Sword of War (2009) Barbarossa (original title)

Director:

Renzo Martinelli

Writers:

Renzo Martinelli (story) &
Giorgio Schottler (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 October 2009 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Plot:

German Emperor Barbarossa will stop at nothing to conquer and build his empire. But a young man from Milan, along with his army of 900 men known as the Company of Death, is prepared to challenge the Emperor. |

Plot Keywords:

Empire | Army | Helmet | Sword | Long Sword

Cast

Rutger Hauer	...	Federico Barbarossa
Raz Degan	...	Alberto da Giussano
F. Murray Abraham	...	Siniscalco Barozzi
Christo Jivkov	...	Gherardo Negro
Antonio Cupo	...	Alberto dell'Orto
Cécile Cassel	...	Beatrice di Borgogna
Kasia Smutniak	...	Eleonora
Ángela Molina	...	Ildegarda di Binden (as Angela Molina)
Elena Bouryka	...	Antonia
Hristo Shopov	...	Rinaldo di Dassel
Federica Martinelli	...	Tessa
Maurizio Tabani	...	Giovanni da Giussano
Riccardo Cicogna	...	Wibaldo
Gian Marco Tavani	...	Lorenzo della Pigna
Robert Baer	...	Alberto as a Child (as Robert Alexander Baer)
Zoltan Butuc	...	Otto da Giussano
Karl Baker	...	Reinero da Giussano
Vlad Radescu	...	Mastro Guitelmo
Marius Chivu	...	Guidone
Adrian Stefan	...	Ottone
Francesca Ruiz	...	Eugenie
Alin Olteanu	...	Enrico il Leone
Stefan Velniciuc	...	Evandro
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vasile Albinet
Dicu Aurel	...	German officer with scar
Umberto Bossi	...	Bit part
Serban Celea	...	Dignitary
Thomas Davis	...	Lorenzo della Pigna as a child
Michele Russo
Claudiu Trandafir	...	Judge
Monica Vallero	...	Popolana
Roxanna Ravenor	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Renzo Martinelli

Writing credits
Renzo Martinelli		(story) &
Giorgio Schottler		(story)
Renzo Martinelli		(screenplay) &
Giorgio Schottler		(screenplay) &
Anna Samueli		(screenplay)

Produced by
Renzo Martinelli	....	producer
Vlad Paunescu	....	co-producer
Riccardo Pintus	....	line producer

Original Music by
Aldo De Scalzi
Pivio

Cinematography by
Fabio Cianchetti

Film Editing by
Osvaldo Bargero

Casting by
Luca Confortini

Production Design by
Rossella Guarna

Art Direction by
Ioana Corciova
Doina Repanovici

Set Decoration by
Andreea Popa

Costume Design by
Massimo Cantini Parrini

Makeup Department
Cristina Adam	....	assistant makeup artist
Alexandra Barladeanu	....	assistant hair designer
Corina Caldararu	....	assistant makeup artist
Nicoleta Cimpeanu	....	makeup artist trainee
Gabi Cretan	....	key makeup artist
Elisabeta Dancescu	....	hair stylist
Doina Popa	....	hair stylist
Maurizio Trani	....	makeup designer
Elena Tudor	....	assistant hair stylist
Clara Tudose	....	hair stylist
Angelo Vannella	....	hair designer

Production Management
Franco Casellato	....	post-production supervisor
Davide Lamberti	....	production manager
Marian Pascale	....	production manager
Cornelia Stefan	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ana Maria Bulata	....	third assistant director
Eleonora Martinelli	....	second assistant director
Maria Nita	....	second assistant director
Carlo Paramidani	....	first assistant director
Ovidiu Paunescu	....	first assistant director: Romania
Jacopo Tabanelli	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Crina Cartos	....	construction coordinator
Iosif Curelea	....	swing gang
Gheorghe Dragu	....	swing gang
Constantin Dumitru	....	swing gang
Vasile Ispas	....	swing gang
Cristian Mihaila	....	art department buyer
Stefan Mirea	....	property assistant
Vasile Moraru	....	swing gang
Cornel Nastase	....	property assistant
Decebal Nisipeanu	....	draftsman
Catalin Panait	....	swing gang
Cristian Popescu	....	draftsman
Geaniloni Sandru	....	scenic painter
Eusebiu Sirbu	....	scenic artist
Mihai Stanciu	....	painter
Liviu Stanciulescu	....	draftsman
Marius Stanescu	....	property master
Marian Stefan	....	swing gang
Dan Toma	....	property assistant
Florin Toma	....	stand-by props
Simona Ursu	....	art department coordinator
Laurentiu Zarnoianu	....	leadman

Sound Department
Paolo Amici	....	sound designer
Jean McGrath	....	adr recordist
Radu Nicolae	....	sound mixer
Doru Popescu	....	boom operator
Daniele Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
David Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Fabrizio Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Dave Tinsley	....	adr director
Dave Tinsley	....	dialogue editor
Dave Tinsley	....	supervising sound editor
Francesco Tumminello	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Lucian Iordache	....	special effects supervisor
Viorel Militaru	....	special effects technician
Florin Stoian	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Matteo Bacci	....	digital effects artist
Andrea Baracca	....	digital color timing
Fabio Barretta	....	matte paintings
Marcello Buffa	....	visual effects
Massimo Cipollina	....	visual effects
Paolo Consorti	....	visual effects
Marco Geracitano	....	digital compositor: Visualogie
Cristiano Graziani	....	digital compositor
Giuseppe Improta	....	visual effects artist
Giulia Infurna	....	compositing supervisor: Canecane
Fabio Luongo	....	senior compositor
Stefano Marinoni	....	visual effects supervisor
Petricone Matteo	....	digital artist
Roberto Mattiucci	....	graphics
Federica Nisi	....	visual effects coordinator
Luca Gabriele Rossetti	....	digital compositor
Alessandro Salomone	....	titles designer
Giuseppe Squillaci	....	visual effects
Paola Trisoglio	....	visual effects supervisor
Pasquale Vitiello	....	digital effects artist
Francesco Gasparotto	....	visual effects digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Vasile Albinet	....	stunt performer
Dicu Aurel	....	assistant horse master
Aurel Boata	....	stunts
Gabi Burlacu	....	stunts
Florian Ciprian	....	stunt performer
Viscreanu Constantin	....	stunts
Nestianu Dan	....	stunts
Mihai Danciu	....	stunts
Cincan Daniel	....	stunt performer
Cincan Daniel	....	stunts
Mihai Diaconu	....	stunts
Doru Dumitrescu	....	stunt performer
Calin Ferezan	....	stunt performer
Vlad Iacob	....	stunts
Mihai Iliescu	....	stunts
Mihai Ionita	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Duma Iulian	....	stunts
Catalin Mancafa	....	stunts
Silviu Mihai	....	assistant horse master
Daniel Pasleaga	....	stunt performer
Marin Petrica	....	stunt performer
Rasvan Puiu	....	stunt coordinator
Zabargenco Sabin	....	stunts
Florin Stancu	....	stunts
Denis Stefan	....	stunt performer
Oancea Stefan	....	stunts
Nicolae Stoica	....	stunts
Valeriu Tomescu	....	stunts
Maria-Antoaneta Tudor	....	stunts
Vasilescu Valentin	....	horse master
Andrei Vintileanu	....	stunts
Daniel Visan	....	stunts
Dorin Zaharia	....	stunt performer
Dorin Zaharia	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Cos Aelenei	....	still photographer
Alessio Bastianelli	....	focus puller
Laurentiu Bogatu	....	electrician
Andrea Chisesi	....	still photographer
Daniel Ciobanu	....	electrician
Vlad Cioplea	....	camera loader
Calin Constantin	....	gaffer
Stan Constantin	....	second assistant camera
Marian Ene	....	key grip
Pietro Fabbri	....	key grip
Leonardo Fanone	....	electrician
Michele Nassuato	....	first assistant camera
Doru Perneac	....	best boy
Marian Pisan	....	best boy grip
Marian Pisau	....	grip
Zina Razvan	....	second assistant: second camera
Bálint Seress	....	underwater camera operator
Romulus Stancescu	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Floriela Grapini	....	casting: Romania
Laura Grosu	....	extras casting
Anna Marchisio	....	assistant casting director
Liliana Toma	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ioana Albaiu	....	wardrobe supervisor
Elena Dodita	....	wardrobe assistant
Carmen Ilie	....	set costumer
Carmen Moldovan	....	assistant costume designer
Tiziana Recopero	....	assistant costume designer
Ioana Reti	....	wardrobe supervisor
Amelia Tataru	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Paolo Buzzetti	....	first assistant editor

