Theodora, Slave Empress

Theodora, Slave Empress
Directed by Riccardo Freda
Screenplay by
  • Rene Wheeler
  • Claude Accursi
  • Ranieri Cochetti
  • Riccardo Freda[1]
Story by
  • André-Paul Antoin
  • Riccardo Freda[1]
Starring
Music by Renzo Rossellini[1]
Cinematography Rodolfo Lombardi[1]
Edited by Mario Serandrei[1]
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Lux Film (Italy)
  • Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France (France)
Release date
  • 29 September 1954 (1954-09-29) (Italy)
Running time
 92 minutes[1]
Country
  • Italy
  • France[1]
Box office ₤592 million

Theodora, Slave Empress (Italian: Teodora, imperatrice di Bisanzio) is a 1954 film about Theodora, a former slave who married Justinian I, emperor of Byzantium in AD 527–565. It was directed by Riccardo Freda.

Cast

Release

Theodora, Slave Empress was distributed theatrically in Italy on 29 September 1954 by Lux Film.[1] It grossed a total of 592 million Italian lire on this domestic release.[1]

It was also distributed in France by Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France as Théodora, impératrice de Byzance.[1] The film was the first of director Riccardo Freda's film to obtain a wide distribution outside Italy.[2]

Reception

In a contemporary review, The Monthly Film Bulletin gave the film a negative review referring to the film as a "dispiriting experience."[3] The review referred to Freda as direction as "laboured" and that he "brings neither gusto nor honest vulgarity to the narrative"[3] The review also referred to the action scenes, stating that only the chariot race is staged with "any suggestion of real flamboyancy or flair" and the Canale's erotic dance before Justinian is "painfully unexciting".[3]

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Curti 2017, p. 311.
  2. ↑ Quinlan 1999, p. 119.
  3. 1 2 3 "Theodora, Slave Empress "(Teodora, Imperatrice di Bisanzio)"". Monthly Film Bulletin. London: British Film Institute. 22 (252): 36. 1955. ISSN 0027-0407.

Sources

  • Curti, Roberto (2017). Riccardo Freda: The Life and Works of a Born Filmmaker. McFarland. ISBN 1476628386.
  • Quinlan, David (1999). Quinlan's Film Directors. B.T. Batsford. ISBN 0713477539.
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