| Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Carmine Gallone |
| Written by | Camillo Mariani dell'Aguillara S.A. Luciani Carmine Gallone Silvio Maurano |
| Produced by | Federic Curiosi |
| Starring | Annibale Ninchi Camillo Pilotto Isa Miranda |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 83 minutes[1] |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
| Budget | 12.6 million lira |
Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal[2] (Italian title:Scipione l'africano is a 1937 Italianhistoricalpropaganda film directed byCarmine Gallone aboutScipio Africanus from the time of his election asproconsul until his defeat ofHannibal at theBattle of Zama. The film received financial backing fromBenito Mussolini'sdictatorship and its production was overseen byVittorio Mussolini.
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Publius Cornelius Scipio is selected to serve asconsul following theBattle of Cannae. Scipio defeatsHasdrubal in Spain before defeatingHannibal at theBattle of Zama. QueenSophonisba is captured and commits suicide by drinking poison.
Benito Mussolini sought to reviveItalian cinema after it was hurt by multiple box-office failures in the 1920s. His sonVittorio Mussolini oversaw the production of the film. He refused to use miniatures and sets up to 175 feet were built by 500 workers.[3]
The film was shot over the course of 232 days from 10 August 1936 to 29 March 1937, nearSabaudia with 12.6 million lira invested by the Italian government. 20 principal actors, 38 secondary actors, 44,425 extras, 26,671 crew members, 174,610 military personnel, 3,171 horses, and 50 elephants were used for the film.[4][5] 500 camels for a three minute scene and 100 seaworthygalleys were used.[3] The film cost around twenty times more than the average Italian film of the time.[6]
The scene depicting theBattle of Zama used 12,000 soldiers and 1,000 Libyan horsemen.[3] Sixteen soldiers were injured during the filming of the battle.[7] The soldiers were then transferred to duty in theSpanish Civil War.[8]Tobis Film participated in the film's production and required that Hannibal's soldiers beAryans.[9]
On 10 June 1936, Giacomo Paulucci, president ofENIC, askedIldebrando Pizzetti to compose the film's score. It was the first film that Pizzetti worked on although he was offered the role to composeCabiria. The score was completed by spring 1937, and Pizzetti performed one of its songs before Benito Mussolini on 28 April inCinecittà using the orchestra and chorus of theTeatro dell'Opera di Roma. Mussolini considered adopting Pizzetti'sInno a Roma as thenational anthem of Italy according toLuigi Freddi.[10]
Carmine Gallone was selected to direct the film, but Italian officials criticized his failure to prevent historical inaccuracies in the film, including extras wearing watches and telephone wires in the background of the Battle of Zama. Gallone argued against cutting the scenes featuring the inaccuracies due to them being needed for continuity and the scenes remained in the film.[11] Gallone, Camillo Mariani dell'Aguillara, S.A. Luciani, and Silvio Maurano wrote the film. The film's cinematography was done byUbaldo Arata andAnchise Brizzi.[2]
Freddi stated that the "political aim ofScipione l'africano is not banal propaganda, it is the expression of the transcendent continuity in our history which transmits into theBlack Shirt legionary the living and vibrant echo of the legionary at Zama".[12]
Benito Mussolini was shown the film on 4 August 1937.[4] The film was shown at theVenice Film Festival on 25 August, where it received the Coppa Mussolini for Best Italian Film.[13] The film was distributed by Esperia Film Distribution in the United States.[2]
The June-July issue ofBianco e Nero was solely devoted to coverage of the film.[12]Variety stated that the film was "undramatic and wooden".Bosley Crowther, writing inThe New York Times, stated that "there are moments in the film when one feels that it is not so much the noble days ofRepublican Rome that one is witnessing as the last act ofAida".[14]
Time's review of the film stated that it "is also as spectacular a show as the movies have seen since the ItalianQuo Vadis first made the U.S. spectacle-conscious".[15]
