Barberousse, l'empereur de la mort

It's a shame. The story has potential. Good ol' fashioned right vs wrong. The film looks pretty good: rousing battle scenes, nice costumes, and good looking actors (Rutger Hauer actually makes a striking Emperor Federick I Barbarossa), but the story meanders. I suspect a bit tighter direction could have saved this film. As is, I never developed any strong sympathies for any of the protagonists. In fact, one's sympathies run as much for Frederick as they do the Milanese supposedly fighting for freedom from the empire (repleat with a recurring Braveheart-esquire cry of 'freedom'). I didn't give it a lower rating because at least the film left me thinking about it enough to want to look it up and write a review (and that is significant). Seeing a film like this always makes one wish to see the results from a more seasoned director.

A credible epic that concerns the German warlord Barbarossa and his extended empire (that reached deep into Europe). A fab acting performance by Raz Degan but not such a great script. Ultimately these type of movies live or die in the battle scenes and these are not the most exciting or memorable.

Rousing movie based on historical events , including impressive battles , intense drama , love stories and noisy action . It deals with German Emperor Barbarossa who wants to return the Holy Roman Empire , following his ascendant , the great emperor Charlomagno. Federico I Barbarossa , Rutger Hauer , of the dynastic Hohenstaufen (1122-1190) married a very young Queen called Beatriz , Cecile Cassel . Federico I of Suabia will stop at nothing to conquest , and defeat his enemies and to build his powerful empire . However, a young man from Milán called Alberto de Giussano : Raz Degan, along with his troops of 1000 men known as the Company of Death , is prepared to challenge to the emperor . Battlefields run Red with warriors' blood .

Breathtaking and overlong miniseries dealing with historical happenings , about a merciless war between Emperor Federico I and the bustly city of Milan. It delivers acceptable interpretations from Rutger Hauer as the cruel emperor , Cecile Cassel as his wife Beatrice , Raz Degan as Alberto da Giussano , Angela Molinas as a rare clairvoyant and F. Murray Abraham, the Oscarized Salieri, as traitor Barozzi , the latter gives overacting , as usual . The picture contains spectacular scenarios , being shot on several locations from Bucharest , Hunedoara, Transylvania , Alba Lula , Romania .Being sponsored by Italian Cultural Ministry and partially financed by the Northern league or Lega Nord , a political party presided by Umberto Bossi that wants the Italy separation between North and South. Having as main symbol the famous rebel warrior Alberto de Giussano. The motion picture was professionally directed by Renzo Martínelli, though it has some flaws , gaps and failures. Martinelly subsequently made another epical, historical film in similar style : "Day of siege, September Eleven 1683", about the Vienna siege by the Ottoman Empire, also starred by F. Murray Abraham.

Based on facts , these are the following ones : Emperor Federico I carried out 6 campaigns in Italy . In the first Federico battles Armando Brescia rebellion in exchange for being appointed Emperor by Pope Adriano IV. In second one Federico battles Milán , he supported anti-Pope Victor V , against Pope Alexandro III . In third campaign combats Italian cities headed by Verona. In fourth campaign (1166-1168) Imperial army was vanquished by the Lombard league supported by Pope Alexandro III. In fifth campaign (1174-1178) Federico was again defeated in battle Legnano . Later on , Federico I headed third Crusade (1189-1193), accompanied by known kings as Felipe August II of France and Richard LionHeart of England . Federico I embarks in Ratisbona , after crossing Balkans and arrives in Asia Minor . There he defeated the Muslims in batalle Iconio (1190). A bit later on , he died drowned in River Salef , Asia Minor. Federico I was succeeded by his son and heir Henry IV , being crowned in Italy , he married a daughter of the Normand King of the two Sicily kingdom.

The only reason I didn't give this a "1" was because some of the cinematography was decent. However, even the best cinematography can't save a film from truly bad acting, a horrible script, poor directing and sloppy editing.

The only good acting I saw in this movie came from F. Murray Abraham. All the rest were... well, not even good amateurs. They seemed to have no training or experience in acting at all. Their characters were entirely unbelievable.

I'm not the least bit surprised to see that this flick lost money. Someone should do us all a favor and lose all the prints, copies, DVDs, etc. Don't waste any portion of your life on this movie -- find something, anything else to 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.