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We here at the Maine Classical Association aren't the only ones who can't get enough of this Holly-Rome trend. By the way, Spartacus: Blood and Sand (by the way, is that a hendiadys for the bloody sand? Or perhaps the sandy blood? Heaven knows you don't really want to get sand in your blood, it just ruins the epic) opens tonight, Friday, January 22, on Starz at 10 pm.
You can't keep a good gladiator down. The sword-and-sandal genre appears to be beating a revivalist breastplate with Spartacus: Blood and Sand, a new series on Starz that begins tonight. But a new Spartacus is only the beginning of a wave of entertainment that mines the sword-and-sandal terrain of Greco-Roman history and mythology. Several movies this year and more on the way (including a 300 sequel/prequel called Xerxes, The Eagle of the Ninth starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell and a new British film, Centurion) signal a movie trend that embraces the stuff that made Gladiator a hit.
“Every so often we want naked men in short leather and women with cleavage wearing snakes in their hair,” said film historian and author Jeanine Basinger of Wesleyan University. “There is an audience for ancient Rome. There's something that attracts us to the brutal culture of war, sex and political maneuvering.”
From the original Ben-Hur to Quo Vadis to Cleopatra to Ridley Scott's Gladiator, which begat Alexander, Troy and 300, Hollywood has responded to the movie-going public's fascination with the characters and stories of Hercules, Goliath, and Jason and the Argonauts. Throw in good measures of swords, epic battles, mythological deities, heaving bosoms and magical bric-a-brac, and you have all the trappings of classic sword-and-sandal fare. HBO's Rome and murder mysteries set in ancient Rome are other examples of the sword-and-sandal uptick.
Basinger said there's wide appeal for these movies because they appeal to men (who enjoy tales of brawn), teen boys (who love battle laced with mysticism), women (the romance and the beefcake), older viewers (drawn to the history and storytelling) and even gays (the not-so-subtle homoeroticism of six-pack man-on-man combat).
“The gladiator story is one of universal appeal,” she said. “The Spartacus story is a very kind of American story that someone can rebel and fight back. We like stories like that.”
Here are some upcoming movies that show the genre at work:
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: Cut from the sword-and-sandal cloth, this movie from director Chris Columbus concerns a teen demigod who discovers he is descended straight from Mount Olympus. Set in modern New York, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades still get to throw their lightning bolts around. Don't stare too long at Uma Thurman's Medusa. Percy looks to take up where Harry Potter is leaving off. Releases Feb. 12.
Clash of the Titans: In Avatar, Sam Worthington couldn't use his legs, but in Clash , his muscular thighs are working overtime. Worthington stars as Perseus (born of a god but raised as a man) who vows to lead a mission to defeat Hades (Ralph Fiennes) before the vengeful god of the underworld can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson). Plenty of swords and sandals in this Olympic showdown. Releases March 26.
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