Saturday, March 2, 2013

Photo of the Day

Cinzia (Delia Scala) tries to save Timus  (Erno Crisa) from hungry lions with prayers in MESSALINA (1951)

What can I say about this scene? The film is resplendent with pageantry, amazing sets and costumes and it seems to be a serious take on Messalina but this scene crosses over into the supernatural as Cinzia tames the lions with the power of prayers. It's sorta out of place in a an otherwise straight forward drama. Some say the film is boring but how can anyone find this film boring? One might not like the story but visually it's not boring. Just look at the details in the background wall sculpture. The two living people look like they are part of the artwork.

I'm not too familiar with Delia's career (looking at IMDb and it seems she made few PEPLUM films) but Erno was a regular actor of the genre. He made dozens of films. One of his most memorable roles was the baddy in CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER.

1 comment:

Steve R. Orsulak said...

How can I get a DVD of this movie? The only thing I know about this movie is from what you have posted. I love Epics with sumptuous sets.