Der Löwe von Sparta (1962)
66KDer Löwe von Sparta: Directed by Rudolph Maté. With Richard Egan, Ralph Richardson, Diane Baker, Barry Coe. A small Army of Greeks spearheaded by three hundred Spartans do battle with the whole invading Persian Army.
“This was one of the last of the great sword-and-sandal epics. Unlike many before it or since, it managed to get the facts generally correct. The story, recorded in Herodotus, concerns a small band of troops from Sparta who held off the advance of the Persian army in the 5th century B.C. In doing so, they gave their fellow Greeks time to organise a larger army. Themes include: democracy vs. despotism, and sacrifice for the sake of the common good. Ever stoic Richard Egan (star of u0026quot;Pollyanna,u0026quot; u0026quot;Esther and the King,u0026quot; and other fun films) does a great job of projecting the inner strength of Spartan leader Leonidas. This film is not to be missed and ranks with other memorable epics of the 1960s, such as u0026quot;The Long Shipsu0026quot;. Note: this is newly remastered and should not be confused with the botched version released some months prior.”
