GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON (1963)
aka Maciste, l’eroe piu grande del monde
Article 3283 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 6-17-2010
Posting Date: 8-10-2010
Directed by Michele Lupo
Featuring Mark Forest, Jose Greci, Giuliano Gemma
Country: Italy
What it is: Sword and sandal

Goliath arrives at a kingdom whose throne has been usurped by a man who is a puppet of the king of Babylon, who is demanding a yearly tribute of 30 virgins. He helps a group of rebels defeat the usurper and the Babylonians.

This is a slightly above average sword-and-sandal movie. It emphasizes action and spectacle, and despite the fact that the tone is slightly more serious than some others of the same genre, it is laced with plenty of humor, especially during the fight scenes. It features a comic-relief midget, who also proves useful on several occasions during the story. It’s pretty light in terms of its fantastic content; other than Goliath’s super-strength, there’s nothing else. And, of course, Goliath is in actuality Maciste. Perhaps the most striking thing about this one is its relative lack of pulchritude; despite the 30 virgins plot element and the existence of a princess who must be defeated in a chariot race before she will marry, there is very little in the way of feminine flesh here, which will certainly disappoint some viewers. There isn’t even a liturgical dance scene. On the other hand, this is one of those movies that really explores the use of a gong during a fight scene.