Directed by Robert Aldrich who Made Many Films Adored by the "Film School" Generation and has Attained a Huge Cult Following.
The Outspoken Director Considered this His WORST FILM.
An International Production with a Big-Budget that Contains some Good Actors...Stewart Granger...Pier Angeli...Stanley Baker...and Anouk Aime. Lending some Needed Gravitas.
Good Use of the Budget with Impressive Battle Scenes, Sets, and a Much Touted Score (Miklas Rosa).
Americans have Always Been Much More Tolerant of Violence On-Screen and Less So with Sex, Especially Proclivities Involving those Described as Deviant.
The Bible, where Many Citizens Set Their "Moral Compass", is Short and Sour in its Brief Description of the Tale of "Sodom and Gomorrah".
Topping the "Sins" on God's List in the Biblical Account that Raised His Wrath and Subsequently the Destruction of the "Twin Cities" was Homosexuality.
It is Here where the Movie had to Capitulate to the Code. Thus Almost Ignoring God's Concern,
No Reference to the "Gay" Except in the Symbolic. Nothing Verbal, just a Few Gestures, Looks, and Such. Hoping No One Would Notice.
It is Noticed that Violence (Torture Wheel), Sadism and War Fared Much Better and Produces a Few Cheap-Thrills so the Audience isn't Bored-to-Death for its 2h 34min, and Basic Good v Evil Lesson from the Cinematic Pulpit.
The Biblical Epic and its "Sword and Sandal" Sub-Genre was Prolific and Profitable for About a Decade, and this was the "Sign-Post" of "The End" of that Bit of Ballyhoo.
The Movie, to This Day, has Never Shown a Penny of Profit and has Gone Down as a Disastrous Conclusion to the Genre. Only a Few Years After "Ben Hur" was All the Rage and Dominated the Oscars.
Depending on Your POV, this Movie is Not Awful, but Certainly Nothing Remarkable, Especially Considering the Money and Talent Involved.
Point Being...Robert Aldrich's Next Film..."Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", with a Minuscule Budget, Became an Acclaimed Piece of Art, was Immensely Profitable, a Critical Success and as They Say...
"The Rest is (Hollywood) History".
The Outspoken Director Considered this His WORST FILM.
An International Production with a Big-Budget that Contains some Good Actors...Stewart Granger...Pier Angeli...Stanley Baker...and Anouk Aime. Lending some Needed Gravitas.
Good Use of the Budget with Impressive Battle Scenes, Sets, and a Much Touted Score (Miklas Rosa).
Americans have Always Been Much More Tolerant of Violence On-Screen and Less So with Sex, Especially Proclivities Involving those Described as Deviant.
The Bible, where Many Citizens Set Their "Moral Compass", is Short and Sour in its Brief Description of the Tale of "Sodom and Gomorrah".
Topping the "Sins" on God's List in the Biblical Account that Raised His Wrath and Subsequently the Destruction of the "Twin Cities" was Homosexuality.
It is Here where the Movie had to Capitulate to the Code. Thus Almost Ignoring God's Concern,
No Reference to the "Gay" Except in the Symbolic. Nothing Verbal, just a Few Gestures, Looks, and Such. Hoping No One Would Notice.
It is Noticed that Violence (Torture Wheel), Sadism and War Fared Much Better and Produces a Few Cheap-Thrills so the Audience isn't Bored-to-Death for its 2h 34min, and Basic Good v Evil Lesson from the Cinematic Pulpit.
The Biblical Epic and its "Sword and Sandal" Sub-Genre was Prolific and Profitable for About a Decade, and this was the "Sign-Post" of "The End" of that Bit of Ballyhoo.
The Movie, to This Day, has Never Shown a Penny of Profit and has Gone Down as a Disastrous Conclusion to the Genre. Only a Few Years After "Ben Hur" was All the Rage and Dominated the Oscars.
Depending on Your POV, this Movie is Not Awful, but Certainly Nothing Remarkable, Especially Considering the Money and Talent Involved.
Point Being...Robert Aldrich's Next Film..."Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", with a Minuscule Budget, Became an Acclaimed Piece of Art, was Immensely Profitable, a Critical Success and as They Say...
"The Rest is (Hollywood) History".