The Two Gladiators (1964)

I Due Gladiatori, image from Poster Museum

Duration: 1:40, aspect ration: 2.35:1

From the Warriors 50 Movie Set disc 2, side A, track 1.

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[ IMDB | Wikipedia ]

Music by Carlo Franci, also wrote for Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules (1963), Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964) [Warriors 50 Movie Pack], The Terror of Rome Against the Son of Hercules (1964), and Tyrant of Lydia Against the Son of Hercules (1963)

Some background:

This is based, somewhat, on the actual history of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his less-than-competant son Commodus. Marcus Aurelius (121 CE – 180 CE) was the last emperor of the Pax Romana. His wife was Faustina the Younger (referenced in the movie) and their other child was a daughter named Lucilla. In 177 CE, Commodus became Emperor after Marcus Aurelius’s death. Contemporaries and historians don’t speak kindly of Commodus.

In the opening scene, Lucius and his men are fighting the Gauls. Gauls thrived across Europe from the 400s BCE to the 400s CE and around the time of this movie could in fact have attacked Rome.

The character Emillia is a Sabine. Though this is only myth, during the founding of Rome Sabine women were abducted in order to populate the new city.

The story:

Evil Commodus kills in the coliseum without pity. At then end of the opening fight his victim declares before dying: “Someday… you’ll die in the same manner!” Hmm. Marcus Aurelius, his father and Emperor, sends for him but before Commodus leaves he learns that Aurelius has died. Commodus is now the new Emperor.

We see the people of Rome are starving while the royals eat like… royalty. Trouble’s brewing.

(I would like to note that Moira’s hair is never less that 1 foot high.)

10:00

Commodus wants to end the current war and just enjoy a decadent life, both positions draw anger, quietly, from many of the Senators. Emilia–the Sabine–has arrived from the Aurelius’s court and catches the eye of Commodus who cuckolds Marzia and paws at the resistant Emelia.

Leto, Commodus, Emillia, and Marzia. Commodus’s type is, apparently Big Hair.

Several of the Senators start plotting against against Commodus. Cut to Lucius with his men fighting the Gauls.

20:00

One of the coup-curious senators arrives at the battle and confides to Lucius that he’s Commodus’s twin brother who he, the senator, was to have killed but relented when the child was miraculously saved after being tossed into a river. The senator pleas for Lucius to depose Commodus, but Lucius is resistant. The conversation is overheard by a Commodus-friendly spy and gets back to Commodus.

Marzia accuses Emillia of trying to steal Commodus. No catfight though.

Lucius, with Pannusio and Orazio, rush back to Rome and are attacked while they sleep. The discomfort of sleeping on the ground keeps Orazio awake and alerts them before the attack. After they defeat the attacking Praetorians, Lucius confesses the reason for their haste in returning to Rome.

Horatius, Marcus, and Lucius, awakened by attacking soldiers. The actor playing Horatius was later reincarnated as James Marsden.

30:00

Arriving at the outskirts of Rome, they attempt to sneak in undetected and are attacked, unsuccessfully. Lucius then goes alone to meet the senator but finds him dead and is immediately captured.

40:00

Lucius is thrown in the dungeon with Emeilia and a dozen others. An injured ex-Centurion who is now a guard respects Lucius and brings them food and water. Lucius and Emilia immediately fall in love (as one does when imprisoned in a dungeon). Marzia visits (her hair only gets higher) and pledges to help them if Emilia, still not realizing the unwanted power-imbalance, stops chasin’ after her man and returns to Sabina.

I pledge my tall hair to win your freedom.

Lucius is summoned by Commodus and, just as Commodus is about to execute him, Lucius escapes out a window. Back with his comrades, he plots rebellion.

50:00

A group of Pratorians kills an old man with flour for his grandchildren and Lucius and his men attack them. Citizens join in and it’s a full uprising (in Hercules vs. the Giant Warriors (1964) there are similar unlikely scenes of peasants/citizens rising against the army and putting them in their place).

The rebels attack the prison and free the prisoners while the others storm the palace.

1:00:00

The crowd burst into the royal hall and confronts Commodus who cunningly explains away his part in their suffering and lays the blame on Cleandro, who he then pushes into the crowd. They kill him and praise Commodus for his graciousness. Lucius and his men retreat and re-plan.

Commodus about to throw the unwitting Cleandro to the angry crowd.

Lucius sends Horatius to return with Gen. Octavius Cratticus since he is the only one who can confirm his Lucius’s royal birth. In the city, Commodus quickly turns tyrannical again and has Leto begin arresting any senator who helped Lucius.

1:10:00

Commodus give Marzia to Leto as a reward which prompts her to sneak away in order to betray him. She meets with Emelia who gives her directions to Lucius. Alas, a spy of Leto overhears (seems to be a regular problem).

Marzia and Emillia.

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His friends attempt to convince a resistant Lucius to become emperor.

Just as she arrives at Lucius’s hideout, Marzia is killed by the Praetorians she unwittingly led there. Lucius and his men fight and ultimately escape through the tunnels under the city. There are always tunnels.

1:20:00

Commodus prepares for battle in the coliseum and Lucius enters the arena to fight him, dressed the same and masked (Lisa noted that we’re in Russell Crowe Gladiator territory now). Lucius reveals himself to Commodus before battle, but once they put their masks back on and start sparring, the spectators can’t tell who’s who.

Lucius triumphs but then must fight the Praetorians who swarm to avenge their emperor. The citizens quickly leap from the stands to join him in rebellion then Gen. Cratticus arrives to bolster their forces. Eventually Leto joins the fight but is killed by Lucius.

Once the dust, literal and metaphoric, settles, Lucius gives a speech telling the people that he he himself is not fit to be Emperor and so he is giving the position to Sen. Pertinace. He and Emelia embrace. Fin.

Lucius’s friends in rebellion–Mucius Pompi, Horatius Divaticus, and Marcus Panuncius–are rewarded with the roles of chief tax collector, head of the Praetorians, and head of the army.