The influence of early Italian epics was spreading throughout the world as movie goers were mesmerized by the spectacular sets and exciting storylines that were action packed. The French were one of the first to realize the large scope of such epics--and the money they brought into movie theaters--by the release of the Gaumont Film Company's November 1911 "A Roman Orgy."
The short eight-minute movie gives an impressionistic overview of Roman Emperor Hellogabalus (aka Elagabalus), who ruled as a teenager from 218 to 222 AD. Cited as one of the worst emperors in the history of the Roman Empire, Hellogabalus is portrayed Louis Feuillade (director of "Les Vampires") as a master of sadism as the director steers the film through several scenes reflecting his brutality. The film's title is misleading since it disingenuously served to titillate drawing in an audience without closely delving into the subject. Pre-Code Hollywood studios of the early 1930's would practice a similar strategy of giving outrageous titles to some of their movies, but were not even close to what the names suggested. What's interesting watching "A Roman Orgy" is the interaction between the actors and the lions, who are let loose by the emperor. Despite the little contact between the two, the viewer could tell those humans wanted to have little to do with these ferocious animals. "A Roman Orgy" in itself did not earn accolades from film critics despite its rich box office receipts. But the Gaumont work provided a foundation for the popularity of movie epics that reached beyond the Italian borders for decades to come.
The short eight-minute movie gives an impressionistic overview of Roman Emperor Hellogabalus (aka Elagabalus), who ruled as a teenager from 218 to 222 AD. Cited as one of the worst emperors in the history of the Roman Empire, Hellogabalus is portrayed Louis Feuillade (director of "Les Vampires") as a master of sadism as the director steers the film through several scenes reflecting his brutality. The film's title is misleading since it disingenuously served to titillate drawing in an audience without closely delving into the subject. Pre-Code Hollywood studios of the early 1930's would practice a similar strategy of giving outrageous titles to some of their movies, but were not even close to what the names suggested. What's interesting watching "A Roman Orgy" is the interaction between the actors and the lions, who are let loose by the emperor. Despite the little contact between the two, the viewer could tell those humans wanted to have little to do with these ferocious animals. "A Roman Orgy" in itself did not earn accolades from film critics despite its rich box office receipts. But the Gaumont work provided a foundation for the popularity of movie epics that reached beyond the Italian borders for decades to come.