THE FIRST ARMAGEDDON.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 March 1917, Page 6

THE FIRST ARMAGEDDON.

STORY OF CABIRIA. This is not the first world war. There ■was another away back in the beginning of history—in the third century before Christ. Tlie world was then hounded by the Mediterranean Sea, and two great Powers strove for its mastery while all the rest supported one or the other. Carthage, rich, mighty, armed with all the resources of science and wizardry, equipped with a mighty army, a great war chief, and the will-to-power determined to sweep Rome from the headship of the world and the overlordship of the sea. The famous 'Punic wars followed, which ended in the complete overthrow and destruction of Carthage, the ancient counterpart of modern Germany, and the triumph of Rome, which then stood where Great Britain stands now. It is not a little curious that while events in Europe were bringing about a second clash of rival empires, a second itruggle for the headship of the world, there should have been in preparation in Italy a- mammoth picture play depicting in all its grandeur and all its horrors that first mighty struggle which took place 300 years before the dawn of Christianity. It is fitting, too, that whih this 20th century war of extermination is in progress there should be shown shown throughout the world the completed •picture of that '2300-year-old Armageddon which overwhelmed Carthage and its people, with their mighty fleets, their splendid temples, their terrible idols, their art, their genius and their civilisation, so that their name became a memory and their country a desolation. All this is shown in the glorious film "Cabiria." Its- name is taken from the heroine of the play, a beautiful gin who marches through the heart of these tremendous happenings. Hannihall, the greatest of the early war lords, conquered the invincible Alps as Napoleon was to do later on, invaded Italy als William 11. has invaded Belgium and France, ravaged and slew and tortured as William 11. has done, and after tasting all the delights of triumph fell hefore the unquenchable spirit of Rome and the genius of Scinio, tho military genius, whom the occasion produced for her. Up to the present the two greatest films screened in New Zealand have been "Quo Vadis?" and "Cleopatra." Great things were accomplished in these, but they pale into insignificance beside the achievements of the cinema people in "Cabiria." Rome, Paris, New York, London have declared it the greatest picture play ever produced. It represents the summit of the einematographer's art. Reality and the trick effects which the cinematograph makes possible have been blended in the most masterly fashion. An enthralling story is presented amid scenes of awful wonder and dazzling magnificence.

An army of artists was occupied for months in its rehearsal and production. Hannibal's passage of the Alps with the Carthagenian army was pictured on the Alps themselves. Hannibal lost thousands of men. The cinema army had 48 artists injured in the i aslc of reproducing his mighty achievement, and this is only one of the incidents in the play. Another incident of the first magnitude—this film teems with extraordinary situations —is the destruction of the Roman fleet by Achimedes. This was a fact alleged to have been accomplished by means of gigantic burning glasses. To reproduce it a huge trireme was built for the Itala Company. It was a replica of the huge naval Dreadnoughts of the Punic wars. The small models Were made and photographed. The big trireme was destroyed by fire and cinematographed, enlarged films of the small models being superimposed so that an accurate effect was gained of the whole fleet burning.

Melocii was the .-li'Si god of the Carthagenians. He was a huge, monstrous idol into whose flaming breast childrcv were passed in sacrifice. The temple of Moloch at Carthage was one of tho wonders of that wondcrfjl city. To reproduce it and the thrilling scenes which are enacted in it the Itala Company built a huge stucco temple in their grounds, and. these 700 actors and actresses trained and reh'earsed for months and finally produced the .scenes presented on the film. The priests of Moloch had to have long hair. It was found that wigs were not sufficiently convincing, and that part of the picture had to be postponed for many weeks while the actors allowed their hair to grow so that it would flow over their shoulders.

Whenever possible the scenes of the play were actually acted and photographed in the very places where they were supposed to have occurred. The thrill ins siege of CUra was so carried out, and so strenuous and realistic was the storming of the heights that 20 actors had to ha taken to the hospital suffering from various injuries. The scenario was prepared by Gahriele d'Annunzio, the famous Italian author. He also supervised and superintended the whole of the cinematographic work. Xo expense and no effort were spared to make it the greatest film ever produced. All sorts of attempts were made to photograph 'Mount Etna in order to reproduce the flaming island with lifelike acuracy. Thousands of feet of film were exposed and destroyed. In the end the magic of the cinema man triumphed, and with the aid of superimposition a perfect picture was obtained. Perhaps the most startling figure in 'he 1 film is that of Maciate, the giant ive. He plays an important part, and, .1/ with every other character, the actor had to fill the part in every way. Italywas ransacked without discovering a man who was powerful and huge enough to play the part. At last there was found working on the docks at Genoa an enormous man named F-rnesto Pagani. A veritable giant, he was' the ideal man for the part, but lie knew nothing about acting. He had to be taught and trainoil and schooled, and then it took CO rehearsals before that perfection of action which Gabr.'ele d'Annunzio demanded was obtained.

It took a !on« time to prepare tlu film. The greatest secrecy, was observed. Even the actors themselves were not allowed to know what was in progress. They were given wrong parts and misled in everj possible way to prevent piracy of the ideas which "were being worked out. The whole production was completed in April of last year and screened first of all in Turin, Milan and Kobe. Its success has been instantaneous everywhere. It is to be produced at the Empire Theatre next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.