The Giant of Marathon [La battaglia di Maratona] *** (1959, Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, Sergio Fantoni) – Classic Movie Review 2904

Director Jacques Tourneur’s engaging 1959 swashbuckling sword-and-sandal historical adventure is an American-Italian-French co-production, involving Titanus, Galatea and MGM. It is filmed at the  Titanus studios in Rome.

A suddenly incredibly popular and busy Steve Reeves, the former Mr Universe, stars as the muscular, fearless Athenian warrior Philippides, the central figure in a story about the fast-paced hero of Ancient Greece that was the inspiration for the modern sporting event, the marathon.

In a fictional story set in 490 BC, Philippides single-handedly takes on the might of the entire Persian army and navy, after the Athenians are betrayed by a traitor called Teocrito (Sergio Fantoni). In between, Philippides finds time to win the hand of the fair Andromeda (Mylène Demongeot), daughter of Creuso (Ivo Garrani). Daniele Vargas plays Darius, the King of Persia, Alberto Lupo is Milziade and Gianni Loti is Teucro.

Tourneur’s film is fast moving and quite well made, with attractive Eastmancolor cinematography by Mario Bava, a rousing score by Roberto Nicolosi and plenty of basic action, including some spectacular undersea filming for the naval battles.

Good of its type, it follows Reeves’s earlier epics Hercules (1958), Goliath and the Barbarians (1959) and Hercules Unchained (1959).

Horror maestro Mario Bava also had an uncredited hand in the direction.

It runs 90 minutes and 92 minutes in the director’s cut.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2904

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