Crusaders 1 - Entire Series ( Crociati ) ( Die Kreuzritter )

Crusaders 1 - Complete Series (Blu-Ray) (*)

~~$29.99~~ $23.97

Original Title: Crociati
Alternate Title: Die Kreuzritter
Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
German ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )

Product Origin/Format:
Germany ( Blu-Ray/Region B )

Running Time:
189 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2001 and produced in:
Germany ( Germany, Central Europe )
Italy ( Italy, Greece )

Directed By:
Dominique Othenin-Girard

Written By:
Andrea Porporati

Actors:
Alessandro Gassman ..... Peter
Johannes Brandrup ..... Richard
Thure Riefenstein ..... Andrew
Barbora Bobulova ..... Rachel
Karin Proia ..... Maria
Antonino Iuorio ..... Massoud
Uwe Ochsenknecht ..... Corrado
Thomas Heinze ..... Prince Roland
Flavio Insinna ..... Bartolomew
Dieter Kirchlechner ..... Baron William
Rodolfo Corsato ..... Bastiano
Franco Nero ..... Ibnazul
Armin Mueller-Stahl ..... Alessio
Elizabeta Djorevska
Dubravko Jovanovic
Renzo Stacchi
Milos Timotijevic ..... Johann
Slobodan Ninkovic ..... Olaf Gunnarson
Slobodan Custic
Nebojsa Milovanovic
Bojan Zirovic

Synopsis:

Towards the end of the 11th century, three friends - bell founder Peter (Alessandro Gassman), baron's son Richard (Johannes Brandrup) and shepherd Andrew (Thure Riefenstein) - set off to join The Crusades, after watching soldiers returning from Jerusalem. Startled by the violence employed in liberating Jerusalem from the infidels, the friends split up after a gruesome attack on a monastery. A dense, compelling plot with twists both expected and surprising ensues, including the introduction of a Jewess, Rachel (Barbora Bobulova), whose love complicates the friends' strained relationship.

Towards the end of the eleventh century, Pope Urban II announces a crusade against the Saracens, who have occupied the holy city of Jerusalem. Three young friends Richard, Peter and Andrew set off to join the crusading army. The three friends come from very different backgrounds: Andrew is a shepherd; Peter is a poor bell founder, and the illegitimate son of a Christian woman and a Saracen man; and Richard is the deeply religious son of Baron William of Aurocastro, who was murdered by his rival brother Corrado. The violent methods used by the crusaders soon cause the three friends to fall out with each other, and after a bloody attack on a Jewish monastery, they go their separate ways: Andrew remains with the crusaders, while Peter and Richard accompany the attractive Jewess Rachel whose teacher, a rabbi, was killed in the raid to Jerusalem. Andrew is very reluctant to see Rachel go, having like Peter fallen in love with her at first sight. In Jerusalem the situation is very tense: the Saracen governor is having the Christians expelled from the city, out of fear of crusader spies. Peter, Richard and Rachel manage to trick their way into the city, but shortly afterwards Richard is arrested. When the crusaders, with Andrew at their head, arrive at the gates of Jerusalem, the former friends now face each other as enemies because to save Richard, Peter has joined the side of the Saracens. The city cannot withstand the onslaught of the crusaders and their fierce fighting spirit, and soon falls into Christian hands. Peter prepares an escape route for himself and Richard. Rachel has decided to stay with Andrew, however, who has also confessed his love to her. Peter and Richard return to their homeland. Richard, already seriously ill, dies on arrival. Peter marries his childhood sweetheart Maria and works as a bell founder again. Years later he meets Rachel and Andrew again. Andrew is now the feudal baron of Aurocastro. He has built an enormous cathedral and wants Peter to make the bells for it....

Predating Ridley Scott's maligned Kingdom of Heaven by a good four years, the 2001 Italian miniseries 'Crociati' (Crusaders) is an epic that unfolds in roughly the same time period as Scott's sweeping, malnourished tale. It's fascinating to watch the films in succession (the back cover of the Crusaders DVD even ends its advertising verbiage with the line 'Prepare for the ultimate race for the Kingdom of Heaven' - if that's not a blatant tie-in, I don't know what is); Crusaders is expansive, splitting its focus between two main characters and making an intimate epic, whereas Kingdom of Heaven has a tendency to feel rushed, startlingly violent and meandering.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 06 June, 2010.

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