''The Slave'' ( it, Il figlio di Spartacus, lit=The Son of Spartacus) is a 1962 Italian ''peplum'' film directed by

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed both very violent Spaghetti Westerns and bloodless Bud Spencer and Terence Hill action comedies. He is the older bro ...

and starring

Steve Reeves Stephen Lester "Steve" Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and philanthropist. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagon ...

and

Gianna Maria Canale Gianna Maria Canale (12 September 1927 – 13 February 2009) was an Italian film actress. Biography Canale was born in 1927 in Reggio Calabria. In 1947, she competed in the Miss Italia beauty contest, where she was runner-up to Lucia Bo ...

. It is an unofficial sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film ''Spartacus'', as it includes a mention of the character Varinia, who was specifically created for the novel template for that film. The running time was 100 minutes.Della Casa, Steve; Giusti, Marco (2013). "Il Grande Libro di Ercole". Edizione Sabinae. Page 157.

Plot

In 48 B.C., twenty-five years after the revolt of

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...

, the slave leader's son Randus (who is ignorant of his heritage) has grown to become a soldier in the

Roman army The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...

. Stationed in the city of

Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, Randus has been promoted to

centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...

by his commander,

Gaius Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

, and is given an important task to accomplish: To travel to the city of Zeugma in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and learn of the secret plots planned out by the local Roman governor,

Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...

. Randus leaves Egypt on a

war galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

out to sea, accompanied by his decurion friend Lumonius, his Germanic servant Beroz, an ambitious Gallic officer named Vetius, and Vetius' sister Claudia. Shortly after departing from Alexandria, Randus meets and befriends a young Egyptian slavegirl named Saida, who is owned by Claudia. On a thick foggy night, the galley collides with a hidden reef and Saida is thrown overboard. Randus dives in to save Saida, but both are unable to get back to the ship as it sails away. The two are soon washed up onto a beach and decide to travel across the desert until they find a caravan that can provide them with water and supplies. They soon encounter a slave caravan guarded by a detachment of Berber mercenaries who work for Crassus, but are captured and added to the slaves' ranks. During the journey across the desert to Zeugma, one of the slaves, an ex-gladiator and survivor of Spartacus' army named Gulbar, recognizes Randus as the son of Spartacus and Varinia after discovering Spartacus' amulet around the young centurion's neck. Together, Randus and the slaves manage to free themselves from their captors and kill all of the Berber soldiers. Before Randus' friends, Vetius and Lumonius arrive with some of Crassus' guards to rescue Randus, Gulbar tells Randus to find him and his slave army at the legendary "City of the Sun" before the slaves vanish into the desert. Randus proceeds to Zeugma, where he meets Crassus, who cold-bloodedly orders the execution of the slaves who participated in the uprising despite Randus' protestations, and Lumonius informs him of Crassus secretly amassing a huge army. Accompanied by Beroz, Randus later rides to the City of the Sun, in whose ruins he finds the grave of Spartacus. As he turns away, Gulbar and the freed slaves appear and convince him to take up his father's legacy. Later that night, Randus, armed with his father's sword and helmet, frees several slaves condemned to death and then begins a rebel campaign, resparking hope in the people of the province, who are being brutally oppressed by Crassus. Randus is tasked to capture the Son of Spartacus, but naturally fails to succeed; to throw off suspicion, Beroz occasionally plays his master's role until Randus can change into his secret identity unnoticed. In order to draw the Son of Spartacus into a trap, Crassus organizes a party in his palace, whose central attraction is the slow death of several slaves in a sealed cage filled with poisonous fumes. Randus dons his mask and intervenes; in the resulting chaos, Murdok, the brother of Crassus' most important ally King Pharnaces and the party's featured guest, is killed. When Crassus flees, Randus pursues him into the castle dungeons, where he is trapped and unmasked. Enraged, Crassus decides to deliver Randus to Pharnaces in order to maintain his support in defeating Julius Caesar and subsequently assuming rulership over Rome. Lumonius, who remains loyal to Randus, flees and informs the rebels of Crassus' plan before he proceeds to warn Caesar. Later, as Crassus' entourage camps in the desert, the rebel slaves, led by Beroz, attack them, free Randus and capture Crassus and Claudia, while Vetius is killed by Randus. Spared by Saida's pleas for mercy, Claudia is abandoned in the desert with Beroz's dagger for a merciful suicide, while Crassus is killed by the slaves pouring molten gold into his mouth. Later, Caesar arrives and, after learning of Randus' heritage, reluctantly sentences him to death by

crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...

