GIANT
OF METROPOLIS (1961)Director: Umberto Scarpelli
Retromedia Entertainment
GIANT
OF METROPOLIS (1961)The fascinating hybrid of Italian science-fiction and peplum genres begins with Armando Trovajoli's score: the powerful strains of a piano, evolving to trumpets and then to the eerie, high pitched sound of an organ. This motif expressive of the naked power of the Atlantean world of Metropolis is both beautiful and awe-inspiring. The universe of Metropolis is heartless and cruel, brutal yet scientifically savvy and brilliant, a parable of ancient times which could easily window the future.
"In 20,000 B.C...on the continent of Atlantis, now lost beneath the waters of the ocean, there lived a people who had developed an amazingly advanced civilization and who ruled all other people on earth... Obro, a man born in the east dared to probe the mystery of the city of death.
His gigantic strength and courage were pitted against Yotar, the evil King, in a struggle to the finish...
... When the scientists of Metropolis attempted to penetrate the secret of death, nature rebelled, causing universal destruction...
...love alone triumphed...
...and remained the sole source of life..."
As the tale commences, a band of men led by a weather-beaten leader marches across a volcanic area. The aged leader of the group collapses, unable to complete the journey. He calls upon the youthful, muscular blond Obro (Gordon Mitchell) to continue through the mountainous area to reach the mysterious city called Metropolis. The old man expires and Obro takes up the cause.
Within the lost city King Yotar (Roldano Lupi in a Christopher Lee-inspired performance) is in a cavernous laboratory/observatory where his scientists have gathered to discuss capturing cosmic rays that have the potential to give extended life. The King is advised to be patient, as the stars are not in an auspicious position for capturing the rays.
As the aforementioned band continues through the mountainous area a violent tempest lashes out which overwhelms the group. A magnetic force field appears which has been beamed from Yotar's laboratory to destroy the intruders. The men are felled in their tracks and all are disintegrated leaving behind their skeletal remains. Only Obro survives the storm.
Obro is captured by Atlantean sentries and brought to the court of Yotar in chains. He is ordered on his knees before Yotar but the blond captive implores the king to stop misusing science or the kingdom and indeed the world will perish. Obro is removed from the court. His wife, Queen Texen and his beautiful daughter, Mesede, then confront the king.
The monarch's ultimate objective is to endow his own son, the boy Elmos, with the gift of eternal life. Yotar has consulted with the aged Cave Dweller, the wisest and oldest man in Metropolis, who assures the king that his dream of immortality is perverse and not meant for mankind.
Yotar sits on his throne in the temple as dancers enter the court through a round spaceship-like entrance. One tall black dancer wearing only plumes and a small loincloth flanks Mesede while a white dancer costumed as a satyr (complete with horns!) flanks Mesede's other side. Their erotic dance is one of the highlights of the film, a fetishistic delight not to be missed. Get out your black leather, lace and plumes for this part and set the popcorn aside!
After the temple dancing Queen Texen demands Yotar not to approach her. He professes his love for her; she expresses her loathing for him. She cries that he wishes only to possess her body and allow her no free will or right of expression.
Meanwhile Obro, chained and defenseless, stands before the court of Yotar and is attacked by man-devouring pygmies carrying spears. They handily overcome Obro as the evil king sits on his throne overlooking the gladiatorial combat. The pygmies, utilizing talon spears, pin Obro down to the sand of the arena.
The king meets with his council of scientists who observe the lava like core of the planet. The old cave dweller (who has lived 200 years) warns Yotar that the volcanic core is more active than ever and may soon explode.
Yotar stands above Obro who has been bound to a jagged silver table. Obro implores the king to set aside his personal ambitions and realize that Metropolis can be saved if quick action is taken. The monarch declares Obro will pay with his life for his remarks. He is subjected to intense light as Yotar laughs from his throne. He is subjected to scalding beams and then freezing rays. Obro begs Yotar to stop the torture and collapses on the floor.
Yotar is advised by a scientist not to kill Obro as his blood may be transfused into the body of Elmos at a later time. Queen Texen summons Mesede and asks her to rebel against her father. She refuses to help her stepmother. Texen suggests she aid Obro in his fight against Yotar. She cries out, as she is unable to fight her own father. The Queen then consorts with Egon to end Yotar's rule.
Meanwhile Obro is released from the bondage of the laboratory table and shown the way out of the underground city.
