The Last Glory of Troy (1962)

Original title: La Leggenda di Enea

AKA: The Avenger

Director: Giorgio Venturini

Writers: Publius Vergilius Maro, Albert Band, Ugo Liberatore, Luigi Mangini, Arrigo Montanari, Nino Stresa

Composer: Giovanni Fusco

Starring: Steeve Reeves, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Carla Marlier, Mario Ferrari, Enzo Fiermonte, Gianni Garko, Liana Orfei

More info: IMDb

Tagline: His mighty sword avenged a nation!

Plot:  Aeneas leads escapees from the Trojan war to new land in Italy, and must deal with new threats to his people.

My rating:  6/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

Ehhhh...it's OK.  It helps to have a bearded Steve Reeves but his physique isn't on display like in his HERCULES pictures.  I mean, I'm not sayin' he's got to be shirtless and all oiled and muscled up or anything but besides his mug and name on the poster, it's a big plus to have that beefcake.  You get a lot of drama before the big battle action in the last act.  One thing that's cool about the battle is the lack of music.  I was diggin'  it.  When it comes to hundreds of people engaged in hand to hand combat, it's hard not to pick it apart.  If you focus on any two soldiers fighting each other then you'll start laughing at how clumsy and phony the fight choreography is.  You rarely get two people who look like they're really trying to kill each other.  There was one spot where a soldier, fighting with a sword, was able to push his opponent back with each stroke of the sword but he was hoping forward instead of walking forward.  It was hilarious.  I'm probably being a little generous with my score but I really dug the moments where the music held of completely until it was a good time to come in.  More directors/composers would do better by learning that (directors more than composers).  As a musician I value the lack of sound and the importance it can play just as much as the music can if used properly.  It's done well again after the battle when it's just two men (Reeves and some other fella) one on one and the winner takes all.  It's good stuff and it helped build tension. The final fifteen minutes is the best part of the flick.