7 legendary peplum films that still amaze us today

Ashtray films have been around since the dawn of cinematography. They got their unusual name from the traditional Greek dress - peplos. The fact is that usually the basis for these paintings was taken from antique or biblical subjects, the heroes of which, in the minds of filmmakers, wore just such outfits.

The peplum directors primarily sought to amaze the audience with large-scale filming, gigantic decorations and grandiose extras. But the historical accuracy was often sacrificed in favor of artistry.

During World War II, the popularity of expensive historical dramas declined due to budget cuts. Then ashtray films began to appear on the screens again, but infrequently. In a strongly rethought form, they returned only at the beginning of the XXI century thanks to Ridley Scott, who proved with his "Gladiator" that this genre is too early to bury.

Thanks to him, modern viewers became interested in the famous paintings of the past. In this article, we have collected the best ash films that amaze with their scope even today.

1. Cabiria

Cabiria

• Italy, 1914.
• Drama, adventure, military, history.
• Duration: 148 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.1.

The action takes place in the 3rd century BC. NS. on the island of Sicily. The eruption of Mount Etna turns the city of Catania to ashes, and the Roman patrician Batto decides that his only daughter Cabiria died during the cataclysm. But the girl survived: she was kidnapped by the Carthaginian pirates. And now the fate of the heroine depends on the coincidence of the most incredible circumstances.

"Cabiria" by the Italian director Giovanni Pastrone can be considered the very first peplum in the history of cinema. Despite the fact that the film is more than 100 years old, all the characteristic features of a typical historical-adventurous epic are clearly traced in it: grandiose scenery, large-scale battle scenes, romantic storyline.

But let's say right away: these days, watching "Cabiria" can be very boring. After all, this is a silent film with replaying actors and imperfect pictures. On the other hand, getting acquainted with individual scenes of the picture can be useful from the point of view of general development: after all, many directors later used Pastrone's work.

2. Ten Commandments

The ten commandments

• USA, 1956.
• Drama, adventure.
• Duration: 220 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.9.

Egyptian prince Moses lives in luxury, but he is very sympathetic to the Jews slaves and tries to help them. One day the hero learns that he is a Jew himself. Then the man breaks ties with the royal family and begins to fight for the freedom of his people. And in this he will be helped by divine powers.

By the middle of the 20th century, color cinematography practically supplanted black and white pictures. In addition, the technical capabilities have also stepped forward. This led Hollywood director and producer Cecil B. DeMille thought to reshoot his own biblical epic of the same name in 1923.

The remake simply amazed the audience of that time with its scope. A huge crowd was gathered right in Egypt, where the film was filmed, but they didn't have time to finish the special effects. But this did not stop the new "Ten Commandments" from captivating the public.

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3. Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

• USA, 1959.
• Drama, history, adventure.
• Duration: 212 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

The Roman Messala and the Jew Ben-Hur were friends when they were children. After a long separation, they meet as adults. Messala asks a former comrade to help pacify dissenting Jews, among whom the influence of a certain prophet from Nazareth is growing. But Ben-Hur refuses to betray his people, for which his former friend takes cruel revenge on him.

The heyday of the peplum genre came in the 1950s – 1960s. It was then that William Wyler filmed the legendary Ben Hur with the Ten Commandments star Charlton Heston. True, at first the director did not really want to take on the project. But in the end, the film became a hit and won an unimaginable 11 Oscars. Moreover, the picture now looks quite fresh and interesting.

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4. Spartacus

Spartacus

• USA, 1960.
• Drama, adventure, military, biography, history.
• Duration:
• IMDb: 7.9.

A young Thracian named Spartak is bought for training in a gladiatorial school. The hero becomes an excellent fighter, but after the next fight he revolts. As a result, runaway slaves from all over the area join the rebels.

For Stanley Kubrick the picture about the famous gladiator became the most unloved project. He could not fully control the creative process, since he was acting as a director for hire. Therefore, "Spartacus" cannot be fully called a Kubrick film: the characteristic handwriting of the master is almost not felt in the film. Still, production scandals did not prevent the film from becoming a hit, and within the framework of its genre, this movie is very significant.

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5. Jason and the Argonauts

Jason and the argonauts

• Great Britain, USA, 1963.
• Fantasy, action, adventure, family.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

The bloodthirsty tyrant Pelius, in order to get rid of Jason's nephew, claiming the throne, sends him from Greece to Colchis for the golden fleece. On the way, the hero and his fellow Argonauts will have to face a variety of dangers.

The film was a great success, and special effects specialist Ray Harrihausen played a significant role in this. In the scenes where the Argonauts fight with skeletons armed with swords and escape from the bronze knight Talos, the artist combined the play of live actors and puppet animation. Now these effects look naive, but at that time they were considered standard.

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6. Cleopatra

Cleopatra

• Switzerland, Great Britain, USA, 1963.
• Drama, melodrama, historical, biography.
• Duration: 243 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.0.

The film tells about life egyptian Queen Cleopatra and touches on the topic of her difficult relationship with her beloved men - the Roman ruler Caesar and the military leader Mark Antony.

This monstrously expensive project nearly ruined 20th Century Fox. The leading actress Elizabeth Taylor was given an unprecedented fee of one million dollars. But at the very beginning of production, the actress became seriously ill. In addition, the filming process was constantly interfered with, and the studio suffered colossal losses.

As a result, the picture did not even recoup the money spent on production and marked the end of the Peplum era. After all, the audience was no longer interested in pretentious historical performances - they wanted to watch something more dynamic and simple.

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7. Fall of the Roman Empire

The fall of the roman empire

• USA, 1964.
• Drama, military, history.
• Duration: 188 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.7.

The reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius comes to an end. Dying, he appoints as his successor the glorious commander Gaius Livy, who is in love with his daughter. But this situation does not suit Commodus, the son of Aurelius.

The film with the legendary Sophia Loren as Lucilla flopped at the box office, but over time, viewers and critics appreciated it. So, the picture of Anthony Mann turned out to be much darker and more dramatic than other historical epics of that time.

After a series of commercial failures in Hollywood, interest in the peplum genre dried up for a long time. The fashion for historical action films only in 2000 returned to "Gladiator" by Ridley Scott - a direct remake of "The Fall of the Roman Empire".

Linda Zhuravleva