The Colossus of Rhodes (film)

The Colossus of Rhodes (

The film was Leone's first work as a credited director,[2] in a genre where he already had worked before (as the replacement director for The Last Days of Pompeii and as a secondary director for both Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis). It is perhaps the least known of the seven films he officially directed, and is the only one without an Ennio Morricone score.

The film is set during the time following

Plot

A Greek

Darios flirts with the beautiful Diala, daughter of the statue's mastermind, Carete, while becoming involved with a group of rebels headed by Peliocles. These rebels seek to overthrow Rhodes' tyrannical king Serse, but so does Serse's evil second-in-command, Thar. He has Phoenician soldiers smuggled into Rhodes as slaves, and his men occupy the Colossus to secure safe entrance for the Phoenician fleet.

The rebels learn of this plan and decide to apply to the Greeks for help; Darios, who is forbidden to leave Rhodes as he is suspected a spy, is to serve as an unwitting message carrier. But as they try to exit the harbor under the cover of night, they are foiled by the Colossus's defensive weaponry and arrested. Darios is convicted as a fellow conspirator. However, just before the captives are to be executed, the rest of the rebels break them out.

In their hideout, Peliocles decides that the only way to stop the invasion is to control the Colossus and free their fellow rebels who have already been captured and sentenced to work as slaves beneath the Colossus; the release mechanism for the dungeons is located in the statue itself. Darios realizes that without reconnaissance the mission is doomed to fail and tries to enlist Diala's aid. He tells her about the rebels' hideout. Diala, who longs for power, betrays Darios and has Thar have the rebels nearly wiped out – with the exceptions of Mirte and Koros, Peliocles' sister and brother, who have hidden.

Peliocles and his men are captured and forced to provide amusement in the local arena; but just when Darios arrives to publicly expose the traitor's plot, Thar executes his coup and kills Serse and his retainers. The rebels immediately set out to carry out their plan, but the rebellion seems doomed to fail: Darios is captured while he tries to work the release mechanism to the dungeons, and Koros, who accompanies him, is killed. An all-out assault of the rebels on the Colossus is foiled by its formidable arsenal, which forces them to retreat into the city. Thar's soldiers kill Diala's father, who does not want to see his life's work abused.

An earthquake and a violent storm hit the island just as the enemy fleet is visible on the horizon. Thar and his men flee the Colossus when a tremor shakes the structure violently, only to be slain by the rebels in the city streets. Diala, plagued with remorse, frees Darios but is killed by falling debris. As the quake continues, the Colossus topples over and crashes into the harbor bay.

After the fury of nature has passed, Darios and Mirte meet Lissipu outside the ruined city. Lissipu remarks that Darios is now free to leave, but his nephew announces that he will marry Mirte and stay in Rhodes to help make the island peaceful again.

Cast

• Rory Calhoun – Darios
• Lea Massari – Diala
• Georges Marchal – Peliocles
• Conrado San Martín – Thar
• Ángel Aranda – Koros
• Mabel Karr – Mirte
• Mimmo Palmara – Ares
• Roberto Camardiel – King Serse
• Alfio Caltabiano – Creonte
• George Rigaud – Lissipu
• Félix Fernández - Carete

Production

The film was originally meant to star John Derek. However he clashed with Sergio Leone and was replaced by Rory Calhoun.^[3] Derek was fired in June 1960. This resulted in a legal case.^[4]

Leone filmed exterior scenes at the

According to MGM records the movie made a profit of $350,000,[6] and reviews at the time praised the visuals.^[7][8][9] Overall, however, its reviews tend to range from average to bad - in particular it is faulted for its story, acting, and length.^[7][10][11]

Retrospective reviews generally describe it as typical for its genre and lacking the distinctive qualities of Leone's later movies.^[10][11] Reviews of the Colossus itself as a setpiece are mixed, with some describing it as genuinely impressive^[12][13] and others as cheesy or overused.^[10][11]

Depiction of the Colossus

Although no physical references of the original

While the statue in the film is made of iron and burnished brass (or perhaps bronze) and barefoot, barechested and bareheaded, wearing only a short men's Greek-style skirt and a headband, the original poster depicts the statue as highly polished bronze, completely outfitted with full panoply, including an attic helmet.

Biography

• Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano – The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult. London - New York: I.B.Tauris.
  ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0
  .