When the Roman Empire falls under the rule of a tyrannical nobleman with a god complex, 10-year-old Prince Darius plans to remove him from power with the help of the great warrior Rezio (who was a king's son before he was enslaved).
Richard Harrison plays a Horace-quoting gladiator who at first serves the Regent, but changes sides and joins the rebels when he realizes that the Regent is in fact The Bad Guy. Along the way, the gladiator and the princess fall in love. Predictably, they ultimately prevail. The plot can be rather confusing, but the action is exciting( the gladiator fights were well done and gritty - you can feel the sweat and grime in such a small theatre and there's a lively chariot race) and there's some interesting glimpses into the backstage life of these warrior entertainers and their philosophizing on death and honour as well as looking battle-weary and at times reluctant to fight each other as they had befriended each other. I was expecting a routine peplum but was surprised to find this is a lively and engaging romp with some nice plot twists and good acting.
Richard Harrison plays a Horace-quoting gladiator who at first serves the Regent, but changes sides and joins the rebels when he realizes that the Regent is in fact The Bad Guy. Along the way, the gladiator and the princess fall in love. Predictably, they ultimately prevail. The plot can be rather confusing, but the action is exciting( the gladiator fights were well done and gritty - you can feel the sweat and grime in such a small theatre and there's a lively chariot race) and there's some interesting glimpses into the backstage life of these warrior entertainers and their philosophizing on death and honour as well as looking battle-weary and at times reluctant to fight each other as they had befriended each other. I was expecting a routine peplum but was surprised to find this is a lively and engaging romp with some nice plot twists and good acting.