Musings!

Richard Harrison and Renato Baldini in GIANTS OF ROME (1964) 

In this scene, Baldini's character wants to know what Harrison and his band are doing in the area. Harrison and his team are his prisoners. This movie has often been called the PEPLUM version of THE GUNS OF NAVARON. What's indicative of this movie is how it's nearly entirely filmed outside. There are some interior scenes, such as this one, but for the most part it was shot in a forest somewhere. This doesn't bother me but one of the reasons I love PEPLUM movies are intricate sets of how they lived back then. So, as much as I like this movie, which has a lot of memorable scenes, I always find this aspect sorta disappointing. Baldini used to be a leading man in the 1950s. By then he was playing supporting roles. Here, he's trying to force information from Harrison's character by threat of torture. As I said, I like this movie and it has some interesting aspects beyond the simple story but when one thinks of the PEPLUM genre, does this title pop up first? I like the fact the genre morphed beyond Hercules-style stories such as this one but it's kinda obscure or overlooked. IMO, Harrison has never looked better. The hours outside gave him a great tan. 😄