User reviews

A Romanian film – better-known, if at all, by its original title DACII – about the Roman (i.e. Italian) Empire is an absolute rarity, but I was instantly drawn to it from the evocative stills I saw on the Internet. The fact that it featured a couple of French stars in Pierre (MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN {1960}) Brice and Luis Bunuel/peplum regular Georges Marchal, then, was merely the icing on the cake; however, it did feel odd hearing them speak in a completely foreign tongue! For all its obvious naivete' (being, at best, a semi-professional enterprise and actually only the director's first feature-length effort!), the end result proves reasonably impressive – primarily on the visual front (with location photography that is indeed spectacular and the battle sequences themselves emerging as not only surprisingly elaborate but rather brutal as well!).

That said, the plot offers its own interest – with even some novelty value in store: the titular people are engaged in war against the Romans (rulers of all the known world at that time). Being Pagans, to determine whether the odds are in their favor or not, it is required that the King sacrifice his first-born i.e. a son who is literally dumped upon an upturned fork and bleeding to death! This turn-of-events naturally sours the relationship between the potentate and his daughter, who leaves the castle grounds to settle in the country. The Romans, too, have their problems: Emperor Domitien is perhaps the most condescending ever portrayed; his adviser is adamantly against invasion (believing the Dacians can be persuaded to lay down their arms without the need for carnage); their ageing if still athletic champion warrior (Marchal) is suffering from temporary blindness due to an old wound; while another 'star' officer (Brice, actually the afore-mentioned bureaucrat's son) is wounded during an initial skirmish, cured for by the Dacian king's daughter (needless to say, they end up falling in love), and ultimately revealed to be a native of the very land he is intent on conquering for the glory of Rome!

A sort of follow-up, made by other hands, was 1968's COLUMNA aka THE COLUMN which similarly featured 'recognizable' names for the international market (though their overseas exposure was extremely limited in the long run!): Briton Richard Johnson and Italians Antonella Lualdi (from Vittorio Cottafavi's THE HUNDRED HORSEMEN {1964}) and Franco Interlenghi. Actually, THE DACIANS reminded me of Robert Siodmak's two-parter STRUGGLE FOR ROME (1968) – a German epic that was only released abroad in heavily-truncated form as THE LAST ROMAN.

Attractive Romanian film (actually a Romanian-French co production filmed in Romania) belonging to the swords and sandals genre and telling the story of how the Dacians confronted and resisted the Roman Empire at around 100 AD. Great action scenes, attractive outdoor locations (in pastoral like locations) are a plus. This was made in 1967, when many films of this sort were made in the West (the so called Peplum, including Spartacus, Cleopatra and countless Italian movies), yet this particular film seems to be little known outside Romania. It is a well made, entertaining film with fine color photography. Since the Dacians are believed to be the ancestors of the Romanians, I suppose part of the purpose of the film was to raise nationalist consciousness, but this is thankfully not too heavy.

Nicolaecu's movie is one of the greatest Romanian films ever made. The leading role of the king belongs to Amza Pellea, who wonderfully combines the force of the ancestors and the art of giving life to such a character.

The genuine landscapes bring the viewer into a prodigious world of mystery and ancient beliefs which are now violently invaded by the roman conquerors. The co-production benefits not only from the performance of the actors, the settings or the daring achievement in directing of Nicolaescu, but also from the unique, yet true story.

This is what i call a good movie, but this is the comment of a novice in matters of movie critics. For those who enjoy spending precious time on movies, this is worth watching.

Unlike many Hollywood movies of the same period (Cleopatra, Ben-Hur, Fall of the Roman Empire, etc) this one is almost perfect in the historical accuracy sence. They used the latest archeological data available at the time (Trajan's column) to show Roman legions in their glory. Cinematography is great. I've heard they used something like 5,000 extras to create battle scenes. Unlike its sequel (Collona), this movie is a masterpiece for everyone who likes cinema and ancient history. I think that if it would be released in the USA it would be nominated for Oscar. Its a shame that this video is hard to find and is not available in major stores.

This is really a very impressive movie, one of my favourites. And what is its major advantage? It's a deep and natural empathy for the ancient past without any need to add some artifical tricks. Music score perfectly matches with all scenes. Landscape views with marching or fighting legions are superb. Unfortunately, at least VHS record is very hard to find and DVD doesn't exist so far. There should be no doubts that this movie, as well as some other similar releases, deserve a better international recognition of fans and connoisseurs.

I wish people were less "detached" and less bored sometimes, to appreciate valuable movies for what they really are - valuable movies. As I am about to finish watching "Columna" on TV here in Bucharest, I'm thinking how lucky we are to have this fascinating history. To us, both "Dacii" and "Columna" are excellent and make very valid points as to how ancient Dacia was conquered by the Romans.

