Herod The Great

2777. HEROD THE GREAT (1960-ltaly) COLOR. With EDMUND PURDOM, SANDRA MILO, MASSIMO GIROTTI. Herod the Great, the King of judea, was the first eminent ruler in a dynasty which maintained power in the time of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Key portions of Herod’s life are depicted in this tempestuous and artfully filmed historical epic. Herod had forged an alliance with Marc Antony and the two had been at war with Oclavius of Rome. As the story opens, word arrives that Herod’s armies have been defeated. All of his ships have been sunk and the corpses of thousands of his soldiers are rotting on battlefields. As a result, Herod’s kingdom is in ruins. It is expected that he will be taken prisoner and killed, if he does not first commit suicide. “No one will ever see me in chains,” Herod vows. “I alone will decide the time and manner of my own end.” The king thus resolves to set out on a journey to Rome, where he will present himself and pay homage to his conqueror. The Herod depicted here is at once a fascinating and complex man, who causes a rainbow of emotions from those around him. Because of his heartlessness, he is at once feared and despised by his people. Yet at the same time, others are blindly loyal to him. They include Miriam, Herod’s astonishingly beautiful queen, and Aaron, his ever-dependable commander-of-the-guards. There is much to be savored as this drama of scheming, duplicity and honor plays itself out to its rousing conclusion. Dubbed in English. Letterboxed. 93 minutes. Sword and Sandal