Transportation Department
Vali Georgescu	....	transportation coordinator
Ursescu Gheorghe	....	driver

Other crew
Oana Babes	....	horse department assistant
George Croitoru	....	production assistant
Monica Dorlea	....	production accountant
Nicoletta Fusè	....	production coordinator
Zoltan Horkai	....	head animal trainer
Peter Ivanyi	....	head animal trainer
Mariana Lina	....	script supervisor
Claudia Marcu	....	production assistant
Alessandro Marelli	....	sword master
Mihai Mitrea	....	location manager
Amalia Morar	....	production coordinator
Irina Raducanu	....	extras coordinator
Mihai Reti	....	rescue diver
Salvatore Ricciardi	....	conform supervisor
Federico Rossi di Marignano	....	historical research
Marco Ruggieri	....	finishing
Ioana Teodorescu	....	caterer
Dave Tinsley	....	adr director
Vasilescu Valentin	....	horse master
Alexandru Zamfir	....	extras coordinator
Cristian Plesh	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Martinelli Film Company International
• Rai Fiction (participation)
• Na-Comm (participation)
• Rai Cinema (in collaboration with)
• Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (MiBAC) (support)

Distributors

• 01 Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD)
• Lightning Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (all media)
• Magyar Televízió (2011) (Hungary) (TV)
• Pinnacle Films (2011) (Australia) (DVD) (As "Sword of War")
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Teleview International (2009) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)

Other Companies

• Canecane  visual effects
• Central Casting Romania  extras casting
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes by

Also Known As:

"Barbarossa" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

139 min | Italy:200 min (2 parts) (TV version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:T | Australia:MA (2011) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Alba Iulia, Romania

Company:

Martinelli Film Company International

Well worth watching

Let me first say that I watched this film with no preconceptions about it whatsoever - what I knew was that it was about emperor Friederich I, "Barbarossa" ("some German king from the dark ages, wasn't he?"). So, I watched this as a very entertaining view into a sadly forgotten part of history, this fight over the lands how they had become when the Roman Empire was crumbling leaving a massive power vacuum and the German tribes had begun to finally become united.

The film depicted this fight over the desolated areas in northern Italy as far as I can tell very well, showing both the reasoning of Emperor Barbarossa and his queen Beatrix (who appears to have been his personal cheer-leader) and the opposing side, the Company of Death, a loosely formed army from the Italian city states. This opposing side bears a strong resemblance to both the historical American Revolution from which it seemed like they loaned half of the freedom slogans, as well as from Braveheart, which probably provided the other half. Don't get me wrong, I like freedom, but one can only do so much with it, and the cries for freedom became a little silly at times - especially since it appeared to me that they only went to war because they didn't like to be taxed by a German emperor...

Speaking of which: The film is called Barbarossa, but most of the film and the very evident sympathies, lies with Barbarossa's enemies. This is not a biography film, but it would have earned even better marks if it would have been.

So, how was it then? It was grand in scope, ranging in at several years and the SFX - especially the 'Bagdhad by Night - medieval style' sequences were great. However, using such large time frames makes one loose sight on events and details, which is a shame.

Rutger Hauer makes an excellent, if somewhat downplayed Barbarossa, and the rest of the cast make solid performances - no one mentioned, no one forgotten.

It will take a couple of hours to sit thorough this film, but those are hours well spent.