Lysistrata's Battle

This specific scene has several interesting aspects. First, it gives us an idea of the staging. It is clearly rather precarious and stereotyped, replete with Greek friezes and a wardrobe that betrays the fashion code of the 50’s, when the film was shot. This style - remindful of third-class circus - may seem at first to be mere negligence. However Chistian-Jacque’s fame, seen as France’s Cecil B. de Mille due to his super productions, leads us to think that this circus-like appearance is on purpose and, perhaps, not inappropriate. A rigidly accurate director could, for example, have used only male actors, evoking situations which must have been curious in Lysistrata’s staging: men walking around, speaking and dressing like comic women. Scenes such as Lampito’s and "diallage" seem to indicate the farcical tone of the staging in the very space of the Greek comedy. 

Any attempt at a faithful representation of the Athens’ environment would have been very risky. Thus, it is safer to assume a parody tone and apply other elements that are sure to make the public laugh and, at the same time, realize the political irony of the director. About the latter, I would single out two interesting examples: the first one, at the assembly, Nicephore, one of Athens’ demagogues (a character that does not exist in the play) advocates the need to keep on waging a war against Sparta. At the end of the speech he says in a pompous tone: "We cannot betray la République", in an allusion to the French political regime, and looks at an important politician, the owner of an arms factory who supports constant wars. Another ironic example is seen at the end of the film, when Calias, although satisfied with the peace obtained, asks Lysistrata what a general such as himself is to do now that the war has ended, and she says: "Mon chéri, do as all other generals: go into politics."

Another element that draws our attention is Calias’ presence. In a previous scene, he had been seen in the assembly, praised as the most important Greek general. Here, on the other hand, he and his men are defeated by a group of women, armed with fruit, vegetables and a rope, which is used by Lysistrata’s aids to tie the General to the bars of Pallas Athena’s temple. The fact that Lysistrata’s husband appears in the film could be a way of making the "heroine warrior" a more acceptable character for modern audiences, used as they are to the romantic couples typically found in mainstream cinema. In the play, Lysistrata indicates she is married (l. 11-12) but her husband is never shown and she is seen by the other characters in a manly manner (the Spartan delegate calls her Lysistratos (l. 1105). As Taaffe noted (Aristophanes and Women, 1993: 71), Lysistrata is no ordinary woman, but and amalgamation of Athena and Aphrodite, "not necessarily a wife". In this sense, the film follows the play, to a certain extent: Lysistrata stands out amongst the women due to her wisdom, sharpness, and because she does not succumb to her desire. On the other hand, Lysistrata is also married and takes part in the seduction games. Both the play and the film have scenes of women arousing their husbands but denying them their favors.  But only the film shows Calias seduced by Lysistrata - he calls her "Lili"- for three times. These scenes are very important showing Lysistrata in her anti-war discourse and criticizing the conditions of women in Athens. 

At the same time that she is portrayed as the leader of the rebellious group, Lysistrata is also married to a handsome general. Thus the film manages to balance passion and reason, rebelliousness and female charm, and beautiful Martine Carol’s performance helps create this character (by the way, Martine Carol and Christian-Jacques were married at that time). There are no references to women from different regions in the film, as is the case of Aristophanes’ comments on the women from Boetia (87-9), Corinth (91-2) and Sparta (83-4). Quite the opposite, the emphasis here is on how similar all women are, chiefly by showing the close relationship between Lysistrata and Chloe (from Sparta). In the sequence when the women are complaining about the difficulty of maintaining the strike, willing to stop it, one scene should be highlighted: the moment they are about to give up, despite Lysistrata’s passionate discourse (setting her apart from the other women, as in the play), a Spartan carrier pigeon sent by Chloe arrives and confirms that the Spartan women had adhered to the movement. The pigeon’s name is Pericles, and Lysistrata concludes that not only did Pericles make peace with Sparta but it also "got married" there, as several pigeons arrive after the first one, stressing the idea of family and marriage preservation. In a happy tone she shouts "long live the peace", "long live the birds", reminding us other Aristophanes’ plays.

Let’s see another bit of the film, in which Lysistrata breaks in the assembly and makes a discourse.