It’s difficult to fathom that the beguiling cinematic wonder, Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes, is actually Gabriel Azorín’s debut feature. This haunting, beautifully filmed (by DP Giuseppe Truppi) gem is singular in style, epic in ambition, and brimming with enigmatic atmosphere and deceptive energy.
The film does require some patience and should be seen on a big screen since there are marvels to behold in the landscape and the manner in which it’s photographed.
Set in the Roman baths of Bande, Spain, near the Portuguese border, the initial narrative centers on a handful of Portuguese boys who cross the border to visit the mystical ruins of a thermal complex built by Roman soldiers in the first century A.D. We first see them traipsing through the muddy swamps, then a large field, as they discuss the internet war games they’ve been playing as if they were actually fighting battles. Thus begins Azorín’s blurring of timelines, stories and characters.
When they arrive at the baths, two of the guys, António (Santiago Mateus) and his mentor Jota (António Gouveia), are chatting and António begins to really open up, revealing his intense admiration of Jota, but also his disappointment with Jota’s not pursuing his dreams. It’s a strangely truthful talk between young men–one who always looked up to the other, only to be let down by the other’s ultimate lack of ambition.
Then, things shift and two different males are in the baths, Aurelius (Oussama Asfaraah) and Pompey (Pavel Čemerikić). At least, you think they’re different young men but because of the deliberate way the film is shot, I was initially uncertain. They are wearing toga-like outfits and speaking Latin, maybe, and as they talk about war and being estranged from their families, most likely forever, it becomes clearer we have gone back in time about 2000 years. Aurelius confesses his issues with Pompey and how he feels he’s changed. The conversation strikes a remarkably similar chord as the previous contemporary one.
There’s a striking transcendent nature to the time-machine narrative, this notion that history constantly repeats and that men are always at some kind of war. And there is great emphasis on the camaraderie that keeps these men alive.
Back in ancient Greek and Roman times, according to many historians, it was quite common for men at war to have sex with one another. It was also common for boys to become the lovers of their male mentors. And there is a definite and palpable homoerotic vibe happening in many of these scenes–percolating with obvious sensuality and desire. But the main focus is on the deep emotional love these men and boys have for one another. The connection between men who adore and hero worship other men is something that is rarely explored with this kind of raw and exposed intensity and boldness. And the shots of the young men populating the stunning landscape are absolutely tantalizing to behold.
Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes is, ultimately, a lyrical cinematic poem, startling and alluring in its visual style, teeming with attractive young men, longing for meaning…and for one another.
Interesting to note there is a new documentary by Lefteris Charitos titled Army of Lovers – The Sacred Band of Ancient Greece, that dives into the stories of the elite Greek army composed of 150 pairs of male lovers.
Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes is part of the Currents Slate at the 63rd New York Film Festival.
For tickets and/or more info visit HERE.
