The time period “sword and sandal” film technically refers to a kind of Italian cinema that was well-liked within the mid-Twentieth Century. The flicks are set in historic instances, often historic Greece or Rome, and sometimes featured American stars of the day. For the needs of this checklist, we’re increasing the scope to incorporate principally any film despatched in historic instances, particularly among the American blockbusters throughout and properly after that authentic period. Films like Gladiator and Ben-Hur, and even The Ardour of the Christ. So let’s hop on our chariots and go for a trip with this checklist of the most effective sword and sandal films.
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Charlton Heston basic Ben-Hur is likely one of the greatest films in Hollywood historical past and it matches the definition of a “sword and sandal” film completely. It was an unlimited success when it got here out within the Nineteen Fifties and the epic has remained well-liked greater than half a century after its launch.
Troy (2004)
Although it made a ton of cash when it was launched in 2004, it wasn’t till the Director’s Minimize of Troy was launched about three years later that Wolfgang Peterson’s full imaginative and prescient succeeded, critically. The primary model omitted many key components of the story it was primarily based on, Homer’s Iliad. If you are going to watch it, and it’s best to, it’s best to be certain to take a look at that 2007 reduce of the movie.
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
1982’s Conan The Barbarian is the movie you possibly can level to that actually launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rise to Hollywood superstardom. Although it is simply as a lot a fantasy film as the rest, there are positively swords and sandals, so whereas it isn’t primarily based on any sort of historic historical past and even story, we’re preserving on this checklist as a result of it is so superior.
Conflict Of The Titans (1981)
There’s a lot to like about 1981’s Conflict of the Titans. For starters, there’s the superb forged that features Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, Ursula Andress (the unique ‘Bond Woman), and Harry Hamlin. Second, although it appears dated at the moment, the cease movement animation seemed superb in its day. There’s actually little cause to say the 2010 remake. Follow the unique.
Spartacus (1960)
Many years earlier than Gladiator, there was Spartacus. Like the previous, Spartacus is a couple of gladiator and slave in historic Rome. Kirk Douglas stars alongside Laurence Olivier on this basic Hollywood epic that features one of the crucial well-known moments in movie historical past when a whole lot of slaves declare that they’re all Spartacus.
300 (2006)
There’s nearly nothing traditionally correct about 300, however that is not the purpose of the film. Based mostly on a graphic novel of the identical title, this Zack Snyder flick tells a fictionalized model of the Battle of Thermopylae when 300 Spartans (and 1000’s of different Greeks) defeated the a lot bigger Persian military.
A Humorous Factor Occurred on the Solution to the Discussion board (1966)
Most sword and sandal films are stuffed with epic battles and legendary myths. A Humorous Factor Occurred on the Solution to the Discussion board is a really totally different tackle historic Rome, because it’s each a musical and a comedy. The musical, initially a Broadway present written by the nice Stephen Sondheim.
Hercules (1958)
1958’s Hercules is an precise Italian sword and sandal film starring the legendary Steve Reeves. Clearly it is primarily based on the Roman delusion of Hercules and it actually helped launch the body-building Reeves to stardom and made him a staple of the style within the Nineteen Sixties.
Alexander (2004)
Oliver Stone took on the style in 2004’s Alexander, starring Colin Farrell as Alexander the Nice and telling the story of his try to beat the recognized world for the Greeks. It is a very flawed film, particularly the bizarre “love” story between Alexander and his mom, performed by Angela Jolie, but it surely does characteristic some epic battles.
Cleopatra (1963)
The story of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is likely one of the most epic love tales of all time and has been delivered to life on stage and display screen for hundreds of years. Some of the epic tellings is the 1963 Hollywood basic Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor because the Egyptian queen and Richard Burton as her Roman lover.
Gladiator (2000)
No checklist like this might ever be full with Ridley Scott’s trendy basic Gladiator. It is among the many finest sword and sandal films ever made and principally launched a brand new period within the style. Although its sequel does not stay up the unique, it nonetheless might have simply launched a brand new franchise, and who is aware of, possibly it can.
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (1953)
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is likely one of the most epic tales ever informed. It is such part of Western Tradition that it’s usually taken as truth, regardless of being written a millennium and a half after the occasions of the play. The 1953 tackle the play, starring Marlon Brando as Marc Antony, is likely one of the finest trendy diversifications of the basic and is price looking ahead to Antony’s well-known speech alone.
The Scorpion King (2002)
The function of the Scorpion King in The Mummy launched Dwayne Johnson’s movie profession and the sequel, titled merely The Scorpion King, is the origin story of the pre-pyramid Egyptian demigod performed by Johnson. The time interval is slightly too early to be a real sword and sandal film, but it surely’s so well-liked, there is no such thing as a technique to depart it off the checklist.
Gladiator II
Ridley Scott’s long-awaited comply with as much as 2000’s Gladiator lastly hit theaters in 2024. Gladiator II is not on the identical stage as the primary film, however its epic scope and unimaginable manufacturing design carry the skinny plot properly sufficient to make it a worthwhile watch. Like its predecessor, it isn’t traditionally correct in nearly any manner, however seeing the epic battles within the Roman Coliseum on the large display screen is breathtaking.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
There isn’t any extra epic story in Western tradition than the Biblical story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. The film, starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Rameses II, is as epic as the story itself. It is one of the crucial well-liked films ever made and can seemingly stay so for a lot of extra years, even seven many years after it was made.
