The Avenger (1962 film)
Encyclopedia
The Avenger is a 1962 Italian / French / Yugoslavian film directed by Giorgio Venturini.

The film is also known as Conquérants héroiques in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, The Last Glory of Troy (American TV title) and War of the Trojans in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

Plot summary

Aeneas leads escaped survivors of the Trojan war to new land in Italy. Based on Virgil's The Aeneid.

Differences from poem

In general, the Avenger is a demythologized and condensed retelling of the second half of the Aeneid. It is also insular in its storytelling, making none of the references to Hannibal or Caesar found in The Aeneid. The movie differs from Virgil's poem in many ways, but retains the same essential structure of books VII - XII. In Virgil's Aeneid, the story begins with Juno provoking a storm that drives Aeneas' ships to the Carthage shores. The Avenger begins after Aeneas has arrived in Italy, skipping the well-known substories of Aeneas' affair with Dido and his journey through the underworld. Both stories recount the Trojan war. In the Aeneid, it is told by Aeneas in Dido's court; in The Avenger it is told through a flashback while viewing a fresco in King Latino's court.

In The Aeneid, gods and goddesses play a critical role in developing the plot, whereas in the Avenger, there is little to no mention of the gods. Throughout the Aeneid, Aeneas's mother Venus actively protects him and advances his cause, while Jupiter's wife Juno actively opposes him and raises difficulties for him. Jupiter, Neptune, Apollo, Mercury and a host mythical creatures all make appearances as well.

The movie borrows scenes from the poem, but often places them in a different context or reinterprets them with details altered. For example, in book V of the Aeneid, the crew lands in the Sicilian port Eryx and is greeted by King Acestes where they engage in a series of ceremonial games. One such game involves an archery contest where the target is a dove tied to a pole. In the Aeneid, Aeneas presides over the games (since they were in honor of his father, Anchises), but in The Avenger, King Latino presides over the games while Aeneas competes in them. In the Aeneid, the first arrow strikes the pole, the second cuts the cord to the dove, while the third, delivered quickly after the second, catches the freed dove and brings it to the ground, winning the contest. Although the contest has now been won, Acestes shoots his bow anyway, and his arrow catches fire in the sky followed by a thunderbolt, which is interpreted as a great omen. In the Avenger, the contest called for archery on horseback, there were multiple doves tied, and only two contestants: Turno and Camilla. Camilla takes the first shot and misses, then is knocked off track by Turno, who takes the second shot and hits the dove. He is awarded a prize, but the allegation that he played unfair causes him to challenge the audience, whereupon Aeneas accepts the challenge and frees two doves with consecutive arrow shots.

Throughout the Aeneid, not only the actions of the gods, but fate itself determines the outcome of events. This difference is highlighted by the titles: The Aeneid, as the genitive case, translates as Aeneas', referencing Aeneas' destiny to settle Italy, giving rise to a new race that will found Rome and rule the world. It is unclear from the story why the film is called The Avenger, as Aeneas could be avenging aggression against the Trojans by Turno, or avenging the death of Trojans in the war with the Greeks.

Cast

  • Steve Reeves
    Steve Reeves
    Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...

     as Enea (Aeneas
    Aeneas
    Aeneas , in Greco-Roman mythology, was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin, once removed. The journey of Aeneas from Troy , which led to the founding a hamlet south of...

    )
  • Carla Marlier as Lavinia, Latino's Daughter
  • Liana Orfei
    Liana Orfei
    Liana Orfei is an Italian film actress. She appeared in 37 films between 1959 and 1971. She was born in San Giovanni, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Tipi da spiaggia * Guardatele ma non toccatele...

     as Camilla, Queen of the Vulga
  • Giacomo Rossi-Stuart
    Giacomo Rossi-Stuart
    Giacomo Rossi-Stuart was an Italian film actor often credited as Jack Stuart. He appeared in over 80 films between 1953 and 1989.He was born in Todi, Italy and died in Rome, Italy....

     as Eurialo
  • Gianni Garko
    Gianni Garko
    Gianni Garko is an Italian actor who found much fame as a leading man in Spaghetti Westerns...

     as Turno, King of the Rusalie
  • Mario Ferrari as King Latino
  • Lulla Selli as Queen Amata, Latino's Wife
  • Maurice Poli as Mezensio, Turno's Henchman
  • Luciano Benetti as Phalandre
  • Pietro Capanna as Bisia
  • Enzo Fiermonte
    Enzo Fiermonte
    Enzo Fiermonte , sometimes credited as William Bird, was a boxer and actor. Fiermonte was born on July 17, 1908 in Bari, Puglia, Italy. He married Madeleine Astor on November 27, 1933 in New York City, but was divorced on June 11, 1938. In his early life he was a boxer, but later became a film actor...

     as Acate
  • Charles Band as Ascanio
  • Benito Stefanelli
    Benito Stefanelli
    Benito Stefanelli was an Italian film actor and stuntman who made over 60 appearances in film between 1955 and 1991....

     as Niso
  • Nerio Bernardi
    Nerio Bernardi
    Nerio Bernardi was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 192 films between 1918 and 1970.He was born in Bologna, Italy and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Avenger * Vanina Vanini...

     as Drance
  • Adriano Vitale as Dancer
  • Walter Zappolini as Dancer
  • Robert Bettoni as Pallante
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK