Barbarossa

PRO: Good subject-matter, halfway-decent battle scenes. CON: Bad directing, worst acting , weird musical score, unintentionally comical in spots--In other words, a typical Italian movie. You know, I've watched hundreds of movies from all over the world and it's my opinion that the three countries that make the worst films are France, India and Italy. Barbarossa does nothing to change my mind.

First, while I only gave this film 5 stars, it really isn't bad. Apart from an instance where a horse made a sound I considered unlikely under the circumstances based on my experience with them, my beef is that this movie is so much less than what it could have been. It could have been an epic, but they missed the bar. It could also have made a good patriotic film such as the Russian film 1612, had they shifted the focus a little more on the Milanese and slightly less on Barbarossa, filmed it in Italian (It is an Italian film, after all.), and livened it up a tad. Bottom line, if you're a fan of this sort of movie as I am, watch it. It isn't that great, but I do not regret the time spent watching it. It just could have been better. If, on the other hand, you feel no attraction to films of this type, and are merely looking for a good movie to burn some time on, you might want to look elsewhere. Not to scare you off, though. Who knows, you might enjoy it. If you like this movie, try 1612. That is the movie I was most reminded of watching this one.

Italian movies about Italian history are the best! The cast of this movie was chosen from throughout Europe, from France to Russia, many of them actors and directors in their own name. Viewers who adore films where soldiers are drugged and immune to their actions, those are the viewers who will be shocked by how war was conducted only a few hundred years ago. No doubt they will interpret passionate emotions as over- acting. Killing another man requires a powerful will in men who wish for peace. Desiring freedom is a part of human nature in most cultures and gives meaning to life for men, women and children. This is a movie for rebels, who value life and liberty. The horrors of war on those who are on the receiving end of preemptive attacks are eloquently shown. Iraqi, Arabian, Greek, Turk, Spanish, Afghani, or in the Americas -change the nationality of the Milanese to any nationality and the pathos (suffering) of human beings is the same. The best version is in Italian, so for those who cannot understand Italian or find a version with English subtitles - the English dubbed version is the presentation of less quality; but well worth a watch.

This is about the campaigns to conquer Italy of German Emperor Frederick ,whom the Italians called Barbarossa because he had a red beard.Its obvious that a movie of this scope would need a Hollywood grade-A budget and basically everything grade-A.They didn't have it in this movie,they tried with second-grade actors like Rutger Hauer and a mediocre budget.Which means its not exactly cheap,some battle scenes are pretty decent but its also not exactly satisfying in size and scope of such events.If they had managed to bring to life such historical events,they would be worthy of academy awards.That said,its not bad as a mediocre medieval movie,but its just too small for the story it is undertaking.They could have limited themselves to a smaller part of the Barbarossa campaigns.Yet,for people who like medieval historical movies with battle scenes,its an OK effort.