Theodora, Slave Empress (1954)

Teodora, a Roman courtesan and former slave girl, marries the Roman emperor Justinian and assumes the throne as Empress of Rome. But the divide between nobility and slave is too great. Teodora seeks justice for her people, and revolution and armed conflict erupt in both Byzantium and Rome.

The director of this movie Riccardo Freda, made films of all sort, even fantasy-horror films and this for a lapse of time of 40 years. Maciste al l'inferno (1962) among others is still worth seeing. This movie is full of beautiful women, of course Teodora (a magnificent Gianna Maria Canale) and the treacherous Faidia (Irene Papas!). The general Belisario, (Nerio Bernardi) a complice of Teodora, who wants to save the empire, is also worth to be mentioned. The emperor Justinian (Georges Marchal) acts like a fool but sometimes Teodora has also good ideas he must admit. We have a look at the justice of that time, presided by Justinian and in the politics of the blue and the green factions. After all an entertaining movie and not at least for the splendid costumes.