The posters came as no surprise to those familiar with the movie industry, since films about African-Americans often perform poorly overseas, but upset some people on the internet for minimizing a black actor's role in a movie about his character's experience as a slave.
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The word convoluted does no justice to just how poorly designed "Girl on a Bicycle" is. It is also stereotypical, unfunny, unromantic, absurd, sitcomish, insulting to several European ethnicities and a slave to what Roger Ebert used to call "The Idiot Plot Syndrome." It may be the worst romantic comedy I have ever seen, and this is not hyperbole. Usually, I like to go into movies with as little knowledge of their content as possible. Had I done my homework, none of the characteristics of "Girl on a Bicycle" would have surprised me. It's written and directed by Jeremy Leven, who wrote such cinematic cannon fodder as "Don Juan De Marco," "Alex and Emma," and "The Legend of Bagger Vance." You need a suspension of disbelief the size of Jupiter to buy what this guy's been selling, but even if you possess that admirable quality, it won't help you get through "Girl on a Bicycle."
Her first film role was as an extra, one of many slave girls in the American production of Quo Vadis? (1951). Under the tutelage of producer Carlo Ponti (her future husband), Scicolone was transformed into Sophia Loren.
After the international success of HERCULES, the Steve Reeves Swords-and-Sandals vehicle THE SLAVE clearly had some money spent on its production values -- good costumes and some nice sets to accent good camera lighting abound. The plot, typical of peplum movies, is a mishmosh of themes intended to take advantage of recent hits.Reeves is a Roman centurion working for the noble Julius Caesar in Rome. He is captured by leopard-skin wearing desert barbarians working for the evil Crassus, escapes, gets captured again, is enslaved, identified as Spartacus' son (hence the movie's Italian title) and leads a slave rebellion.Director Sergio Corbucci does his usual highly competent job, abetted by the handsome production values that Cinecitta was capable of; kudos especially to director of Photography Enzo Baroni, whose lighting suggests illustrations on parchment. Although the writing never rises above the level of silliness that such cheap epics aspired to, fans of the genre will find plenty to enjoy.
Top-notch production values highlight this expensive-looking peplum yarn, starring genre titan Steve Reeves in one of his typically muscular and macho leading roles. The film is crisp and colourful throughout, making use of some spectacular desert locations and even a location shot at the Sphinx, which, if faked, has to be one of the best pieces of back projection work ever. We get towering cliffs, open seas, an ancient tomb, arid deserts, and plenty more interesting landscapes over which the action plays out. On top of this there's a stirring score with one of the best themes I've heard in a peplum film which really adds to the tons of action we have displayed on screen.The plot is literate and interesting, not to mention unusual, as it depicts the son of Spartacus continuing his father's fight to free the slaves of Roman whilst at the same time masquerading as a loyal Roman soldier. There are lots of battles, hand-to-hand combat, and heroic acts, as Reeves frees men being crucified in a pool from drowning, causing huge lumps of rock to crash down on attacking soldiers. Men are chucked in acid baths and left to burn, slaves are whipped and tortured by their cruel captors, and all manner of incident and court intrigue highlight what is a superior movie for the genre.Steve Reeves puts in what is one of his best performances as the stern, heroic lead, not over the top muscular here but still looking like a Greek God when he runs around in his shiny silver helmet and rights wrongs against the oppressed in some well-handled and usually exciting scenes of battle and action. The supporting cast, which includes genre regular Gianna Maria Canale, is a good mix with some Italian beauties thrown in for love interest like an attractive slave girl and lots of varied characters to keep things alive. SON OF SPARTACUS is a good example of the peplum genre at its most mainstream and intelligent, occasionally melancholic and moving but always well-paced, and an enjoyable experience to boot. 2ff7e9595c
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