because Randus has become a powerful symbol for resistance against Roman order. But as the sentence is about to be carried out, all the people in the province appear, willing to join their hero in death. Impressed by this show of loyalty, and realizing that killing them all would leave the province worthless, Caesar pardons Randus. Randus returns his father's sword to Spartacus' grave so that a future hero may use it to rise against oppression.

Cast

as Randus *

as Claudia *

Claudio Gora Claudio Gora, '' Emilio Giordana '' (27 July 1913 – 13 March 1998) was an Italian actor and film director. He was particularly prolific, making some 155 appearances in film and television over nearly 60 years (from 1939 to 1997). In the 1950s ...

Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...

Jacques Sernas Jokūbas Bernardas Šernas (30 July 1925 – 3 July 2015), commonly known as Jacques Sernas and sometimes credited as Jack Sernas, was a Lithuanian-born French actor with an international film career. Biography He was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, ...

as Vetius *

Ombretta Colli Ombretta Colli (born Ombretta Comelli on 21 September 1943) is an Italian singer, actress and politician. She was president of the Province of Milan from June 1999 to June 2004.Ivo Garrani Ivo Garrani (6 February 1924 – 25 March 2015) was an Italian actor and voice actor. In films since 1952, Garrani is possibly best known for his role as Prince Vajda in Mario Bava's '' Black Sunday'' (1960). Biography Born in Introdacqua, ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

Enzo Fiermonte Enzo Fiermonte (17 July 1908 – 22 March 1993), sometimes credited as William Bird, was an Italian actor and boxer. Early life Vincenzo "Enzo" Fiermonte was born on 17 July 1908 in Casamassima, a rural village near Bari, in southern Italy to D ...

as Gulbar *

Ahmed Ramzy Ahmad Ramzy ( ar, أحمد رمزي; 23 March 1930 – 28 September 2012) was an Egyptian actor who played the leading roles in many Egyptian films in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Early life Ramzy was born Ramzi Mahmud Bayyumi in 1930 to Dr ...

as Murdok *

Franco Balducci Franco Balducci (23 November 1922 – 7 June 2001) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 75 films between 1947 and 1978. He was born in Umbria, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Bullet for Stefano'' (1947) - Giacomo * ''Tempesta su Pari ...

as Beroz * Roland Bartrop as Lumonius *

Renato Baldini Renato Baldini (18 December 1921 – 5 July 1995) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 87 films between 1950 and 1983. He was born in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''It's Forever Springtime'' (1950) - Un carabiniere al processo ...

as Verulus *

Giovanni Cianfriglia Giovanni Cianfriglia (born 5 April 1935) is an Italian film actor. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1958. Born in Anzio, Cianfriglia debuted as the body double of Steve Reeves in ''Hercules'', then he started appearing, often unc ...

as Soldier

Production

The film was shot between Rome and Cairo.Howard Hughes. ''Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult''. I.B.Tauris, 2011. . The film was the last sword-and-sandal film for actor

Reception

In his book ''Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult'', Howard Hughes describes the film as one of Steve Reeves' finest vehicles and as Corbucci's best ''peplum'' film.

References

Footnotes

Sources

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Slave (1962 film), The 1962 films Films directed by Sergio Corbucci Peplum films 1960s historical adventure films Films about rebels Films set in ancient Rome Films shot in Egypt Depictions of Julius Caesar on film Films with screenplays by Giovanni Grimaldi Italian historical adventure films Unofficial sequel films Sword and sandal films Films scored by Piero Piccioni 1960s Italian films