The Last Valley

Rating:
Summary: ALL THIS --AND JOHN BARRY'S BEST SCORE TOO!
Review: An overlooked pic----gritty plot and great work by Caine and Sharif. But, the biggest reason to buy it: An early John Barry score that contains thematic material (main theme and the death of the captain) that for sheer, heart-wrenching beauty beats anything he did after that! If they ever CD the original soundtrack--get it! stay away from the music re-recorded by others!

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: Another little known sword and battle picture, gets the DVD makeover and will no doubt ride in on the shirt tails of new releases like Troy. Don't be put off however, this is a very good and polished piece of filmaking, which deals (quite graphically for the year of production) with the savage and often futile 30 years War that raged across 17th Century Europe. This is not a typical story though, and interestingly deals with an uncomfortable but workable peace pact between, Michael Caine as the warring Captain (and mercenary army) and Omar Sharif as a local peasant. As this wafer thin respite gradually succumbs to the vagaries of the marauding soldiers, the story kicks up a notch with some good action sequences and thought provoking scenarios. Caine is superb throughout, and is something of an island of drama amidst what would otherwise be a plodding script, despite the pedigree of writer James Clavell (of Shogun fame). Overall a good solid war style movies that is more than a little different. Enjoy

Rating:
Summary: Never Forgotten
Review: During the Vietnam War I was a draftee who opted for a 4-year enlistment in the Air Force. I ended-up on a microwave site at the Brenner Pass on the frontier between Italy and Austria in 1972, where we received a steady diet of "B" movies for our projector, among those that made the greatest impression was "The Last Valley".

I cannot overestimate its impact on this conscripted soldier in the middle of a senseless war, living on the actual frontier of the Thirty Years War! The scenery in the movie was scenery I could look down on from that mountaintop every day, the senselessness and futility of the Thirty Years War was all-too-familiar to those of us sucked-into the VietNam debacle as conscripts, my own ancestors and the the people I encountered in the streets of the Alpine villages were the very people portrayed facing the horrors of war and plague...

Though I am sure this is not a "5-Star" movie based on the criteria a Movie Critic would apply, I can tell you it is a powerful story, convincingly presented, that made a 5-star impact on one lonesome GI in the heart of Europe in 1972.

Maybe in a different time and place present-day viewers will find it less compelling, but I have never forgotten it over the 33 years since I first saw it!

Rating:
Summary: Both timeless & timely
Review: Given the current state of the world, this wonderful, neglected film is all too relevant. A thoughtful, penetrating depiction of the madness & horror that are unleashed by religious fanaticism & unrestrained greed, this story is all too sadly familiar. Self-righteousness, invincible ignorance, and blind ideology trump reason once again. If it commented on Vietnam at the time of its release, it comments with equal precision on the newest quagmire of Iraq & the fundamentalist mindset of every rigid stripe.

Both Caine & Sharif give superb performances, with Caine's cold but haunted Captain lingering in the memory. It's telling that even in the Eden of the valley, the serpent rears its head in the form of religious intolerance. When Sharif & his new love leave the valley, it's with the awareness that there is no truly safe place in a world governed by such madness. The struggle to create a sane world continues. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Omar Sharif
Review: Great movie. Well worth viewing. The theme reminds me of other movies and of course, reality. I was glad the priest got it, though it should have been before Erica. It's like all of mankind can never learn from its mistakes, we're only doomed to repeat them over and over, all in the name of a god.

Rating:
Summary: Last Valley is a Lost Gem
Review: I am glad to see that most of the reviews posted here are giving this film the credit it deserves. This film works on so many levels it is difficult to discuss them all. While the DVD recording isn't a restoration (which it should be), the film is still quite beautiful visually and musically (wonderful score by John Barry). The script is solid in its dealings with religious, political and military tensions. The historical setting is fabulous and quite under-utilized by Hollywood. DreamWorks needs to take a look at this time period and produce a "Saving Private Ryan" calibre film on the topic. Caine gives one of his best performances with a serious, icy cold skill, but still has you liking him as a character (in spite of himself). I have been casually looking for this film on VHS for 15 years. Boy was it worth the wait. Final word: a brutal, thoughtful, interesting and dreamy film. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I love this movie. It portrays so well the world of the Thirty Years War. It has excelent acting, an interesting plot and very nice music.

