The Story:
In the blood-soaked year of 568 A.D., ruthless Longobard barbarians led by the ferocious King Alboino (Bruce Cabot) sweep through Northern Italy, sacking the peaceful village of Barona and mercilessly slaying its inhabitants, including the father of the mighty woodcutter Emiliano (Steve Reeves). Returning to the smoldering ruins, Emiliano vows eternal vengeance and transforms into a shadowy avenger, donning a fearsome lion-skin mask to launch guerrilla strikes from the ancient forests, striking terror into the invaders’ hearts as they whisper of a supernatural giant they dub “Goliath.”
As his one-man war rages, Emiliano rescues the fiery Landa (Chelo Alonso), daughter of a barbarian general, and against all odds, a passionate love ignites between them amid the chaos. But fate turns cruel when Emiliano is captured in his unmasked civilian guise, suspected of being the elusive Goliath; to prove his innocence, he endures harrowing “tests of truth”—first resisting the pull of a dozen men toward a bed of razor-sharp spikes, then defying the savage strain of two mighty horses tearing him asunder—surviving by sheer Herculean strength and unyielding will.
Freed but facing treachery from the villainous General Igor (Livio Lorenzon), who unleashes a brutal massacre to reclaim a stolen sacred crown and is revealed as the murderer of Emiliano’s father, the rebel leader rallies the survivors for a thunderous final uprising. In an epic clash of steel and fury, Goliath slays his nemesis, routs the barbarian hordes, and claims victory and peace with his beloved Landa in a tale of raw power, forbidden romance, and triumphant justice that will grip your soul!
