SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR (1959)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *naturalstic*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological*

If one's not too demanding, the movie sometimes advertised as NEL SIGNE DI ROMA (translated as "Under the Sign of Rome") is probably an OK time-killer. But for a variety of reasons I found that it was more notable for all the odd things that went wrong with it-- though none of them are sufficient to make this a "so bad it's good" film.

The U.S. marketing is the first odd thing, for apparently it played here under two separate titles. The better known one is SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR, in which some marketing guy decided to stick in a random reference to someone being a gladiator (even though there are no actual games or combatants in the story). A second retitling is SHEBA AND THE GLADIATOR, which is more amusing. I hypothesize that some marketer noticed that the cast list included a character named "Bathsheba," and thought he could put more butts in seats if the title implied that the movie was about the Biblical Queen of Sheba.

There is a queen, though a lot of 1959 Americans might not have heard of Zenobia (Anita Ekberg), who ruled the land of Palmyra (modern-day Syria) in the third century. Naturally, SIGN does not seek to reproduce exact history, but it seems that the real Zenobia did rebel against the dominion of Rome-- and this is also the main conflict of the movie.

SIGN is not primarily an adventure-movie like various other "gladiator films" of the era, but a romantic drama. After Zenobia defeats a Roman legion, Rome sends more soldiers to quell the revolt. However, before Roman forces engage with the Palmyran army, Roman consul Marcus (French actor George Marchal) seeks to treat with Zenobia, though his real purpose is espionage. Zenobia doesn't deign to meet with this envoy and sends him to work in the mines, where he's punished by being hung upon (not nailed to) a cross. Then Zenobia changes her mind and invites Marcus to her court. With ridiculous ease Marcus manages to convince the queen that he's willing to turn his coat to her cause, and she promotes Marcus over native Palmyran officers.

All of this would satisfy the usual romantic formula if one could believe for an instant that Zenobia had fallen for Marcus in the early scenes. There are some more sustained romantic moments halfway through the movie, but Ekberg and Marchal have zero chemistry. Possibly stories of a chaotic shoot contributed to this basic problem.

Two other subplots are lumped in. One concerns a Palmyran plotter named Semantio (Folco Lulli), a heavyset chap who intends to take advantage of the rebellion to usurp Zenobia and bring in Rome's rivals the Persians to take over the realm. Semantio is aided by a comely dancer played by Cuban beauty Chelo Alonso, who'd soon become a celebrated peplum actress, and who bears the unusual Scandinavian name of "Erica." Erica is there just to trade lines with Semantio and do one sexy dance, after which she disappears.

The other plotline is more confusing. The aforementioned Bathsheba is a virgin dedicated to the temple of Vesta, whose worship apparently infiltrated Palmyra due to Roman influence. Bathsheba falls in love with a guy and flees her temple, so the religious authorities seek to find Bathsheba and execute her. The writers make a lame attempt to sync up Bathsheba's story with that of Semantio, as the usurper is killed by Marcus when Semantio attempts to sacrifice Bathsheba. There's not a lot of time devoted to describing the religion of Roman Vesta or its social functions-- though one online source claims that the Vestal hierarchy was somehow related to confirming Roman emperors-- but the sacerdotal references qualify in my book as a naturalistic version of the "weird societies" trope.

Though Marcus frets about betraying his newfound love, he follows through on his true mission and undermines the Palmyran forces in the field, bringing about the triumph of the Roman legions. In the movie's one memorable scene, Zenobia-- portrayed as commanding her troops in the field, though not actually fighting-- takes issue with Marcus' betrayal and impales him with a handy spear. There's a  funny line in which a doctor says such a thrust would have slain anyone less manly than Marcus, or something like that. Palmyra becomes a vassal of Rome once more. Yet Zenobia seems okay with it once she knows of the Persian threat, so she and Marcus end up in a concluding romantic clinch.

Despite Ekberg's impressive assets, her lack of chemistry with Marchal-- who isn't that great either-- isn't her sole problem. Ekberg had her positive aspects as an actress, but she couldn't put across the sense of being regal, in contrast to a few dozen actresses who labored in the vineyards of heroic adventure flicks. Yet it's hard to grade Ekberg harshly given the data that main director Guido Brignone was sidelined by illness, forcing some replacement direction from none other than Michelangelo Antonioni. I didn't see any signs of New Wave artiness in this thoroughly ordinary period flick, though. Long time Italian journeyman Riccardo Freda handled the battle scenes.

For me the film's main interest lies in its giving Ekberg her only starring "femme formidable" role. For those viewers not already devoted to period-films of the period, I don't imagine that SIGN will show any "signs" of earning a better reputation.