Customer Reviews

Herod The Great

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These relatively inexpensive DVDs are usually dubbed from unrestored films. Budget brand labels (such as ALPHA or UNITED AMERICAN) offer no "bonus" features beyond rudimentary chapter access.

HEROD THE GREAT is one of many now-public domain Roman-era costumers. English speakers used for this American edition are typically mediocre. Also, few efforts were made to match translations to on-screen mouth movements. As was common in 1950s-60s Euro-historo-epics, actresses look as if their makeup was applied with a trowel. There's an abundance of bright orangey-red hair in this cast (including among the men). Were there actually fiery-haired Romans?

SYNOPSIS--
Before King Herod of Judea is arrested, he makes his friend Aaron vow to kill Queen Miriam if he (Herod) should die. A lying informant tells Aaron that the king has been executed by the Romans, but Aaron is unable to slay Miriam, as promised. When Herod is ultimately freed and returns home, his son wrongly convinces him that Aaron is a traitor who's taken Miriam as his lover.

Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(4.6) Herod the Great (Italy/France-1959) - Edmund Purdom/Sylvia Lopez/Massimo Girotti/Sandra Milo/Elena Zareschi/Ettore Manni

This is a potboiler about the notoriously bloody Herod the Great, the client King of Rome during the era of Augustus. He was known as a great builder and bloodthirsty paranoid, whose appetite for power led him to kill his own wife and embalm her in honey to be kept for his pleasure. In this film, we see him as a tough leader under stress, who knows love and court intrigue, and turns into a brutal tyrant before going insane with grief. Unfortunately, the film neither fascinates for the history nor brings any of the characters to life beyond 2-dimensional stereotypes. It is a badly dubbed Italian film from the 1950s, I believe. It is good for putting it on in the background and drinking and laughing with friends, but not for serious viewers.

These relatively inexpensive DVDs are usually dubbed from unrestored films. Budget brand labels (such as DIGIVIEW) offer no "bonus" features beyond rudimentary chapter access.

HEROD THE GREAT is one of many now-public domain Roman-era costumers. English speakers used for this American edition are typically mediocre. Also, few efforts were made to match translations to on-screen mouth movements. As was common in 1950s-60s Euro-historo-epics, actresses look as if their makeup was applied with a trowel. There's an abundance of bright orangey-red hair in this cast (including among the men). Were there actually fiery-haired Romans?

SYNOPSIS--
Before King Herod of Judea is arrested, he makes his friend Aaron vow to kill Queen Miriam if he (Herod) should die. A lying informant tells Aaron that the king has been executed by the Romans, but Aaron is unable to slay Miriam, as promised. When Herod is ultimately freed and returns home, his son wrongly convinces him that Aaron is a traitor who's taken Miriam as his lover.

Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(4.6) Herod the Great (Italy/France-1959) - Edmund Purdom/Sylvia Lopez/Massimo Girotti/Sandra Milo/Elena Zareschi/Ettore Manni