REVOLT OF THE PRAETORIANS (1964)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *sociological*

When I decided to watch this moldy-oldie peplum about the Rome of Emperor Domitian, I had no expectations of finding a new addition to my list of "superhero idiom" films. Most melodramas about ancient Rome aren't known for heroes with double identities, and so I can only assume that someone, possibly cult director Alfonso Brescia, decided to mash up the genre of the Roman historical flick with that of the costumed swashbuckler.

Domitian (Piero Lulli) is a thoroughly reprehensible despot who keeps his citizens on a tight leash, having his Praetorian Guard execute anyone who talks against the Emperor. Domitian has also alloyed the Roman court to be swayed into pagan practices by his leman Artamne (Moira Orfei), a priestess of Isis who persuades the Emperor to treat young Roman noblewomen as temple prostitutes. (Sounds more Babylonian than Egyptian, but who knows?) Two of Domitian's apparent allies, however, plan to unseat him: his jester-dwarf Elpidion and his centurion Valerius Rufus (Richard Harrison).

Rufus, hoping to generate a resistance movement in Rome, dons a wolf's head mask and begins picking fights with Praetorians, whom he beats easily with his superior strength and skill. Domitian calls for the execution of the mysterious warrior, dubbed "The Red Wolf," but the hero does the usual Zorro-esque disappearing act. (I would think that in the original Italian script someone would have drawn parallels to the legends of Rome's founders, the wolf-nurtured twins Romulus and Remus, but if so the English dub didn't trouble with that detail.)

Rufus succeeds in drumming up a resistance movement of both citizens and patricians, and the dwarf Elpidion joins him. The Red Wolf even kidnaps Artamne in order to use her as a hostage. The priestess escapes custody and reveals the hideout of the rebels to Domitian, but Rufus helps the rebels escape death. Rufus's double identity is almost exposed, but he finds that some of the Praetorians are willing to join the rebellion. This leads to a very strange end-sequence in which Rufus, the good Praetorians, and a troupe of traveling circus-performers fight Domitian's loyalists. The presence of the circus-people lends the big brawl an antic quality, for the performers use odd weapons (rolled-up bolts of cloth, a fire-eater's trick flame) and one female even floors a bad Praetorian with a judo toss! Still, all gets serious in the final duel between Rufus and Domitian, which, as one may guess, has no relation to anything in Roman history books.