Movie Review: Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators

Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators (Gli invincibili dieci gladiatori) 

Starring: Dan Vadis, Helga Liné, Alfredo Varelli (aka John Warrell), Ursula Davis, Gianni Rizzo, Enzo Fiermonte (aka William Bird), Salvatore Borghese, Milton Reid, Aldo Canti (aka Alan Lancaster), Ivano Staccioli (aka John Heston) 

Director: Nick Nostro 

Cine-Produzioni Associate, Producciones Cinematográficas Balcázar, Les Films Copernic Paris, Italy, Spain, France, 1964. 

This movie is published as a part of Warriors 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment. 

This is the second movie of the Ten Gladiators trilogy. Roccia (Dan Vadis) and nine gladiators enter the gladiator games in Capua. After their show comes a group of 12 Thracian gladiators who are forced to fight until death, two of them being a father and his son. One of the Thracian gladiators prevents the son from killing his father. The gladiator throws a sword toward the emperor. The manager of the gladiators Publius Teraxus (Pietro Ceccarelli) gets furious and orders the surviving Thracian gladiators flogged but Roccia stops him. Chimbro (Milton Reid) steps in and says that his master is willing to buy the Thracian gladiators for his own uses. Teraxus puts the Ten gladiators on the black list and says they cannot fight at the arenas anymore. So apparently these Ten gladiators are not slaves but freelance gladiators. 

Five of the Ten Gladiators (Roccia is the tallest one)

The arena's manager Publius Teraxus

Thracian gladiators must fight to the death

While travelling the unemployed Ten gladiators save a woman named Livia (Ursula Davis) from attacking bandits. Livia is the daughter of senator Varro (Gianni Rizzo). Livia does not seem to be concerned about the fate of her slaves. Varro offers them a reward and a dinner for saving Livia. Varro says that he can open the arenas again for the Ten gladiators. One of the Ten has a small romance with Livia. Chimbro comes to meet Varro. He has failed to catch a bandit called Spartacus. Varro suggests that the Ten go to find and arrest Spartacus. 

Senator Varro and Livia

Varro's henchman Chimbro

The Ten disguise as woodcutters. The Ten find Spartacus' camp easily and sabotage it. Spartacus (Alfredo Varelli) is the same gladiator that saved the father and the son. He managed to escape Chimbro. Roccia fights Spartacus. The fight lasts long and the crowd watches and eats snacks. Exhausted, Roccia and Spartacus burst into laughter. Also Roccia falls in love with Daliah (Helga Liné). Spartacus is not responsible for the robbings, but has been framed by Varro. Spartacus wants to go free with his people and says he will send Varro some ransom money for their freedom. 

Spartacus

Roccia fights Spartacus while crowd is watching

Mute gladiator (Sal Borghese) flirting with a girl

Varro seems to agree because he needs money to build aqueducts and roads. Varro puts sleeping drugs to the food and locks the Ten them in a dungeon. At the senate Varro is accused of wanting only power for himself. Varro says Rome will appear weak if they let Spartacus escape. Senate refuses to assist Varro and offers compassion to Spartacus. Varro decides to attack the women and children in Spartacus' camp to provoke Spartacus fight against Rome.

Daliah

Let's all try to pull it. Maybe something will happen.

Livia has a romance with one of the guys

Meanwhile the Ten use their muscles to break the chains. There are some chains hanging from the ceiling. They make a plan: "Let's all try to pull it, maybe something will happen." The gladiators get help from Lydia through the hole in the ceiling. Lydia begins to understand that his father is a bad man. The Ten go back to Spartacus only to find the camp destroyed by Varro's men and the people taken as slaves. The Ten join Spartacus and try to free the slaves and punish Varro. First they knock out some legionnaires Bud Spencer and Terence Hill- style. 

Spartacus' people are taken captive

Varro wants to be numero uno in Rome

Roccia is captured and Chimbro and Varro torture him by hanging him from a tree by his hand. The slaves start to plan a revolt. After a big battle Chimbro runs away and Varro gets his comeuppance. Roccia chases Chimbro with chariot. Also Chimbro gets what he deserves and Roccia saves Daliah. Spartacus continues to fight for freedom.

That looks painful

Happy End

The film was edited by cult film director Bruno Mattei, as usual he added a lot of stock footage and material from other epic films for the crowd scenes. This is obvious with the mixed armours and equipment from different nations in the end battle (at least footage from "Hannibal" (1959) and "Nel Segno di Roma" aka "Sheba and the Gladiator" (1959) are used: see some comparison pictures!) 

The Ten are quite humorous bunch. Except for Roccia their names are rarely mentioned in the film (if at all). There are however some distinctive characters: an older gladiator, mute gladiator, easy-going gladiator and bearded gladiator. There is also some (unintended?) hilarity with beefy guys roaming the Italian countryside. This is a quite light take on the Spartacus legend, lacking the gore of modern vision or the epicity of Kubrick's version. This movie is quite entertaining and fun sword and sandal adventure. 

Rating: Good