Kirk Morris as Maciste in MACISTE IN HELL (1962)
Charles Fawcett, Angelo Zanolli and Vira Silenti are the other actors. In this scene, Maciste is there and yet he's not there. Notice the object casts a shadow and yet the presence of Maciste doesn't cast a shadow directly behind him. There is a shadow at the far right but the big shadow on the wall is suppose to say that any object or person in that area should have a shadow as well and yet he doesn't. This hints at Maciste Angel-like presence. It's one of the many subtle and innovative ways Riccardo Freda directed this great PEPLUM film.
I was reading recently that Maciste could travel through time. That is why nobody questions his presence there. Don't know if this is true? Good film.Wayne W.
ReplyDeleteYes. You probably read this here. The evolution of Maciste and the myth of the man is interesting. In the original MACISTE IN HELL with Bartolomeo Pagano, Maciste defeats the Devil. So, after this he sorta became or was perceived as someone who's not bound by space or time. In MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THE THUNDERING ECHOES, a high priests asks for help and Maciste appears out of nowhere (or from the rock). Maciste became an angel of sorts, appearing in different eras, fighting evil. Which is why HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS in Italian is actually a Maciste story, since Hercules didn't exist during the time it's set. But US distributors changed Maciste to Hercules because no one in the US knew who Maciste was. This is the myth of Maciste.
ReplyDeleteThat's right he appears out from the rock. I saw that Samson and the 7 miracles of the world is a Maciste movie. At the end he said something like he fights for justice any place in the world. So he maybe some kind of angel (time traveller). Wayne W.
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