One of the least well known Hammer Glamours, this is nonetheless lots of fun. It’s set in the time of Nero with Romans occupying Britain; a local king has given over his kingdom tobe ruled after his death by one of his daughters (someone called Carita) and the Romans (as personified by Don Murray!). It’s a program for disaster, with neither hardline Romans or Britons happy with it, nor are the merchants.
The attitude towards the Roman Empire is interesting – it’s sort of good with bad bits, like local British culture. We are so used to seeing Briths actors playing Romans who occupy Americans, it’s odd to see them occupy Britain. It’s a decent story – though it’s a mystery why Hammer didn’t just call the Viking Queen Bodeicia, and take advantage of name recognition. I liked the different factions and the tragedy of the romance – although they probably should have had Carita duel Murray at the end and throw herself on Murray’s sword rather than some random Roman’s.
The film badly lacks star power: Murray isn’t very believable as a Roman as first glance but he does suit the armour; Carita is pretty but isn’t strong enough to play a viking queen (this is especially so at the ed when she’s leading the troops into battle in a chariot and wielding a sword). The support cast is better: Andrew Keir is very good as his Murray’s line second in command and there are strong turns from Donald Houston and Patrick Troughton. But it needed someone like Raquel Welch or Ursula Andress to really fly.
Plenty of plunging necklines; Keir is confronted with a topless woman on a horse; there’s a “wet toga” scene involving Carita (when she does it in a river with Murray); Carita is publically whipped by Keir. There’s also a fair bit of action and stabbings – the guerrilla warfare stuff (ambushes etc) are more effective than the pitched battle at the end, where the low budget hurts.
No comments:
Post a Comment