This superior sword and sandal saga benefits enormously from lofty production values, a solid cast, and a believable storyline. Nothing supernatural occurs in "Goliath and the Sins of Babylon." Our half-clad muscle-bound hero doesn't tangle with three-headed canines, fire-breathing dragons, or flying man-bats. As usual, this epic concerns an enslaved nation whose rebels plot to overthrow an tyrannical ruler, end palace intrigue, and allow a rightful heir to ascend to the throne. What sets "Goliath and the Sins of Babylon" apart from other ancient epics is the skillful use of irony and the surprises in the screenplay by Lionello De Felice of "Colossus of the Arena," Roberto Gianviti of "Seven Slaves Against the World," and Francesco Scardamaglia of "Seven Rebel Gladiators." "Colossus of the Arena" director Michele Lupo draws on a dwarf for comic relief. Mark Forest makes a sympathetic strongman hero, while Erno Crisa and Piero Lulli are sufficiently treacherous as the villains. Future Spaghetti western star Giuliano Gemma co-stars as Goliath's friend and ally Xandros.
An anonymous narrator establishes the setting: "Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the small kingdom of Nefer in the Persian Gulf was forced to pay tribute to its conqueror Babylon. The people of Nefer trembled with outrage and fear as the soldiers came to collect the yearly price, thirty of the loveliest virgins of the land." As the film opens, a girl (Eleonora Bianchi of "Ulysses against the Son of Hercules") bids farewell to her tearful family before the soldiers of King Pergasos, wearing red outfits, appropriate her as one of the sacrificial thirty. She tries to escape. Just when she believes she had eluded Pergasos's troops in the market place, she runs smack into the arms of another soldier. Goliath (Mark Forest of "Son of Samson") objects to the way the soldier roughs up the girl and intervenes on her behalf. After Goliath displays his courage against the armed soldiers, they flee like cowards.
A resourceful little person, the mischievous dwarf Ninneto (Arnaldo Fabrizio of "Samson and the Mighty Challenge"), emerges from his hiding place in a basket strapped to a horse and warns Goliath about the consequences of this act of defiance. Ninneto flees to a nearby tavern and tells Alceas (Mimmo Palmara of "Kindar the Invulnerable") and his friend Xandros (Giuliano Gemma of "Day of Anger") about Goliath. When these two see Goliath surrounded by the soldiers, they ride to his rescue. They literally hoist the strong man up by his brawny biceps and carry him away between them. An imperturbable Goliath threatens to unhorse them, but they convince him not to because all three of them would be captured. Meanwhile, Pergasos's soldiers pursue them on horseback, but the little fellow shuts the city gates before the Pergasos's men reach it.
The next time we see Goliath, Alceas, and Xandros, they are behind bars in an arena watching gladiators practice. Initially, Goliath refuses to become a gladiator. The leader of an underground movement against the monarchy, Evandro (Livio Lorenzon of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"), explains to Goliath that the men training as gladiators in the arena are a part of a conspiracy to overthrow their dastardly ruler. According to Evandro, Nefer fought a war with Babylon four years ago and lost. The king of Nefer was murdered, and his older brother, Pergasos (Piero Lulli of "My Name Is Nobody"),arranged an armistice with Babylon. The Babylonians take thirty virgins annually and sacrifice them. When Goliath asks about the slain king's daughter, Regia (José Greci of "War Gods of Babylon"), Evandro explains their law dictates that she must take a husband before she can rule. A frustrated Evandro fumes: "Who knows when a marriage will take place." Xandros states that they have pledged to halt these shipments of slave girls to Babylon. Evandro invites Goliath to join them so they will be 42 in number. Ninneto chimes in "42 and a half" and joins them, too. "Alright," Alceas chuckles, "we'll make you our mascot." Indeed, Ninneto serves as comic relief, and he is genuinely funny, a little guy who can knock out unsuspecting warriors three-times his own size. The pottery scene where he eludes the soldiers is better than you'd imagine, particularly because Ninneto gets away!
"Colossus of the Arena" director Michele Lupo stages a boisterous sea battle, a careening chariot race, and several sword fights with aplomb. Mind you, the chariot race is nothing compared to "Ben-Hur," but the arena setting is spectacular enough for an Italian peplum. Lupo is particularly adept at creating interesting transitions and the one involving the gong being struck is really good. The only thing lacking is the typical trials that the herculean hero endures to prove his strength. Displays of brawn do not appear as often as they do in other better peplum movies. One of the big scenes shows Goliath chained to a slab in the dudgeon. Above him are several holes and each hole conceals a wicked looking spear. The spears are released by means of cutting the rope holding them and then this pointed weapons travel downward toward its victim. It is a cop-out that none of the spears actually strike our hero. The spears stop several inches from his important body parts while he patiently waits and then later rips out the irons restraining him.
