THE LION OF THEBES (1963)

 

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

LION OF THEBES, produced in the waning days of the peplum craze, was a loose sequel (though with none of the same actors) to 1961' s THE TROJAN HORSE, also directed and co-written by Giorgio Ferroni. This indebtedness to a slightly more reputable historical film, concerning the Fall of Troy, may be why LION didn't follow the usual "paint-by-the-numbers" formula as did so many other strongman-films.

In one variation on the story of Helen of Troy, after the city's fall she somehow ends up in Egypt, where her great beauty once more causes political complications. THE WORLD'S DESIRE, an 1890 fantasy-novel by Rider Haggard and Andrew Lang, is, aside from LION, the only other fictional story I've seen based on the archaic legend. In this version of the story, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux) escapes Troy in the company of her Greek bodyguard Arion (Mark Forest), who, despite having been in the service of her husband Menelaus, apparently followed Helen to Troy when she was maybe-abducted by Paris. Understandably, to play down the image of Helen as a faithless woman, the script doesn't dwell on that part of the story.

The two fugitives end up in Egyptian Thebes, taken in by the court of Ramses II (Pierre Cressoy). Though the Pharaoh already has a favorite named Nais (Rosalba Neri), he makes intimations that he wants to marry Helen. Arion is clearly in love with Helen and is willing to protect her against all comes, though Helen's feelings are not immediately clear. Ramses susses out his possible competition by inviting the strongman to compete in a wrestling-tournament. When Arion wins, the Egyptians dub him "the Lion of Thebes."

Ramses faces a political threat from rival pharaoh Menophis, whose soldiers have gathered near the city. However, evil usurper Tutmes steals a dagger from Arion and uses it to slay Ramses, intending to frame the Greek for the crime. Nais, knowing nothing of this plot, seeks to peacefully rid herself of the competition for "Pharaoh's favorite" by showing Arion and Helen to a tunnel  by which they can escape the city and Ramses' unwanted attentions. Tutmes foils the escape, trapping Arion between two cell-doors that descend from the ceiling (handy, in a deserted tunnel) and taking Helen prisoner.

Arion frees himself from his prison by bending the bars with his uncanny strength, after which a nice-guy Egyptian priest, not wanting Tutmes in control, guides the Greek warrior out of the city. (He also takes charge of Nais after she finds the dead body of Ramses, saying something about keeping her safe, but the would-be Pharaoh's favorite never appears again.) As Arion departs the priest tells him that among the troops marshaled by Menophis is a Greek ally, none other than Menelaus, fresh from the sack of Troy.

Arion makes his way to the camp and reports to his former commander and the husband of his beloved. To the hero's chagrin, Menelaus has zero interest in rescuing his wayward wife; he just wants to loot Thebes. Nevertheless, the forces of Menophis and Menelaus assault Thebes, and thanks to the frontal assault, Arion is able to sneak into the city and rescue Helen from a descending stone slab designed to crush her slowly. Menelaus kills Tutmes and is killed in turn. Menophis assumes control of Thebes and generously allows the two Greeks to depart in peace, with Helen pledging her love to Arion at last.

Though there are a couple of well-choreographed fight-scenes in LION, the movie is more noteworthy for Ferrone's fluid direction and well-lighted sets, and for solid melodramatic performances from the cast. Forest probably turns in the most nuanced acting seen from any boulder-shouldered hero in one of these films. The only discordant note is purely a matter of personal opinion-- why would a Pharaoh want the merely pretty Furneaux if he could already had Rosalba Neri, who had a body capable of launching a thousand, uh, ships?