01-20-2013, 09:31 PM
Excellent review David.
Just to add a few points. Ironically the same costume designer was responsible for both 'Masada' and the 1963 'Cleopatra'.
Vittorio Nino Novarese designed costumes for some of the better epics and won an Oscar for both 'Cleopatra' and 'Cromwell'.
His best Roman costumes were for 'Cleopatra' and the legionaries in the early scenes at Alexandria are far better than the contemporary museum displays at the time. His legionaries have metal lorica and red tunics. However when the Roman civil war takes place the forces of Antony have bronze metal cuirasses and white tunics as a device to distinguish them from the forces of Octavian.
A similar ploy is used in 'The Fall of the Roman Empire', where the Eastern legions wear different uniforms to the army of the North.
In 'Masada' the legionaries appear to wear the same helmets as in 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' so presumably some stock kit was used in addition to clothing especially designed for the production.
As David said the Romans come across as dirty and sloppy. The march on Masada quickly begins to look like Xenophon's retreat! Look out for a legionary turning up for roll call minus his helmet, or the extra in the ranks who turns right well before anyone else! Not only the Romans are at fault. When the troops arrive at Masada and split into two columns the right file of troops disappear presumably off the green screen or whatever was used back then before digital effects! Still we do get a Peter Connolly like view of a whole legion on parade.
The Roman defensive wall is easily penetrated on one night time raid as it seems to have a huge gap in it. It would appear the Romans did not learn from their mistake at Jerusalem when they allowed the Zealots to escape in the first place as someone appears to have forgotten the Roman siege lines there!
Roman swordplay seems to consist of aiming well above the head with wide sweeps of the sword thus allowing even the poorest of Jewish swordsmen, such as their leader, to dispatch you with a quick sword thrust at close quarters! Somehow in spite of everything the Jews and Jehovah can throw at them and after being outwitted and outclassed for most of the film the Romans suddenly have to win! As we can see in the photo above they even manage to erect a victory monument on the summit which seems to consist of their own equipment.
Presumably because the Romans were all played by British actors I never thought of them as being like modern Americans. However a story about a Western peace keeping force having to deal with a bunch of religious zealots probably has more meaning today than it did in 1980.
Not only were the Romans all played by British actors but there was even a divide amongst the actors. All those who were either stars of stage and film screen played the officers while the lower orders were all familiar TV actors of the day from various soaps such as 'Eastenders'. Peter O Toole gives an acting tour de force but he is well supported by Anthony Quayle, David Warner and with a rare screen appearance by Vespasian, played by Timothy West. One Centurion played by veteran actor Jack Watson looks uncannily like Chris Haines, Centurion of The Ermine Street Guard!
The Zealots are all largely played by American actors. They become so pious, smug and supercilious that one can't wait for the Romans to complete the ramp and finish them off!
In spite of the defenders bragging that they can shoot waves of arrows down onto the Romans there is little evidence of this apart from one notable occasion which I will not give away. When the Romans rove about the ramp without any protective screens the defenders do nothing. Finally when the tower approaches the rampart the Zealots are driven off by only a dozen Roman archers. Jewish equipment seems to consist of black leather cuirasses, which later turn up in the mini series 'Merlin', with Sam Neil!
Some of the Roman helmets with the eagle like crest, also appear in 'Merlin' and are used by the mercenaries in 'King Arthur' some twenty four years later.
Roman religion is treated as a joke, with priests uttering chants in weird voices and cruelly sacrificing animals. This contrasts with the treatment of Roman religion in more recent productions including 'Gladiator' and 'The Eagle" where the central character is seen to pray respectfully to Roman gods.
Filming took place at Masada itself but shooting had to be undertaken in the early morning and early evening to avoid the heat. The Tower or parts of it are still on site apparently, it was one of the largest single movie props of all time. Some onager's were also made for the production and they too were left behind by the retreating Romans.
Graham.
Just to add a few points. Ironically the same costume designer was responsible for both 'Masada' and the 1963 'Cleopatra'.
Vittorio Nino Novarese designed costumes for some of the better epics and won an Oscar for both 'Cleopatra' and 'Cromwell'.
His best Roman costumes were for 'Cleopatra' and the legionaries in the early scenes at Alexandria are far better than the contemporary museum displays at the time. His legionaries have metal lorica and red tunics. However when the Roman civil war takes place the forces of Antony have bronze metal cuirasses and white tunics as a device to distinguish them from the forces of Octavian.
A similar ploy is used in 'The Fall of the Roman Empire', where the Eastern legions wear different uniforms to the army of the North.
In 'Masada' the legionaries appear to wear the same helmets as in 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' so presumably some stock kit was used in addition to clothing especially designed for the production.
As David said the Romans come across as dirty and sloppy. The march on Masada quickly begins to look like Xenophon's retreat! Look out for a legionary turning up for roll call minus his helmet, or the extra in the ranks who turns right well before anyone else! Not only the Romans are at fault. When the troops arrive at Masada and split into two columns the right file of troops disappear presumably off the green screen or whatever was used back then before digital effects! Still we do get a Peter Connolly like view of a whole legion on parade.
The Roman defensive wall is easily penetrated on one night time raid as it seems to have a huge gap in it. It would appear the Romans did not learn from their mistake at Jerusalem when they allowed the Zealots to escape in the first place as someone appears to have forgotten the Roman siege lines there!
Roman swordplay seems to consist of aiming well above the head with wide sweeps of the sword thus allowing even the poorest of Jewish swordsmen, such as their leader, to dispatch you with a quick sword thrust at close quarters! Somehow in spite of everything the Jews and Jehovah can throw at them and after being outwitted and outclassed for most of the film the Romans suddenly have to win! As we can see in the photo above they even manage to erect a victory monument on the summit which seems to consist of their own equipment.
Presumably because the Romans were all played by British actors I never thought of them as being like modern Americans. However a story about a Western peace keeping force having to deal with a bunch of religious zealots probably has more meaning today than it did in 1980.
Not only were the Romans all played by British actors but there was even a divide amongst the actors. All those who were either stars of stage and film screen played the officers while the lower orders were all familiar TV actors of the day from various soaps such as 'Eastenders'. Peter O Toole gives an acting tour de force but he is well supported by Anthony Quayle, David Warner and with a rare screen appearance by Vespasian, played by Timothy West. One Centurion played by veteran actor Jack Watson looks uncannily like Chris Haines, Centurion of The Ermine Street Guard!
The Zealots are all largely played by American actors. They become so pious, smug and supercilious that one can't wait for the Romans to complete the ramp and finish them off!
In spite of the defenders bragging that they can shoot waves of arrows down onto the Romans there is little evidence of this apart from one notable occasion which I will not give away. When the Romans rove about the ramp without any protective screens the defenders do nothing. Finally when the tower approaches the rampart the Zealots are driven off by only a dozen Roman archers. Jewish equipment seems to consist of black leather cuirasses, which later turn up in the mini series 'Merlin', with Sam Neil!
Some of the Roman helmets with the eagle like crest, also appear in 'Merlin' and are used by the mercenaries in 'King Arthur' some twenty four years later.
Roman religion is treated as a joke, with priests uttering chants in weird voices and cruelly sacrificing animals. This contrasts with the treatment of Roman religion in more recent productions including 'Gladiator' and 'The Eagle" where the central character is seen to pray respectfully to Roman gods.
Filming took place at Masada itself but shooting had to be undertaken in the early morning and early evening to avoid the heat. The Tower or parts of it are still on site apparently, it was one of the largest single movie props of all time. Some onager's were also made for the production and they too were left behind by the retreating Romans.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
