Toryok

He asks them to locate the story in Central Europa in the early Middle Ages.And what he gets ...is not far from what the "scriptwriters " produced here.

A voice- over begins a little "cultural" presentation:"in those ancient times,no one was spared:old men,women,children,blah,blah,blah,all was violence,crimes and rapes ,blah ,blah,blah,they were all barbarians....

Toryok (Edmund Purdom,"the Egyptian" ,who later got lost in Italian turkeys) ,is a brave king whose wife was raped and killed by the wicked Kovo (both look the part).When his enemy comes back,he leads his village in a war (in spite of his brother's and his sweet wife's disapproval.)

The story was so poor and so thin that the director had to fill the time with boring dances and endless fights and battles.

Rossana Podesta ("la red" and Wise's "Helen of Troy") is Kovo's fiancée but she will fall in love with...(guess!)

The film begins in 568 AD with the cruel barbarian named Kovo (Livio Lorenzon) , he rapes and kills the Toryok's wife . Then Kovo flees to Rome . Toryok (Edmund Purdom ) is the leader of the Barbarians and bent on revenge against Kovo . Two years later , Kovo goes back , he's accompanied by Leonora (Rossana Podesta) , a fugitive from Verona . Meanwhile , Toryok attempts to unite the Barbarian tribes under only one leadership , it causes confrontation against brutal Kovo . Besides Kovo is supported by an army of fierce Longobardos . He aspires the kingdom of Barbarians facing off Toryok who is seeking vengeance.

This is a below average Sword and sandals movie with low budget and little entertainment . The scenarios have lack luster and poor , with no palaces , neither luxurious outdoors . The only scenery is a wooden fort and sad tents . However , being plenty of battles and fights , decently choreographed by Andrea Fantasia , also actor and master of arms along with his brother Franco Fantasia , both of them worked in most Peplum . In addition , there appears the dancing choreography , usual in Peplum genre . The film hasn't historic reference , only appearance of Longobardos who were commanded by Alboino and actually conquered a part North Italy . Average casting with Edmund Purdom , he's habitual at Hollywood colossal : ¨The prodigal¨ , ¨The Egyptian¨ , as well as Italian epics : ¨Salambo¨ , ¨Nefertiti¨ , ¨Herodes the Great¨ . Gorgeous Rossana Podesta is specially known for ¨Elaine of Troy¨ by Robert Wise and the customary Peplum , the bald Livio Lorenzon , Daniele Vargas , Luciano Marin and an unrecognizable Raffaela Carra at seventeen years old . The motion picture is badly directed by Guido Malatesta . He's a writer and director of various Sword and Sandals movies , sometimes credited as James Read , such as, ¨Colossus and the headhunter¨ , ¨Fire over Rome¨ , ¨Colossus the Stone age¨ and ¨Revolt of the Barbarians¨.