Jason And The Argonauts (1963)
Greek myths and tales have lengthy been part of Hollywood movie making. 1963’s Jason And The Argonauts is likely one of the hottest films within the style. Like a few different entries on this checklist, it options some actually superior stop-motion particular results that, for the day, had been utterly groundbreaking. They give the impression of being slightly tacky at the moment, when taken at face worth, but it surely’s straightforward to see why the film was such a spectacle within the early ’60s.
Crimson Sonja (1985)
1985’s Crimson Sonja is the third film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan. The star of the film is the titular Crimson Sonya, performed by Brigitte Nielsen, but it surely all takes place in the identical world as the primary two films. Conan The Barbarian and Conan The Destroyer.
300: Rise Of An Empire (2014)
Prefer it’s predecessor, 300: Rise Of An Empire, is predicated on a graphic novel by Frank Miller. Whereas it takes its inspiration from Greek historical past and delusion, it isn’t truly traditionally correct. It continues the story of the Greco-Persian struggle that 300 informed, in a lot the identical manner. Sadly, it is inferior to the unique, however it’s a enjoyable time.
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
Director Ridley Scott has by no means been afraid to tackle epic tales and there are tales as epic of the story Exodus from the Bible. It is a technical marvel, crammed with superb set items and particular results, but it surely’s a really uneven story in the way in which it is informed and will have been far more than it was.
The seventh Voyage Of Sinbad (1958)
As one of many films on Rotten Tomatoes with over a 90% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, you already know The seventh Voyage Of Sinbad is price checking it. Like a couple of different entries on this checklist, there’s some superb stop-motion animation from the legendary Ray Harryhausen, who was the most effective at what he did for many years.
Samson And Delilah (1949)
On the time, Samson And Delilah was one of many highest grossing films of all time. It was a large hit primarily based on the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah starring Victor Mature as the person whose power was tied to his hair and Hedy Lamar as the lady who reduce it. It’s precisely the sort of sprawling epic you anticipate of the style.
Barabbas (1961)
Dino De Laurentiis was an enormous in Italian cinema, so in fact he was chargeable for among the most well-known sword and sandal films, and Biblical films, like Barabbas in regards to the Roman execution of Christ and Barabbas (performed by Anthony Quinn), the person chosen by Pontius Pilate to be spared as an alternative of Jesus.
Ulysses (1954)
Kirk Douglas stars in Ulysses, the retelling of Homer’s Odyssey and was directed by Mario Camerini. It was one of many earliest examples of a co-production between an Italian firm and an American and stays an essential movie within the style.
The Fall Of The Roman Empire (1964)
It is easy to know what a film known as The Fall Of The Roman Empire is about, proper? It is a incredible instance of the sword and sandal style, that includes epic set items and an all-star forged that features Sophia Loren, Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, and Omar Sharif.
Centurion (2010)
The disappearance of the well-known Roman Ninth Legion is likely one of the most enduring mysteries in world historical past. Its destiny has been investigated again and again and there’s no clear reply. 2010’s Centurion makes an attempt to deliver the thriller to the large display screen with blended outcomes. The film wasn’t successful, and it is easy to see why. It is nonetheless an interesting query it tries to elucidate.
The Ardour of the Christ (2004)
Director Mel Gibson’s The Ardour of the Christ stays one of the crucial controversial films ever made. It has been accused of every kind of unfavorable issues that we do not have to rehash right here, however as a movie, it is truly one heck of a spectacle. Because the title says, it tells the story of Jesus’ crucifixion as informed by the Gospel John.
The Eagle (2011)
Channing Tatum and Donald Sutherland star in one other film launched across the identical time to attempt to clarify the disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion. This one is slightly higher than Centurion, which was launched a 12 months earlier, but it surely’s nonetheless very uneven.
Risen (2016)
2016’s Risen starring Joseph Fiennes as a Roman soldier looking for the physique of Christ is a superb mixture of Roman swords and sandals, and a well-known Bible story. It performs out slightly like a detective story in a manner, however sadly it simply does not fairly attain the heights it was clearly making an attempt for within the storytelling.
The Gown (1953)
Biblical epics like had been usually huge hits within the ’40s and ’50s and The Gown isn’t any exception. In it is day, the Henry Koster-directed movie was successful on the field workplace and received a number of Oscars. Through the years, essential evaluations have not been variety to the film and that’s seemingly the explanation it is not as talked about as of late as a lot as different sword and sandal films from the identical period.
Immortals (2011)
In case you love an amazing spectacle on display screen, Immortals is for you. The set items and particular results on this fantasy movie primarily based loosely on Greek delusion and starring Henry Cavill as Theseus appears superb. It does not inform an amazing story, however generally you simply need to watch a film that appears tremendous cool, proper?
Quo Vadis (1951)
Quo Vadis (“The place are we getting into Latin”) was an unlimited hit for MGM in 1951. It was nominated for a formidable eight Academy Awards, but it surely was shut out on the awards ceremony.
Alexander The Nice (1951)
Alexander The Nice, starring Richard Burton because the younger king, is a bizarre one. It had an enormous funds and incorporates all of the substances of an amazing sword and sandal film, but it surely’s truly comically horrible. It is so dangerous that it is enjoyable to look at and make enjoyable of. That is actually the most effective we will say about it,