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Maciste, or Machiste (pronounced ma-CHEES-tay) is one of the oldest recurring characters in cinema. He cuts a heroic figure throughout the history of the cinema of Italy, even if the movies that feature him are unlikely to win many awards.
The origin of the name is a bit of a mystery. There was no Maciste in Greek mythology or history. The word machiste, however, means "macho man" or "male chauvinist" in French.
Maciste made his debut in the 1914 Italian silent movie classic Cabiria. To compare with another character who has been portrayed in many films, Maciste first appeared on the screen in the same year that Tarzan made his début in print. There have been at least 52 movies in which Maciste appears.
The silent film was a story about a slave who was involved in the rescue of a Roman princess from an evil Carthaginian king who plotted to sacrifice her to the cruel god Moloch. The film was based very loosely on Salammbo, a historical novelA historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events or, more generally, where the time the action takes place in predates the time of the first publication. It is a genre popularized in the 19th century by artists classified as by Gustave FlaubertGustave Flaubert ( December 12, 1821 Croisset, May 8, 1880) is counted among the greatest Western novelists. He was born in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, in the Haute-Normandie Region of France. Note: the French pronunciation of his name is roughly goo-STAHVE fl, and had a plot and screnplay by Gabriele d'Annunzio.
Maciste's debut pretty much set the tone for his later adventures. Typical plots involve tyrannical rulers who practice vile magicalMagic (also called magick to distinguish it from stage magic) is a supposed way of influencing the world through supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means. This article provides an overview of specific magical traditions and practices. It also discusses rituals or worship evil godThis article focuses on the concept of singular, monotheistic God . See deity, gods, or goddesses for details on divine entities in specific religions and mythologies. God is a term referring to the supreme being generally believed to be ruler or creators. Typically, the young lady who is the love interest runs afoul of the evil ruler. Maciste is a super-strong guy who must rescue her. There is often a rightful king out there somewhere who wants to overthrow the evil usurper. There is an obligatory hooch dancingBelly dance is a Western name coined for a style of female dance developed in the Middle East and other Arabic-influenced areas. In Arabic language it is known as raqs sharqi or raks sharki translated as "Dance of the East". For Europeans, this translatio scene. There is often an evil queen who has carnal designs on the hero.
These films, then, could be set in settings from MongoliaAlternative meaning: Mongolia (region Mongolia ( Khalkha Mongolian: is a landlocked country in Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China to the south. After the conquest of China by the Mongol Empire, much of Mongolia was ru to PeruFor other uses, see Peru (disambiguation The Republic of Per ( Spanish: Per Quechua, Aymara: Piruw is a country in western South America, bordering with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the east, south-east and south, Chil, from Egypt to the Roman Empire. His life story, or his origin in ancient Carthage, did not prevent him from appearing in any setting from classical antiquity or modern times.