The Pagans

This is an obscure early i.e. monochrome Italian spectacle with unimposing credentials, but which proves surprisingly decent in the long run. It deals with Romeo and Juliet-like vicissitudes, albeit set in Rome, at the time of famed 16th century sculptor Benvenuto Cellini – on the strength of which I will be watching presently two loose biopics, one emanating from 1930s Hollywood and another likewise from the "Euro-Cult" stable but made a decade later and filmed in color, as part of my Easter Epic marathon!

Incidentally, both English-language titles of the film under review are misleading: the original, in fact, translates to THE SACKING OF ROME (a real historical event – the oppressors being the Spanish armada of King Charles V – that was also dealt with by the cinema in 1910 and 1920). Shot on authentic locations, THE BARBARIANS looks quite good…making up for a hackneyed script and some rather stiff swordplay (with the participants invariably coming across as if they were attending fencing classes instead of being engaged in a duel to the death!); on the other hand, the climactic siege is competently-enough staged.

The acting, too, is hardly classy but the two leads are perfectly acceptable under the circumstances: Pierre Cressoy seemed to thrive within the genre, while Helene Remy (surprisingly displaying a prominent cleavage throughout!) would later star in a seminal – albeit minor – Gothic Horror entry i.e. Renato Polselli's THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA (1960). Also on hand in a supporting role is Franco Fabrizi, who would soon be elevated to leading man status himself and eventually corner the market in shady character actor parts.