''L'ira di Achille'', internationally released as ''The Fury of Achilles'', is a 1962 Italian
historical drama set in the ninth year of the
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...
and is based primarily on
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
's ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...
''. The film was directed by
Marino Girolami
Marino Girolami (1 February 1914 – 20 February 1994) was an Italian film director and actor.
Biography
Marino Giorlami was born on 1 February 1914 in Rome, Italy. Formally a Professional boxer, Girolami ended his boxing career when he was 20. ...
and starred
Gordon Mitchell
Gordon Mitchell (born Charles Allen Pendleton; July 29, 1923 – September 20, 2003) was an American actor and bodybuilder who made about 200 B movies.
Biography
Charles Allen Pendleton was born in Denver, Colorado, and began working out in ...
as
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...
. It was released in the UK in 1963 as
ACHILLES
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...
and was filmed in EuroScope and Eastman Color.
Plot
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
set sail to
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
, since the prince
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
has abducted the Spartan Princess Helen, wife of
Menelaus
In Greek mythology, Menelaus (; grc-gre, Μενέλαος , 'wrath of the people', ) was a king of Mycenaean (pre- Dorian) Sparta. According to the ''Iliad'', Menelaus was a central figure in the Trojan War, leading the Spartan contingent of th ...
. In the fighting stands the invincible hero
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...
, who leads his
Myrmidons
In Greek mythology, the Myrmidons (or Myrmidones; el, Μυρμιδόνες) were an ancient Thessalian Greek tribe. In Homer's ''Iliad'', the Myrmidons are the soldiers commanded by Achilles. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of ...
to assault. Now in the tenth year of the war, Troy has not yet been destroyed. For the contention of a slave,
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the ...
, king of the Greeks offends Achilles because of a female slave and the hero withdraws from the war, creating confusion in the army. The Trojans in fact have the opportunity to drive out the Greeks at sea and so
Patroclus, Achilles' best friend wears, without the knowledge of Achilles, his divine armor to instill courage in the Myrmidon soldiers. But Patroclus is killed by the Trojan prince
Hector
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
: Achilles rages, killing many Trojans, including the same Hector.
Cast
*
Gordon Mitchell
Gordon Mitchell (born Charles Allen Pendleton; July 29, 1923 – September 20, 2003) was an American actor and bodybuilder who made about 200 B movies.
Biography
Charles Allen Pendleton was born in Denver, Colorado, and began working out in ...
as "
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...
"
*
Jacques Bergerac as "
Hector
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
"
*
Cristina Gaioni as "Xenia"
*
Gloria Milland as "
Briseis"
*
Piero Lulli
Piero Lulli (1 February 1923 – 23 June 1991) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 111 films between 1942 and 1977. He was the brother of actor Folco Lulli.
Selected filmography
* ''A Pilot Returns'' (1942) - De Santis
* ''Love Story ...
as "
Odysseus"
*
Roberto Risso
Roberto Risso (22 November 1925 – 16 November 2010) was a Swiss-born Italian film actor.
Life and career
Born Pietro Roberto Strub in Geneva, Risso joined the cinema industry when he was still a university student of architecture, playing a ...
as "
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
"
*
Mario Petri
Mario Petri (21 January 1922 – 26 January 1985) was an Italian operatic bass-baritone particularly associated with Mozart and Rossini roles.
Life and career
Petri was born in Perugia and began his career after World War II, making his stage d ...
as "
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the ...
"
*
Erminio Spalla
Erminio Spalla (7 July 1897 – 14 August 1971) was an Italian professional heavyweight boxer, film actor and singer.
Spalla studied fine arts in Brera, when in 1910 he saw film footage of the world boxing championships and decided to become a ...
as "
Nestor"
*
Fosco Giachetti
Fosco Giachetti (28 March 1900, in Sesto Fiorentino – 22 December 1974, in Rome) was an Italian actor.
Fosco Giachetti was the protagonist of ''Lo squadrone bianco'' (1936), directed by Augusto Genina. He became the leading man in Fascist ...
as "
Priam"
*
Ennio Girolami as "
Patroclus"
*
Tina Gloriani as "
Andromache
In Greek mythology, Andromache (; grc, Ἀνδρομάχη, ) was the wife of Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled. The name means 'man battler ...
"
Production
The original version includes footage from
The Trojan Horse. These scenes are omitted in the UK version which is altogether 20 minutes shorter.
[Hughes, p.52f]
Biography
*
*
See also
*
List of historical drama films
*
Greek mythology in popular culture
Elements of Greek mythology appear many times in culture, including pop culture. The Greek myths spread beyond the Hellenistic world when adopted (for example) into the culture of ancient Rome, and Western cultural movements have frequently i ...
* ''
The Fury of Achilles'' - a novel by
Gustavo Rodríguez
References
External links
*
1962 films
1960s historical films
Peplum films
Films directed by Marino Girolami
Films scored by Carlo Savina
Films based on the Iliad
Trojan War films
Films set in ancient Greece
Sword and sandal films
Cultural depictions of Achilles
Agamemnon
1960s Italian films
{{historic-film-stub