I am sorry that these movies (as many other Romanian historical movies) are not easy to find in the West, as the viewer comments on here seem to indicate. (I'd initially come on here to see where they could be found, to recommend them to a friend in the West). I think they would also prove useful, providing a wealth of information and "insight" for anyone wanting to learn more about this part of the world.

"The Dacians" (Dacii) follows a very decent plot for a sword-and-sandal genre. Roman legions invade Dacia ready to become "The Masters of the World." But this Roman world is not united, but filled with intrigues and back stabbing among the Emperor and the general. "Sufro," (I suffer it) proclaims the Emperor while hiding his satisfaction. On the Dacian side, patriotism (300 Spartans style) fills their souls. "Why the Dacian smile when they die?" asks the Roman commander.

The photography of the Romanian country side and the Roman Legions on the march is excellent. The soundtrack is superb when the Roman legions are advancing. To add to the spectacle 5,000 extras fill the landscape.

Thanks to a Web site that sells Romanian movies in the NTSC format, I could watch this little jewel again. The follow up ("Column" or "The Trajan Column")seems to be unavailable.

Best fight scenes , huge masses of soldiers , very credible movie.I saw that movie when I was a child and I was very impressed . I saw again when I grew up and still impressed. I was fascinated by the story of fighting between Dacia and Rome and when I saw this movie the stories became reality. Great performance for the unforgettable actor Amza Pellea as Decebal (the king of dacians) and the best movie of Sergiu Nicolaescu. This is a super-production in the spirit of '60 movies (Spartacus , Battle for Rome).

A movie with great Romanian and international actors. The movie is better than The Gladiator or other actual historical movies.

The newspaper "Adevarul" (the Truth) releases on DVD the "Historical" series of movies made by Sergiu Nicolaescu in the '60s, '70s and '80s. This contains the movies "Dacii" (the dacians), "Mircea", "Mihai Viteazul", "Nemuritorii" (the Imortals), "Capcana mercenarilor" (the mercenaries' trap), "Pentru patrie" (for the country). They are restored from film rolls from the National Film Archive (or national television archive), but quality is limited to VHS resolution. Given the film and audio technology level in 1967 the soundtrack is mono with subtitles in English and french. Colors are restored, but some scratches are visible throughout the movie, given its 41 years of age. Visual or audio effects were no concern for Nicolaescu, since its movies are based on historical facts transcending time and people. Fight scenes are real, using 5000 plus extras synchronized and filmed with multiple cameras, since no more than two takes were possible in one day at that scale. I don't know if the movies will be available outside the country, since are distributed only with the paper. http://www.filmeleadevarul.ro/istorice/category/filme/dacii/

"Dacii" is a mediocre contribution to the peplum (aka, sword-and-sandal) genre. Massive sets and a cast of (literally) thousands do not compensate for an awkward script, unimaginative direction, and (with some exceptions) wooden acting.

"Dacii" was a French-Romanian co-production, with the Romanians very much the senior partner, investing an enormous amount of money and resources in the project. In Communist Romania, as in all Communist countries, film production and distribution were government monopolies, and cinema was conceived primarily not as art or entertainment, but as propaganda. "Dacii" was the visual consecration of the Romanian Communists' rapid and paradoxical evolution from servile Moscow clients to maverick National Bolshevists. It would be followed by a whole string of historical films (known collectively in Romania as "The National Epic"), whose purpose was to construct a visual national mythology which would ultimately legitimise the Communist Party and its leader, the notorious Nicolae Ceausescu, as the modern incarnation of Romania's past mythical heroes.

The script is mostly static, rich in speeches and solemnities, but poor in action and weakly developed. The direction is rigid and conventional, lacking in rhythm or inspiration, unable to bring real interest even in the scenes involving a huge cast (eg, the siege of Argidava). Nicolaescu is clearly not up to the level of a Bondarchuk (or even an Aleksander Ford in "Krzyżacy").

No peplum would be complete without the dubbed foreign stars; in this instance, they are three nowadays almost forgotten French actors. Georges Marchal was a French star of the early 1950s and a peplum veteran, but here he delivers a stiff and unconvincing performance as Fuscus. Marie-José Nat as Meda has neither the sheer physical beauty, nor the screen presence or acting skills that would have allowed her to make something of a part which offered little to begin with. Pierre Brice (better known for his portrayal of an Apache chieftain in numerous Karl May-inspired movies) is conventionally heroic as Severus.

More notable are three Romanian performances. Amza Pellea as Decebalus displays remarkable skill, imbuing living depth to what seems to have been designed as a vehicle for nationalistic blather. Emil Botta is impressive in the small but significant part of the High Priest. And György Kovács is simply superb as Domitianus, managing to be effete and sinister without descending into outright camp.

"Dacii" is, of course, rife with anachronisms, anomalies, and inanities (eg, the Roman cavalry charging... a Dacian fortress!). But all these, as well as the defects outlined above, must be put into perspective. From "Cromwell" to "Braveheart" and beyond, anachronisms and inanities abound in historical epics of much greater pretension and reputation. Weak scripts, stiff direction and poor acting are par for the course in the peplum genre. "Dacii" was director Sergiu Nicolaescu's first feature film; the fact that he managed, on his first outing, to bring to completion such a complex project is perhaps more noteworthy than his failure to make it interesting.

What the Western viewer may perhaps fail to appreciate is that the film is loaded with Romanian nationalistic tropes and symbols. For instance, the scene of the human sacrifice is awkwardly framed with the so-called "Sfinx of Bucegi", a natural rock formation which, when viewed from a certain angle, looks like a human head. Photographs of this view of the "Sfinx" (which would re-occur in other episodes of the "The National Epic") were ubiquitous in Romanian media (and especially school text books), and thus instantly recognisable by the intended audience. Another example is the helmet worn by Decebalus in the final battle. This is a replica of the Helmet of Cotofenesti, shown erroneously with a flat top. The original helmet was ceremonial (not worn in battle), may not even have been Dacian, preceded Decebalus by about 500 years, and had a rounded or conical top; but a reconstruction with a wrong top was, again, ubiquitous in Romanian text books.

(Note for the history buff: Don't waste your time looking for the "falx dacica" in action in this movie -- it is most notable by its absence.)

"Dacii" was an instant success in Romania, where it remains to this day among the most popular native movies. But abroad, where its nationalist appeal was lost (as in France, where it was released in a slightly modified form as "Les Guerriers") it sank like a stone. It was never released in the US.

A bit of trivia: The massive sets and thousands of extras (courtesy of the Romanian Army) were re-used by Robert Siodmak in his last film, "Kampf um Rom". Nicolaescu, "Dacii"'s director, served as one of Siodmak's 2nd unit directors.

surprising is a strange word for define it.but it is the reasonable one. because, it is part of a political context and it has the art to escape from it. because it gives a clear and almost touching picture of life style, laws and roots of a lost word with admirable historical accuracy. because it has the right actors and the performance of Amza Pellea is real admirable. a film about a clash, between an empire and a kingdom . and the levels of a civilization who escapes from idyllic formulas. "Dacii" remains surprising because it crashes the expectations. it is not exactly a propaganda tool and it is not a demonstration of party vision. maybe, it could be perceived as a good history lesson. in fact, a film about a land and his people.

Great effort is put into this movie They even bothered to make like a 4 second flaming ballista barrage and the ridiculous amount of rods that the emperor's lictors would carry

this movie also includes some great cultural situations

a legion is condemned to decimation and a strange pagan ritual follows into a wild party and more

I recommend it especially anyone fond of ancient histories

If you're looking for an Italian sword and sandals (peplum) ,you must move on; "Dacii " ,which takes place between 101 and 106 ,during the reigns of Domitian (Roma) and Decebale (Dacii) is devoid of cardboard characters ; the spectacular scenes are few and far between (and the very last pictures ,perhaps inspired by underrated Mankiewicz' s "Cleopatra" , are simply great .)

Coproduction with France explains the presence of three actors who seem particularly unexpected in this context :Georges Marchal and lovely Marie-José Nat were well known by the French audience whereas Pierre Brice was an icon in Germany,although a Britton.

The characters are detailed ,there's no cardboard characters , not the obligatory love story between the Dacci girl and the young Roman;instead, the viewer has a depiction of these "barbars"' civilization : they believed in immortality. They sent messages to their god supreme Zamolxis and Decebale's son's fate packs a real wallop : his sister has her moment of doubts though and does not rejoice with her people .

The kind of message he sent to the invaders denotes a certain sense of symbolism .The Roman emperor ,Donatian , does not appears in a flattering light :he was liked by the people and the army but the senate was almost powerless under his reign (they hint at it in the movie, quite rightly so). Hence his reputation for being a tyrant , which the modern historians deny; a brief scene hints at decimation,which is very rare in the average epic .

And a wonderful use of the lanscapes,particularly in Marie-José Nat's scenes.

Great movie, Well done, and it is to see how good Pierre Brice can play. Wow!

The film 'Burebista' was better. It had more story, more soul. All I can remember of the 'Dacii' film was the monumental numbers of the shown army and the LOVELY views from the Carpathians, WOW indeed but still couldn't make 'Dacii' a blockbuster cuz the story's too short and the film too.

Yes, it's a scandal that this sword and sandal Romanian production is not more widely known. There is Pierre Brice and George Marchal together as Roman Legion officers. It is a so huge budget film, involving thousands and thousands of extras, splendid, breath taking, jaw dropping landscapes, an awesome photography for this sixties period and especially for a Romanian movie. I am astonished by this rare gem, never released in France in DVD, and for which the last showing was in some movie theaters, back in 1967. Oh yes, maybe it was aired on Canal + channel in 1991, in Cinema De Quartier program, some kind of program which proposed old rare European sword and sandal, adventure, crime flicks. Besides this, it was purely invisible.