The movie is set during Thirty years war -1618 to 1648- epoch , finished with ¨Westfalia treatise¨. There had too much fights , destruction, hunger, deceases , the struggles between Catholics and Protestants were bloody and cruel , being dead thousands people .

The picture deals with a peaceable, hidden valley that has remained untouched by the war , there arrives some warriors who impose the terror at a pristine village : murders, rape , rampage, etc.

The good guys are Omar Sharif , Florinda Bolkan , Arthur O'Connell, while the bad and villain guys are Michael Caine , Michael Gothard, Brian Blessed , among others , everybody give awesome performances.

Colorful and appropriate cinematography by John Wilcox, Hammer's usual and it was shown in Cinerama venues, was the last film to use the Todd-AO system for principle photography . John Barry musical score is evocative and breathtaking . Intelligent writing based on a novel by Pick and magnificent direction by James Clavell (¨To Sir , with love¨ and ¨Where's Jack¨), also producer , however being an unfortunate flop.

Rating : Above average 7'5 .Well worth watching.