IL MESTIERE DELL'ARMI (THE PROFESSION OF ARMS)

Italy, 2001, 105 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Ermanno Olmi.

The Career of Arms is the work of veteran Ermanno Olmi, who made significant features in Italy in the '60s and early '70s, received acclaim at Cannes and worldwide for his epic, The Tree of Wooden Clogs, and then at Venice ten years later for The Legend of the Holy Drinker. Since the early '90s he has made fewer films, one of which was a version of Genesis (ultra-literal in its presentation of Creation as well of as Noah and the deluge).

This film is really a history lesson: the presentation of six days in a battle between the pope's army and German invaders on behalf of Charles V. The film focuses on Giovanni de Medici, the leader of the pope's troops. He wants to harass the invaders - but he is ambushed and he himself wounded with cannon fire. He becomes ill, his leg has to be amputated (filmed with some detail) and ultimately he dies. It is the collapse of the papal defence of the Italian peninsula and Charles V went on, in 1527, to sack Rome.

Filmed in Bulgaria, on the banks of the Danube, the film is a historical spectacle. The scenes of warfare, the scenes of pageantry are all very impressive. So also is the screenplay, based on documents of the period and spoken with historical solemnity.

However, this part of European history seems remote to most people, these aspects of 16th century warfare (even with the introduction of cannons and further firearms - and the film makes a stand against these) mean that the film is of very limited interest despite the reputation of its director and the skill with which it has been made.