Yotar demands a magnetic ray cover the underground city so no one can escape. The sentry who had the misfortune to be on duty during Obro's escape is brought before Yotar. A blinding ray is aimed at the sentry's body whose flesh becomes luminous and burns to a crisp.
Meanwhile the high minister to the king, Egon, discusses means to aid Obro in overcoming the evil monarch. He has provided Obro with safety. Yotar anxiously asks if any of his sentries have seen Obro. Egon shows the passageway to the outside world to Obro. Egon suggests the time is propitious to overthrow Yotar and free the enslaved people.
The elder of Metropolis suggests the time is not auspicious for the king and suggests that doom may well be forthcoming. Yotar ignores the warning.
Suspicious of his queen, Texen, Yotar suggests perhaps she had sequestered the stranger Obro away. She sobs and expresses her hatred of Yotar for all he has inflicted upon her and their child Elmos. Texen swallows poison and dies on the spot, witnessed by Mesede who had hidden herself away in the palace chamber. She flees in tears to the place where Obro is hidden and seeks his comfort.
Two planets collide in the cobalt blue heavens and create a sudden burst of light.
One of Yotar's scientists declares, "Yotar, unforeseen developments in the orbiting of the planets have upset in the most serious manner the normal equilibrium of the forces of the interplanetary scale. As a consequence, the entire solar system will be drastically changed."
Another scientist chimes in, "Among the effects of these terrifying changes the axis of the earth will shift 90 degrees in another direction."
Yet another pronounces, "The earth will be shaken by a series of violent earthquakes. The oceans will overflow their shores submerging whole continents."
The High Minister adds, "Metropolis, basing its existence and its great power on the energy extracted from the very center of the earth itself, is condemned to disappear. The blazing furnace over which we have built our city will be fatal."
"Metropolis cannot be destroyed!" King Yotar exclaims in total denial of the facts presented to him by his own scientific counsel. He even suggests the scientists know enough to save the city and orders his scientists to the impossible task.
Sentries are posted around the city: all are ordered to take Obro alive. In the meantime, Egon sneaks Obro into the palace to the Hall of Arts and Sciences. However, beneath a statue of a sun god soldiers accost Obro. The muscled hero overcomes all of the sentries.
Yotar condemns all actions by Obro and expresses disgust that his own daughter Mesede is at his enemy's side. Obro arms himself and returns to the palace, fighting off Yotar's soldiers with his own strength (plus a couple of strange talon-like weapons he carries). After defeating the guards he goes into a secret chamber beneath an idol in the main square of Metropolis. Mesede awaits him and after an argument they declare love for each other. They talk of freedom and the desire to leave the isolation of the city.
Elmos looks outside a circular window unaware that his father Yotar is discussing his fate with a scientific minister. Elmos greets his father and Yotar promises to take him away forever. Instead the young lad is given over to the scientists who place his tiny body on the operating table. He cries out for his sister and mother to no avail. He loses consciousness.
High above the city Mesede and Obro have gone out into the open mountainous region. Mesede exclaims how beautiful the outside world is and that none of the underground city's denizens has ever ventured into the real world.
Egon confronts Yotar and suggests Elmos may not be able to withstand the operation to preserve his youth. Yotar is unreasonable and threatens Egon. Yotar orders him killed. The palace guard using manacled weapons strangles Egon. Mesede and Obro await Egon, unaware of his fate.
A prophetic voice announces Yotar's reign is about to end. The ghost of Yotar's father materializes and implores the monarch not to proceed. Yotar falls at his father's feet and the spectre disappears.
Obro enters the palace and confronts Yotar. The two fight using the talon-like weapons. Obro gets the upper hand and Yotar is nearly killed but Mesede intervenes, unable to allow her own father to be killed. Yotar is spared and soon both Obro and his daughter are surrounded by the palace guard and ordered to be chained beneath the structure.
The elder of Metropolis suggests Yotar suspend the operation completely and allow the child to live a normal life.
Yotar enters the laboratory where scientists surround the young Elmos on a table. One of the scientists exclaims the young and future king's life may be in danger if the operation is performed. Yotar enters and removes his son from the table himself. He carries the little boy through the mist-enshrouded corridor of his palace as the elements rage. Thunder rumbles and lightning flashes. The sky has gone completely red and doom for Metropolis is imminent. Obro and Mesede are chained to a pillar to await their certain deaths. Yotar overhears their declarations of love while holding his young son. Furthermore, the populace of the city has become unruly as they clearly see the approach of disaster. Yotar asks his cohorts to take care of Elmos. A volcano erupts as the citizenry goes berserk. His subjects storm Yotar's palace and the populace crushes the monarch. Elmos is brought to Mesede and Obro who carry him off. The city begins to self-destruct. Floods begin to bury the city of super science. Elmos clings to Obro and Mesede who manage to find a way out of the underground city. In the final shots of the film the walls of Metropolis and its temples fall into the surging waters.
