchal Friedrich Joloff
Gotarze Conrado San Martín Arnold Marquis
Marianne Maria Mahor Marianne Lutz

criticism

The lexicon of international films draws the following conclusion: "Between the tumult of the battle and intrigue, occasionally a little bit of eye pleasure thanks to Cottafavi's well-composed image structure."

source

  • Program for the film: Das Neue Film-Programm , published by the publisher of the same name, Mannheim, without a number

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Lexicon of international films, rororo-Taschenbuch No. 6322 from 1988, p. 2197