Year 1100. Italy.The Northern lands are ruled by a German emperor: Fredrick aka "Barbarossa. His dream is to conquer also the lands in the Center and in the South so as to revive the Empire that was once of the one Charles Magno.But in the North a young man from Milan has formed an army of 900 young men coming from different cities: the "company of death". This young man's name is Alberto Da Giussano. His dream is to defeat the Emperor and to give back freedom to the Northern lands.
Acting
Rutger Hauer's gloriously menacing final major role.
Practical Effects
Chaotic battle scenes with 900 extras and questionable armor.
Production
Lombardy locations doing heavy lifting for 12th century aesthetics.
Director
Renzo Martinelli
Rutger Hauer
Federico Barbarossa
Raz Degan
Alberto da Giussano
Kasia Smutniak
Eleonora
Cécile Cassel
Beatrice di Borgogna
Ángela Molina
Ildegarda di Binden
F. Murray Abraham
Siniscalco Barozzi
Antonio Cupo
Alberto dell'Orto
Christo Jivkov
Gherardo Negro
Gian Marco Tavani
Lorenzo della Pigna
Hristo Shopov
Rinaldo di Dassel
Federica Martinelli
Tessa
Vlad Rădescu
Mastro Guitelmo
Elena Bouryka
Antonia
Maurizio Tabani
Giovanni da Giussano
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Alberto da Giussano is semi-legendary—historians aren't sure he actually existed, which makes this basically Italian King Arthur fanfiction.
Released for the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, this was basically state-sponsored nationalism with a sword budget.
IT
