Barbarossa | |
---|---|
Directed by | Renzo Martinelli |
Produced by | Renzo Martinelli Vlad Păunescu Riccardo Pintus |
Screenplay by | Renzo Martinelli Giorgio Schottler Anna Samueli |
Story by | Renzo Martinelli Giorgio Schottler |
Starring |
Rutger Hauer Raz Degan F. Murray Abraham Hristo Zhivkov |
Music by | Pivio and Aldo De Scalzi |
Cinematography | Fabio Cianchetti |
Edited by | Osvaldo Bargero |
Production
company |
Martinelli Film Company International
|
Distributed by | 01 Distribuzione |
Release date
|
|
Running time
|
139 minutes |
Country | Italy |
Language | English |
Budget | €9,000,000 |
Box office | €835,469 |
Barbarossa is a 2009 film set primarily in northern Italy during the late 12th century. Despite the film's title, Friedrich "Barbarossa" features only as a supporting character in this film, which is primarily concerned with the struggle of the Lombard League, which struggled to maintain independence from the Holy Roman Empire, led by the legendary Guelph warrior Alberto da Giussano.
This film was co-written and directed by Renzo Martinelli. It has been released on DVD in the United States under the title Sword of War, and elsewhere under the title Barbarossa: Siege Lord.
"Italy. 12th century AD. Northern Italy is ruled over by a German Emperor: Frederick I Hohenstaufen, known as 'Barbarossa'. His dream is to conquer also Central and Southern Italy, thus reviving the ancient empire founded by Charlemagne. But in the North a young man from Milan has formed an army of 900 young men from different cities: the 'Company of Death'. This young man's name is Alberto Giussano. His dream is to defeat the Emperor and to regain freedom for the Northern lands."
The Emperor Barbarossa is out hunting when he is attacked by a wild boar, but is saved by a young boy. He stands up to thank the boy, but the boy tells the strange man, who he has just saved, to stop where he is. Barbarossa tells the boy to not fear him, that he is not a wild boar to be killed. Rather, he is the boy's Emperor, Frederick Hohenstaufen, better known as Barbarossa. With this the boy introduces himself as Alberto da Giussano, son of Giovanni; the grateful emperor gives Alberto his imperial dagger inscribed with his name.
A few years later, in the German city of Würzburg, Barbarossa is going to see Hildegard von Bingen, the great seër. He plans to marry for the second time. The seër says that the wedding is blessed. Then she says Frederick of Swabia's name will be remembered for centuries, but to beware of water for it will bring his death.
At the wedding, Henry, Duke of Saxony, is marrying a young French girl.
The story cuts to Milan where Evandro calls over to the now grown Alberto and tells him to get onto his cart because they must reach the river before dawn. They reach the river and start to load their goods onto a boat there. Lodigiani soldiers arrive and say the merchants crossed through their territory in the night and now they must pay their dues. Evandro pulls a knife and slits the throat of the soldier next to him then Alberto and his companions slay the other soldiers but Alberto is in the fighting. His horse brings him back home where two beautiful women, the blonde Tessa and her brunette sister, sister Eleonora. The brunette kisses Alberto's face while he is still unconscious.