Last Valleyby Anonymous

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May 04, 2004: James Clavell's adaptation of a story concerning the Thirty Years War presents a unique setting for a movie; showing how religious fanaticism with political ruthlessness brings out the worst in people. The Thirty Years War is by far one of the bleakest conflicts to have touched Europe prior to the world wars of the 20th Century. The war brought utter misery and devastation across a vast stretch of Europe during the early 17th Century; mostly fought by mercenaries who had about as much religious ethos as their petty patron kings. The story follows the story of Vogel (Sharif), a scholar who flees the horrors of the war and comes upon a secluded and pristine valley untouched by the war and populated by Catholics. At the same time, a band of mercenaries led by their captain (Caine) fighting for the Protestants arrives seeking loot. The Captain soon realizes the valley's importance as a shelter from the oncoming winter. With the mercenaries out for blood his life at risk, Vogel acts as an intermediary and is soon appreciated by the captain. The pristine beauty and prosperity of the valley acts as a sharp contrast to the outside world wrought with pestilence and war. The mercenaries decide to an uneasy truce with the villagers to hold out for the oncoming winter. As the winter comes in, tempers boil and rivalries begin to flare placing the Captain and Vogel at odds with the mercenaries and the villagers. Great plot development but the casting of Sharif as a German scholar leaves much to be desired. Caine plays his role quite well as the Captain and even keeps up a good German accent. The script could have been a little more refined. The special effects and props were also rather poor and seemed more like something for the stage. Worth watching at least once.