The ruby red orb of the sun comes out once again on the planet. On a beach in an unnamed spot Mesede and Obro, the last survivors, embrace each other and ponder their destiny.
Denver, Colorado-born Gordon Mitchell starred in this as well as numerous sword and sandal epics. He also portrayed Dr. Otto Frankenstein in FRANKENSTEIN 80 (1972) and Igor in FRANKENSTEIN'S CASTLE OF FREAKS (1973). While in Italy he also portrayed a gladiator for Fellini in SATYRICON (1969) and also appeared with John Phillip Law in BLOOD DELIRIUM.
Cuban-born exotic beauty Bella Cortez starred in such epic fare as THE TARTARS (1961) with Orson Welles but also appeared in SFIDA AL DIAVOLO (also known as KATHARSIS, 1965) with Christopher Lee.
Liana Orfei also showcased her formidable good looks in THE TARTARS (1961), THE AVENGER (1962) with Steve Reeves and was also a featured player in the Italo cult classic MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN (1960) by Giorgio Ferroni.
The set decorations were the work of Mario Bava's protégé Giorgio Giovannini who defined the look of magnificent gothic esthetic found in the esteemed director's work. Futuristic buildings resembling Aztec temple architecture tower in the square of Metropolis. The cinematography splendidly frames every handsome set piece appropriately throughout the work. Denizens of the fated city wear costumes not that dissimilar to those worn by the protagonists of PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (or perhaps the costumes were designed to resemble those used in the Flash Gordon serials). Though GIANT OF METROPOLIS was obviously not a large budget production this film packed a real punch to Sixties audiences though today it exemplifies camp, is over-the-top and fetishistic in appearance. In fact, a tribute to muscle epics given at the Director's Guild in Hollywood in the late 90s showcased clips from this film which met with laughs and unexpected applause.
The wonderful score was written by Armando Trovajoli whose eerie, otherworldly melodies graced such cult favorites as Mario Bava's HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961), the sleazy poetry of ATOM AGE VAMPIRE (1960) and the capricious fun of Steno's HARD TIMES FOR VAMPIRES (1959). This splendid, dynamic man gave us all rhythms we will not forget for a lifetime and this scribe cannot wait for the day when some of the Roman composer's scores are available to the American public.
At the film's beginning there is a disclaimer to the viewer that the print is presented with the best possible elements but time and fragility of film itself may make it less than desirable in appearance. This reviewer is here to say the print is damn good, in fact, the best seen since its theatrical presentation. Slight scratching is obvious in places but rare and only in some exterior scenes there is faded color. The complaints are very minor and for all fans of pepla this title is a must-have.
There is a stills gallery of ultra-rare photos from this film. One can see these are not National Screen Service material and that they are original Italian photographs. Any collector of Italian fantascienza photos will drool when these are shown.
One of the great extras with this title is the presentation of trailers from Italian epics: GIANT OF METROPOLIS, GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES, GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON, GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON, SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD and THE WITCH'S CURSE. You'll choke on your popcorn when you see what fun these are! Also included is an Italian-language clip from the film of a scene with Gordon Mitchell and Roldano Lupi, as well as a gag segment of Mitchell as Goliath from BIKINI DRIVE-IN (1995).
This opus is presented letterboxed at 1.66:1 aspect ratio and there are six chapter stops. Other extras include a good-natured, humorous Gordon Mitchell himself talking (very little) about this film (he doesn't seem to remember much other than the fact that exteriors were shot near Naples) and he does show off some of his artwork. Mitchell took to painting and so when not building his body and checking out the ladies he is nurturing his soul with art. A number of gallery exhibitions in Los Angeles and New York are in his future so one sees there is life after Muscle Beach.
GIANT OF METROPOLIS is a splendid example of 60s Italo sci-fi and a definite must-see for those who wish to gain a better understanding of that magical bygone era. Thank you, Fred Olen Ray and Retromedia Entertainment! (Christopher Dietrich)