12-09-2002, 11:18 PM
I have to review this classic film. It is "Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal", filmed in 1937 Italy. The film is available on DVD, 85 minutes long in black and white.<br>
This was a film financed by the fascist government of Mussolini. There are 1000's of extras in the battle scenes, hundreds og horses and dozens of elephants. If you are against animal cruelty, the actual stabbing of the elepants will be disgusting to you. Some were maimed and killed in the film, they didn't have much in the way of special effects and computer graphics in 1937.<br>
The film work is very good for this time period, and compares with filmwork of the 1950's. The DVD is dubbed in English.<br>
Costuming goes from not bad to horrible, in the light of modern knoweldge, but again for the mid 1930's it was considered accurate! Leather laminata (segmentata), rectangular scutum, strange helmets.... and I won't mention the tunics, it is after all, a black and white film!<br>
<br>
The most interesting part for me is the mass battle and marching scenes, where 1000's of extras move in lines, squares, columns, and into contact with the enemy, without being in cadenced step! That's right! They are NOT in step, yet they manage to move as solid groups and look decent doing it. The film makers also had lots of horns for signalling, but no drums. They also used bodypaint for the Numidians. The battle scenes are not too bad, and many of the horsemen have no stirrups!<br>
This would be a really interesting film to rewrite and make in the light of modern rersearch and knowledge, but as it stands it would make an interesting addition to a Roman video library. It is about $30. ISBN 1-57299-955-1<br>
<p></p><i></i>
This was a film financed by the fascist government of Mussolini. There are 1000's of extras in the battle scenes, hundreds og horses and dozens of elephants. If you are against animal cruelty, the actual stabbing of the elepants will be disgusting to you. Some were maimed and killed in the film, they didn't have much in the way of special effects and computer graphics in 1937.<br>
The film work is very good for this time period, and compares with filmwork of the 1950's. The DVD is dubbed in English.<br>
Costuming goes from not bad to horrible, in the light of modern knoweldge, but again for the mid 1930's it was considered accurate! Leather laminata (segmentata), rectangular scutum, strange helmets.... and I won't mention the tunics, it is after all, a black and white film!<br>
<br>
The most interesting part for me is the mass battle and marching scenes, where 1000's of extras move in lines, squares, columns, and into contact with the enemy, without being in cadenced step! That's right! They are NOT in step, yet they manage to move as solid groups and look decent doing it. The film makers also had lots of horns for signalling, but no drums. They also used bodypaint for the Numidians. The battle scenes are not too bad, and many of the horsemen have no stirrups!<br>
This would be a really interesting film to rewrite and make in the light of modern rersearch and knowledge, but as it stands it would make an interesting addition to a Roman video library. It is about $30. ISBN 1-57299-955-1<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
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Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
