The Roman cannon

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Movie
German title The Roman cannon
Original title SPQR 2000 e 1/2 anni fa
Country of production Italy
original language Italian
Publishing year 1994
length 95 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Carlo Vanzina
script Carlo Vanzina
Enrico Vanzina
production Maurizio Amati
Aurelio De Laurentiis
music Federico De Robertis
camera Gianlorenzo Battaglia
cut Sergio Montanari
occupation

The Roman Cannon is a 1994 comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina and produced in Italy . It stars Christian De Sica , Massimo Boldi and Leslie Nielsen .

content

In corrupt Rome around 2000 years ago, Senator Lucius Cynicus and Public Prosecutor Cesare Atticus instigated numerous conspiracies. Atticus also has an affair with Ottavia that his wife is not allowed to know about. It becomes uncomfortable for Cynicus and Atticus when the incorruptible Milanese Antonio Servilio moves with his wife and daughter to Rome to take up a position as judge. When they first meet on the Via Appia, Atticus and Servilio get into an argument because Atticus accidentally rams Servilio's carriage.

At a fashion show, Atticus meets the pretty Neli from Egypt and quickly turns her into his new lover. Ottavia seeks revenge and reports him to Servilio for tax evasion and some other offenses. There are additional complications when Alessio, Atticus' son, begins to harbor feelings for Claudia, Servilio's daughter. Atticus seeks help from Lucius Cynicus, who advises him to involve Servilio in a scandal in order to get him out of the way. The whore Poppea should help them with this.

During a stay on the beach, Servilio first met Poppea and was immediately fascinated by her feminine charms. The two meet again during a visit to the theater, and Poppea finally invites Servilio to visit her at home. Under a pretext, Servilio makes his way to the given address the next evening and is immediately spoiled by Poppea and other whores. The plan of Cynicus and Atticus seems to work, because Servilio is caught in the brothel and then transferred to Sicily as a punishment. However, he succeeds there in uncovering a conspiracy and returning to Rome rehabilitated.

Again Atticus seeks the help of Cynicus. He is now of the opinion that they must kill Servilio in order to continue to cover up their criminal machinations. Neli also gives Atticus advice on how to cope with this murder: With her snakes.

Atticus ambushes Servilio and releases the snakes in his office. Shortly afterwards, however, Alessio enters the office to talk to Servilio, and Atticus now has to save his son by slaying the snakes. After this failed assassination attempt, Atticus and Servilio speak out and Servilio advises Atticus to work with him against Lucius Cynicus and to expose his intrigues. Atticus agrees and the two develop a plan to steal Cynicus' order book, which contains all of the bribes for the past ten years.

First, Alessio has to drive the two cooks from Cynicus over with his car, so that they have to go to the hospital. Then Atticus and Servilio dress up as women, buy a sleeping pill in a pharmacy and let Cynicus employ them as assistant cooks. In this function, they administer the sleeping pill and steal the key to the wall safe, in which the order book is kept. The two are caught and a wild chase with chariots begins, but they can finally get the order book.

In the subsequent court hearing, Atticus confesses to all of his corrupt machinations and Servilio therefore demands mitigating circumstances for him and for Cynicus in exile. Lucius Cynicus takes on his own defense, describing the bribes as "contributions for the general welfare" with which he only wanted to give the society of Rome their luxury, and thereby wins the case. Atticus and Servilio are sentenced to forced labor in the caves of Capua.

Here the other workers instigate a rebellion against Rome, which Atticus and Servilio enthusiastically join. However, the uprising is suppressed and Atticus, Servilio and the other workers are crucified on the edge of the Via Appia. While Atticus grieves about it, Servilio says that they will at least be remembered and that the future can only get better as a result.

The last scene takes a look 2000 years into the future (i.e. today's time): Cesare Atticus encounters the viewer again as a driver who is on the Via Appia with his girlfriend (Ottavia accordingly) and the car of another driver ( Antonio Servilio) rams. Thereupon the quarrel arises again between them.

criticism

“Behind the stupid dialogues, which seem even tasteless due to the shoddy German dubbing, the intended parody of current political conditions can only be guessed at. Particularly annoying are the misogynist and xenophobic jokes of the film, whose low level is also reflected in the badly charring actors and an unimaginative staging. "

- Lexicon of international film

"Unfortunately the puns of this horrific film are at least as old as most of the ruins in Rome."

- Cinema

backgrounds

The film, like The Crazy Cannon from 1998, has only the leading actor Leslie Nielsen in common with the film The Naked Cannon . However, for marketing reasons, the two films were linked to the highly successful Die Nackte Kanone series in the hope of gaining popularity . However, this was not done under the Italian original title, but only under the German distribution title.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Roman cannon. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ The Roman cannon on cinema.de