Summary
A young soldier, Lieutenant Drogo, is assigned to a remote desert fortress, which is manned
by a small army against the possibility of an invasion from Tartar nomads.
There hasn’t been an attack for decades, and Drogo soon grows bored of the tedium of waiting
for action which never comes...
Review
This is the last film from the great (and sadly underrated) Italian film director Valerio
Zurlini. It is also one of his better films, presenting a starkly vivid portrayal
of one man’s experiences as a soldier living under extreme pressures.
The film’s main selling point is the quality of the photography. The pictures of
the vast desert expanse contrast with the strangely claustrophobic feel of the fortress.
The film’s use of colour is captivating, imbuing the film with a dreamscape quality which
enables us to get beneath the skin of its central character, the unfortunate Lieutenant
Drogo. We do not just see the man’s disintegration - which is pretty moving in its
own right - but we understand what is causing it.
The film’s length is a little off-putting, particularly when most of the film is concerned
with the endless waiting game the soldiers have to endure. Although, for the most
part, this sense of ennui is conveyed with some beautiful and melancholic photography
of the countryside, the film does occasionally resort to irritating padding, such as protracted
and repetitive introductions. Familiar faces such as Trintingant and Noiret offer
some light relief in some impressive but minor character roles, but it left to the lesser
known actor, Jacques Perrin, to carry the film in his role as Drogo. This he achieves
with some degree of success, but he probably lacks presence for such a pivotal role and
he is never entirely convincing.
Although the film has its shortcomings, it is a visually impressive and moving piece of
Franco-Italian cinema, somewhat over-long, yet ultimately satisfying.
© James Travers 1999
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