Told in flashback as Prince Mieszko I lies feverish in his bed just before the Battle of Cedynia, Gniazdo recounts how the revered leader extended Poland’s borders, formed an alliance with Emperor Otto I, and ultimately strengthened his country’s autonomy by achieving victory during that crucial battle in the year 972.
Category: Epic
Four arduous years in the making, Ardak Amirkulov’s 1990 historical epic about the intrigue and turmoil preceding Genghis Khan’s systematic destruction of the lost East Asian civilization of Otrar is a one-of-a-kind experience. Amirkulov’s film, shot in sepia-toned black-and-white, is at once hallucinatory, visually resplendent, and ferociously energetic, packed with eye-catching (and gouging) detail and B-movie fervor, and traversing an endless variety of parched, epic landscapes and ornate palaces.
This expansive Greek drama follows a troupe of theater actors as they perform around their country during World War II. While the production that they put on is entitled “Golfo the Shepherdess,” the thespians end up echoing scenes from classic Greek tales in their own lives, as Elektra plots revenge on her mother for the death of her father, and seeks help from her brother, Orestes, a young anti-fascist rebel.
Adaptation of the poem about the gaucho Martín Fierro by Argentine writer José Hernández. When Martín Fierro returns to the family ranch, he finds it abandoned. He then remembers his peaceful life until he was forcibly recruited to serve in the border army, from which he ended up deserting. A voice-over recites Hernández’s verses, recounts the confrontations with the Indians and denounces the social injustices and authoritarianism that prevail with the most humble.
From 1769 to 1821, Napoléon Bonaparte’s life, loves and exceptional destiny but as seen through the eyes of Talleyrand, the cynic and ironic politician, who once was the Emperor of France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In this sword-and-sandal saga set on the steppes of Asia, Rik Battaglia plays Roland, leader of the Paladin troops, who must proves his mettle against the dreaded Saracen invaders, and withstand their evil plots, which primarily consist of sending gorgeous women into their camp to entice and distract them.
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The story, based on an ancient legend, concerns Hagbard, the son of a slain Norse king. Seeking revenge against the rival clan responsible for the killing, Hagbard calms down long enough to establish a truce. He also falls in love with Signe, daughter of his onetime enemy. Signe’s former beau, sizzling with jealousy, breaks the truce and makes it appear that Hagbard was responsible. The young prince escapes, but returns disguised as a woman to his beloved Signe.