HEARTS AND ARMOUR

Italy, 1983, 101 minutes, Colour.
Leigh McCloskey?, Tanya Roberts.
Directed by Giacomo Battiati.

Hearts and Armour is an Italian contribution to the sword and sorcery trend of the early '80s, spaghetti-sword and sorcery! The director had made many commercials and this is evident in the excellent compositions, editing and pacing and action sequences. The film is superb to look at.

On the other hand, the content is predictable and (especially with dubbing) very basic, even comic strip material. There is also fashionable excess in sex and violence. The film, then, is a mixture of entertainment as well as pathos.

1. The popularity of the sword and sorcery trend? The background of Star Wars, new heroes, the popularity of animated comic strips? The significance of the trend in its time?

2. The contribution of this film to the trend? The trend of pageantry and spectacle? The Italian treatment - getting the conventions and exploiting them? The acting style? Quality of dialogue and dubbing? The score and its atmosphere?

3. The title and the signalling of issues?

4. The prologue and the background of wizardry, fate and destiny? Magic?

5. The background of Moors and Christians? Stances in favour of each? The Christian hero? The Moor hero? Heroines? The battles in Christendom? Audience knowledge of the Middle Ages?

6. The pageantry of the countryside? Colour photography? Locations? Compositions? An environment for sword and sorcery stories?

7. The presentation of the Christians: the knights and their armour, helmets, symbols? Decor? The comradeship? The battles? Attitudes towards the Moors?

8. The comparisons with the Moors and their costumes, decor, camps? Attitudes towards the Christians?

9. The background of chivalry: fights, duels, battles? Brutality? Violence and death?

10. Brademante and the brigands and their attacking her? The violence and ugliness of the attack? The knight to the rescue and his destroying the brigands? Brademante and her becoming a knight? Her relationship with Ruggero? Moors and Christians? The fights? The breaking of fate?

11. The captives, the escapes, the duels?

12. Ruggero and his place amongst the Moors? The encounter with Brademante? Capture? Love? Return?

13. Angelica and her love for Orlando?

14. The Birdman and his eccentricity, help, his betrayal and attack?

15. The comic magician? His presence, tricks, help?

16. The mercenaries and the knights, Rinaldo and his valour, death?

17. The vigils, the climactic battles, duels? The breaking of fate?

18. The happy ending? A mixture of accomplished technical cinema - with rudimentary content?