Rating:
Summary: This is a long lost treasure
Review: I saw this movie when it was first released in the early '70s and at that time I thought it was one of the best movies ever made. For some reason, though, it never made it. I got to see it one more time at the Temple film festival in 1976. Then a couple of years ago I called into a talk show, where the person who had run the festival was being interviewd, and he told me it was probably lost for all time. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I found it for sale at the video store. I watched this the other night with my family and it was everything I remembered it to be. It has wonderful character development; phenomenal acting; great cinematography; and a haunting soundtrack that stuck with me for the nearly 30 years between viewings. What more can I say, except buy it, and view it over and over.

Rating:
Summary: This is a long lost treasure
Review: I saw this movie when it was first released in the early '70s and at that time I thought it was one of the best movies ever made. For some reason, though, not only did it bomb, but in those pre-video days it fell into total obscurity. I got to see it one more time at a film festival in 1976. Then a couple of years ago I called into a talk show, where the person who had run the festival was being interviewed, and he told me it was probably lost for all time. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I found it for sale at the video store. I watched this the other night with my family, and it was everything I remembered it to be. It has wonderful character development; phenomenal acting; great cinematography; and a haunting soundtrack that stuck with me for the nearly 30 years between viewings. What more can I say, except buy it, and view it over and over.

Rating:
Summary: WHOA! (4.5 Stars)
Review: I was at the store and spied this unknown 1971 flick amongst the DVDs; it looked like my kind of movie, especially with Michael Caine and Omar Sharif, so I naturally wondered why I had never heard of it. I made a mental note to later check out some reviews on Amazon and IMDb. The across-the-board high ratings piqued my interest, so I decided to pick it up the next time I saw it.

First of all, the opening credits sequence blew me away! Many reviewers mention John Barry's magnificent score as a powerful highlight and they're right. The credits sequence innovatingly depicts the theme of the Thirty Years War -- members of essentially the same religion at eachother's throats.

THE STORY: During the horrible Thirty Years War in Europe (1618-1648) a band of mercenaries led by the merciless Michael Caine (the Captain) and a drifter attempting to flee the horrors of the war discover a hidden vale -- the last valley untouched by the war. The drifter talks the Captain into wintering in the peaceful valley rather than pillaging it and killing/raping the villagers. (This setup itself is a strong hint that this is no ordinary war flick).

WHAT WORKS: Parts of the film have a dreamy, surreal atmosphere, particularly the beginning and ending; this is reminiscent of the incomparable "Apocalypse Now." Michael Caine is outstanding as the Captain; he would perform a similar role in the underrated "The Eagle Has Landed" in 1977 (a stunning performance); the captain's answer to everything in the past was to simply kill, but now, in the valley, he has found peace and love. Omar Sharif also perfectly depicts the disillusioned drifter, his reaction to the horrors of war has always been to run, but in the valley he also finds peace and love, and even a family.

The depth and ultra-seriousness of the story, including the dialogue of the characters touching on issues of war, loss, God, religion, ignorance, superstitions, love, hope, loyalty, duty, etc. truly separate this pic from an ordinary adventure yarn.

It's also very interesting to observe how people lived in a regular hamlet 400 years ago in Europe. Back then it was not unusual for people to live their entire lives within 20 miles or so from where they were born. Such people would likely be under-educated, superstitious, innocent, ignorant and narrow-minded and the film realistically portrays this.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: There are quite a few parts of the film that aren't pulled off very well. Some of the dramatic stagings and dialogue come off awkward here and there; they simply don't ring true. These aspects of the film needed more fine-tuning and this explains why critics originally panned the movie and why it fell into obscurity for thirty years (a fitting curse for being the only movie to ever address the Thirty Years War, huh?).

FINAL ANALYSIS: Despite the obvious flaws the film gets a huge 'A' for effort in my book. The originality of the story and its inherent profundities, not to mention the fine cast, performances and surreal aspects, lift this film above a simple adventure yarn. It's enlightening, educational and thought-provoking. If you enjoy films like "Apocalypse Now" and "Runaway Train," films that boldly attempt to go far deeper than the run-of-the-mill action/adventure flick, then be sure to pick up "The Last Valley." You won't be disappointed.

THE DVD is strictly bare bones; there's not even a trailer. I didn't like the fact that I could hardly make out the credits, but the picture quality of the rest of the film is fine. I personally don't buy DVDs for extras, so I'm not disappointed.