The Colossus of Rhodes

Set on the Greek island of Rhodes in ancient times, the film follows Darios, an Athenian military officer who arrives for a holiday and is drawn into a conspiracy against the island's oppressive ruler. Two separate factions are working to bring the king down: local patriots and agents from Phoenicia with their own agenda. Darios becomes entangled with both, and his involvement is complicated by Diala, a woman whose loyalties are not what they appear. At the center of it all stands the enormous statue of the Colossus, newly raised over the harbor, which the conspirators intend to turn to their advantage.

The Colossus of Rhodes is Sergio Leone's first credited feature as director, arriving three years before A Fistful of Dollars began the cycle of westerns that made his name. Rory Calhoun plays Darios, with Lea Massari as Diala, Georges Marchal as the rebel Peliocles, and Conrado San Martín, Ángel Aranda and Mabel Karr among the supporting cast. Leone wrote the screenplay with Luciano Martino and Ennio De Concini, and the production was mounted across Italy, Spain and France with backing that included Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 5.8 from roughly 4,800 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.9 from about 224 votes, placing it among the more modestly received entries in Leone's filmography.