Apparently Hannibal, the 3rd century BC Carthaginian general, who caused so much trouble for the Romans during the Second Carthaginian War, is finally getting his cinematic piece of the classics-movie pie. Based on the novel Hannibal by Ross Leckie, the movie is scheduled for release sometime in 2008.
After rumors of a Denzel Washington-ian Hannibal, the film will star and be directed by…Vin Diesel who, according to imdb, is “scouting locations and working out a script in Greek, Latin and Punic “. Hmmm.
Until then, enjoy this review of a 1955 movie about Hannibal with Elephants! Esther Wiliams! Singing! and Swimming!
Apparently at one point…
Miss Williams, cast rashly as the fiancée of Emperor Fabius Maximus of Rome, peels off her stola and tunic after a long hot day in town and goes swimming in the pool of her villa, which is fancier than any pool in Hollywood.
It has beautiful powder-blue water, into which daylight filters limpidly, and on the bottom are ranged several pieces of chalk-white statuary—mostly of men. As Miss Williams, in a dusty-rose shimmy, swims lightly hither and yon, these statues become animated and join her in a submarine ballet.
Every now and then, champagne-colored bubbles spout upwards from the depths of the pool, and two little chalk-white cherubs suddenly paddle by with roses in their ears.