Overall, Lupo does a good job with "Goliath and the Sins of Babylon." The Retromedia DVD widescreen presentation on Retromedia looks fantastic. This is one of the most polished looking Peplums ever with pristine looking sets. This marked lenser Mario Sbrenna's debut as cinematographer, and he makes everything appear larger-than-life. Unfortunately, we never get to witness any of the sins of Babylon, short of people being fed to lions.
An anonymous narrator establishes the setting: "Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the small kingdom of Nefer in the Persian Gulf was forced to pay tribute to its conqueror Babylon. The people of Nefer trembled with outrage and fear as the soldiers came to collect the yearly price, thirty of the loveliest virgins of the land." As the film opens, a girl (Eleonora Bianchi of "Ulysses against the Son of Hercules") bids farewell to her tearful family before the soldiers of King Pergasos, wearing red outfits, appropriate her as one of the sacrificial thirty. She tries to escape. Just when she believes she had eluded Pergasos's troops in the market place, she runs smack into the arms of another soldier. Goliath (Mark Forest of "Son of Samson") objects to the way the soldier roughs up the girl and intervenes on her behalf. After Goliath displays his courage against the armed soldiers, they flee like cowards.
A resourceful little person, the mischievous dwarf Ninneto (Arnaldo Fabrizio of "Samson and the Mighty Challenge"), emerges from his hiding place in a basket strapped to a horse and warns Goliath about the consequences of this act of defiance. Ninneto flees to a nearby tavern and tells Alceas (Mimmo Palmara of "Kindar the Invulnerable") and his friend Xandros (Giuliano Gemma of "Day of Anger") about Goliath. When these two see Goliath surrounded by the soldiers, they ride to his rescue. They literally hoist the strong man up by his brawny biceps and carry him away between them. An imperturbable Goliath threatens to unhorse them, but they convince him not to because all three of them would be captured. Meanwhile, Pergasos's soldiers pursue them on horseback, but the little fellow shuts the city gates before the Pergasos's men reach it.
The next time we see Goliath, Alceas, and Xandros, they are behind bars in an arena watching gladiators practice. Initially, Goliath refuses to become a gladiator. The leader of an underground movement against the monarchy, Evandro (Livio Lorenzon of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"), explains to Goliath that the men training as gladiators in the arena are a part of a conspiracy to overthrow their dastardly ruler. According to Evandro, Nefer fought a war with Babylon four years ago and lost. The king of Nefer was murdered, and his older brother, Pergasos (Piero Lulli of "My Name Is Nobody"),arranged an armistice with Babylon. The Babylonians take thirty virgins annually and sacrifice them. When Goliath asks about the slain king's daughter, Regia (José Greci of "War Gods of Babylon"), Evandro explains their law dictates that she must take a husband before she can rule. A frustrated Evandro fumes: "Who knows when a marriage will take place." Xandros states that they have pledged to halt these shipments of slave girls to Babylon. Evandro invites Goliath to join them so they will be 42 in number. Ninneto chimes in "42 and a half" and joins them, too. "Alright," Alceas chuckles, "we'll make you our mascot." Indeed, Ninneto serves as comic relief, and he is genuinely funny, a little guy who can knock out unsuspecting warriors three-times his own size. The pottery scene where he eludes the soldiers is better than you'd imagine, particularly because Ninneto gets away!
"Colossus of the Arena" director Michele Lupo stages a boisterous sea battle, a careening chariot race, and several sword fights with aplomb. Mind you, the chariot race is nothing compared to "Ben-Hur," but the arena setting is spectacular enough for an Italian peplum. Lupo is particularly adept at creating interesting transitions and the one involving the gong being struck is really good. The only thing lacking is the typical trials that the herculean hero endures to prove his strength. Displays of brawn do not appear as often as they do in other better peplum movies. One of the big scenes shows Goliath chained to a slab in the dudgeon. Above him are several holes and each hole conceals a wicked looking spear. The spears are released by means of cutting the rope holding them and then this pointed weapons travel downward toward its victim. It is a cop-out that none of the spears actually strike our hero. The spears stop several inches from his important body parts while he patiently waits and then later rips out the irons restraining him.
Overall, Lupo does a good job with "Goliath and the Sins of Babylon." The Retromedia DVD widescreen presentation on Retromedia looks fantastic. This is one of the most polished looking Peplums ever with pristine looking sets. This marked lenser Mario Sbrenna's debut as cinematographer, and he makes everything appear larger-than-life. Unfortunately, we never get to witness any of the sins of Babylon, short of people being fed to lions.