Franco Nero leads 10,000 extras in a nationalist epic nobody asked for but Hungary definitely needed.
Filmed in commemoration of Hungary's 1100th anniversary and on the sites of the actual events, a cast of thousands authentically recreates the 896 AD arrival of the Magyar chief Arpad (Nero) and his seven tribes into the Carpathian basin from the steppes.
Practical Effects
Actual 10,000-person battles filmed on location.
Production
Commemorative budget clearly visible in every frame.
Costume
Historically obsessive steppe warrior authenticity.
Director
Gábor Koltay
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 10,000 extras included actual Hungarian military personnel performing precise cavalry formations.
Released for Hungary's millennial celebrations, the film served explicit nation-building purpose—critic Ferenc Grósz called it 'a thousand years of waiting for this?'
HU
