Hannibal

Hannibal (247 – between 183 and 181 BC), fully Hannibal Barca, was a Punic Carthaginian military commander, generally considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. His father Hamilcar Barca was the leading Carthaginian commander during the First Punic War. His younger brothers were Mago and Hasdrubal, and he was brother-in-law to Hasdrubal the Fair.

Hannibal lived during a period of great tension in the Mediterranean, when the Roman Republic established its supremacy over other great powers such as Carthage and the Hellenistic kingdoms of Macedon, Syracuse, and the Seleucid Empire. One of his most famous achievements was at the outbreak of the Second Punic War, when he marched an army which included elephants from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into Italy. In his first few years in Italy, he won three dramatic victories—Trebia, Trasimene, and Cannae, in which he distinguished himself for his ability to determine his and his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and to play the battle to his strengths and the enemy's weaknesses—and won over many allies of Rome. Hannibal occupied much of Italy for 15 years, but a Roman counter-invasion of North Africa forced him to return to Carthage, where he was decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at the Battle of Zama. Scipio had studied Hannibal's tactics and brilliantly devised some of his own, and finally defeated Rome's nemesis at Zama, having previously driven Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal out of the Iberian Peninsula.

Hannibal (1959 film)

Hannibal (known as Annibale in its native Italy) is a 1959 historical film based on the life of Hannibal, starring Victor Mature in the title role.

Plot

The film begins with the Roman Senate hearing about Hannibal (Victor Mature) crossing the Alps with his men and many elephants. The crossing is difficult, with many men dying en route, but they manage to pass through, in part because Hannibal forms an allegiance with a local chieftain.

Hannibal's troops capture Sylvia, daughter of Roman senator Fabius Maximus, and she and Hannibal fall in love. Some of Hannibal's troops oppose the match and an unsuccessful attempt is made on Sylvia's life. Hannibal also loses an eye during battle.

Despite the warnings of Fabius who suggests avoiding battle and waging a campaign of exhaustion, the decision is made to fight Hannibal out in the open. The consequence is a massive Roman defeat. Battle of Cannae.

Fabius is recalled to lead the Roman Army and the momentum of Hannibal's campaign begins to wane. His wife and child arrive from Carthage. Sylvia returns to Rome and commits suicide. A postscript informs us that Hannibal fought on for many more years in other lands.

Hannibal (film)

Hannibal is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It is the sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs in which Anthony Hopkins returns to his role as the iconic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. Julianne Moore co-stars, in the role first held by Jodie Foster, as the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Clarice Starling.

The film had a difficult and occasionally troubling pre-production history. When the source material was published in 1999, The Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme, screenwriter Ted Tally, and actress Jodie Foster all declined to be involved in its film adaptation. Ridley Scott became attached as director after the success of his film Gladiator (2000), and eventually signed onto the project after reading the script pitched by Dino DeLaurentiis, who produced Manhunter (1986), based on the 1981 Harris novel Red Dragon. After the departure of star Jodie Foster and screenwriter Ted Tally, Julianne Moore took on Foster's role while David Mamet and Steven Zaillian wrote the screenplay.

The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical's book together. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.

The musical opened in London's West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical. It is the longest running show in Broadway history by a wide margin, and celebrated its 10,000th Broadway performance on 11 February 2012, the first production ever to do so. It is the second longest-running West End musical, after Les Misérables, and the third longest-running West End show overall, after The Mousetrap.