''Carthage in Flames'' () is a 1960 Italian

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Carmine Gallone Carmine Gallone (10 September 1885 – 11 March 1973) was an early Italian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who was also controversial for his works of pro-Fascist propaganda and historical revisionism. Considered one of Itali ...

and starring

Pierre Brasseur Pierre Brasseur (; 22 December 1905 – 16 August 1972), born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor. Biography The son of actors Georges Espinasse and Germaine Brasseur was an actor as well. The family tradition of using the name ''Br ...

, José Suárez, Daniel Gélin and Anne Heywood. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Guido Fiorini. It is based on the 1908 novel of the same title by

Emilio Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante ...

Plot

After being wounded during the battle to defend the city of Oroscopa from the army of

Massinissa Masinissa (''c.'' 238 BC – 148 BC), also spelled Massinissa, Massena and Massan, was an ancient Numidian king best known for leading a federation of Massylii Berber tribes during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC), ultimately uniting th ...

, Hiram, a Carthaginian leader, is rescued and nursed back to health by the young Roman woman Fulvia, who falls in love with him. Meanwhile, the Carthaginian Council, on Massinissa's orders, has sentenced him to exile.

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

is threatened by the Romans, and Hiram is forced to return in secret to take away with him the woman he loves, Ophir, the daughter of Hermon, the head of the Council. Ophir is also in love with Hiram, but her father has arranged for her to marry Tsour, a young Carthaginian she has known since childhood. Fulvia has also arrived in Carthage, seeking Hiram and has fallen prisoner to Phegor, the commander of the sacred guards. Phegor is attracted to Fulvia and wants to spare her life, but the Carthaginian people, seeing her as a Roman, have decided to sacrifice her in the temple of Moloch. Hiram manages to save Fulvia, but in his attempt to also free Ophir, he is captured by Phegor. With the help of his friends Sidone and Astarito, Hiram escapes from prison and prevents Ophir's marriage to Tsour. Hiram also regains the friendship of the leader of the mercenaries, Thala, with whom he had fought in Oroscopa. Tsour realizes the great love between Ophir and Hiram and decides not to oppose their union. The Carthaginian Council is divided. Hiram and Tsour want to fight against the Romans, while Phegor wants to negotiate. In reality, Phegor is stalling for time because he is secretly helping the enemy to ensure a position of power after the city falls. Hermon decides to support the battle line. Hiram, Tsour, Thala, and Asdrubale fight together in the battle of Birsa, but they are defeated by Scipione l'Emiliano, aided by the

Numidian Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

troops commanded by Gollussa. Meanwhile, Fulvia, by yielding to Phegor, has managed to procure a ship, with which Sidone, Astarito, and Ophir, once they have retrieved the wounded Hiram from the battlefield, escape to the open sea. Carthage is set on fire. Phegor does not receive the hoped-for help from the Romans, and his house is burned down along with others. Fleeing onto the balcony, Phegor finds death embraced by Fulvia, who sacrifices her life for the love of Hiram. Once at sea, Hiram, Ophir, and the crew of the ship watch Carthage burn.

Cast

as Sidone * Daniel Gélin as Phegor * Anne Heywood as Fulvia *

Aldo Silvani Aldo Silvani (21 January 1891 – 12 November 1964) was an Italian stage, film and voice actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1934 and 1964. Selected filmography * ''Cardinal Lambertini (1934 film), Cardinal Lambertini'' (1934) * ...

as Hermon * Ilaria Occhini as Ophir * Paolo Stoppa as Astarito * José Suárez as Hiram *

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with hi ...

as Tsour * Gianrico Tedeschi as Eleo * Edith Peters as Sarepta * Cesare Fantoni as Assian *

Erno Crisa Erno Crisa (10 March 1914 – 4 April 1968) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1944 and 1968. His last film was the spaghetti western '' Sugar Colt''. Partial filmography * '' Sideral Cruises'' (1942) - L'h ...

as Asdrubal

Production

''Carthage in Flames'' was among the most expensive epic adventure films produced in Italy during the 1960s.Hughes, p.56 Anne Heywood was loaned out from the Rank Organisation to make it.

Bibliography

References

External links

* {{Carmine Gallone 1960 films Italian epic films French epic films 1960s Italian-language films Films based on works by Emilio Salgari Films directed by Carmine Gallone Films scored by Mario Nascimbene Films set in Carthage Third Punic War films Lux Film films Films shot at Cinecittà Studios Columbia Pictures films Sword-and-sandal films Italian fantasy films 1960s Italian films 1960s French films