Robert Siodmak's Der Kampf um Rom (Fight for Rome) was a mammoth, two-part epic depicting the Goths' sacking of Rome in 526 AD. No expense was spared in bringing this story to the screen: for example, Siodmak utilized six companies of Rumanian cavalry for the battle sequences. Released either sequentially in Europe, the two parts of Der Kampf um Rom were distributed as a single entry in the United States. This 92-minute abridgement, released variously as
The Last Roman and Fight for Rome stars
Laurence Harvey as Celhegus,
Orson Welles as Justinian and
Sylva Koscina as Theodora. The film carefully lays a groundwork of corruption and infighting, suggesting that the siege of Rome was virtually justified. Screenwriter Ladislas Fodor (a former government agent best known for his espionage yarns) adapted his script from the best-selling novel by Felix Dahn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide