The Last Valley
Encyclopedia
The Last Valley is a 1970
historical drama film directed by James Clavell
. Set during the Thirty Years War, it stars Michael Caine
as the leader of a band of mercenaries, and Omar Sharif
as a teacher fleeing from the violence endemic to Germany during this period. They manage to find one valley, untouched by war, in which to live in peace for a time.
The Last Valley is the last feature film photographed in the Todd-AO
70 mm
widescreen process until Baraka
, 21 years later.
The Captain and his small band are not far behind. Trapped in the valley, Vogel convinces The Captain to preserve it and the village it shelters for their own benefit as the outside world faces famine and devastation. "Live", Vogel tells The Captain, "while the army dies." The Captain decides that his men will indeed rest here for the winter. He forces the locals to submit, especially their headman Gruber (Nigel Davenport
). The local Catholic
priest (Per Oscarsson
) is livid that the mercenaries include a number of Protestants (and nihilistic atheists for that matter), but there is little he can do to sway The Captain. The mercenaries are of one mind after The Captain kills a dissenting member of his band, and religious and ethnic divisions are irrelevant.
At first, the locals accept their fate. Vogel agrees to act as intermediary, using his cunning to settle disputes. As long as food, shelter, and a small number of women are provided, the mercenaries leave the locals alone. A man exiled from the group manages to lead a rival mercenary band to the valley, before the winter sets in and closes the valley to all outsiders. He and his band are destroyed and the valley goes into hibernation. But as winter fades, it becomes obvious that the soldiers will have to leave. The Captain learns of a major military campaign in the Upper Rhineland
and decides to leave the valley in order to participate militarily. Soon after his departure his female romantic interest is caught engaging in witchcraft and is burned at the stake.
The Captain and his men engage in a major siege operation
. One by one, most of his men are killed as their side rushes the fortified gate of Rheinfelden
. The Captain survives long enough to return to the valley, but soon dies from his wounds. Vogel is left to ponder the madness enveloping the world.
, Austria
(Trins
and Gschnitz
and the Gschnitztal Valley). It was based on the novel
by J.B. Pick.
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
historical drama film directed by James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
. Set during the Thirty Years War, it stars Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
as the leader of a band of mercenaries, and Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
as a teacher fleeing from the violence endemic to Germany during this period. They manage to find one valley, untouched by war, in which to live in peace for a time.
The Last Valley is the last feature film photographed in the Todd-AO
Todd-AO
Todd-AO is a post-production company founded in 1953, providing sound-related services to the motion picture and television industries. The company operates three facilities in the Los Angeles area.-History:...
70 mm
70 mm film
70mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge, with higher resolution than standard 35mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is wide. For projection, the original 65mm film is printed on film. The additional 5mm are for magnetic strips holding four of the six tracks of sound...
widescreen process until Baraka
Baraka (film)
Baraka is a 1992 non-narrative film directed by Ron Fricke. The title Baraka is a word that means blessing in a multitude of languages....
, 21 years later.
Plot
"The Captain" (Michael Caine) leads a band of ruthless mercenaries who fight for the highest bidder regardless of religion. His men pillage the countryside, raping and looting when not engaged in actual military operations. Vogel (Omar Sharif) is a former teacher who is merely trying to survive the overall slaughter taking place throughout south-central Germany. He runs from The Captain's forces and eventually stumbles upon an idyllic mountain vale, seemingly untouched by war.The Captain and his small band are not far behind. Trapped in the valley, Vogel convinces The Captain to preserve it and the village it shelters for their own benefit as the outside world faces famine and devastation. "Live", Vogel tells The Captain, "while the army dies." The Captain decides that his men will indeed rest here for the winter. He forces the locals to submit, especially their headman Gruber (Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport is an English stage, television and film actor.- Early life :Davenport was born Arthur Nigel Davenport, however he goes by the first name of Nigel. Davenport was born in Shelford, Cambridgeshire, the son of Katherine Lucy and Arthur Henry Davenport. Davenport's father was a bursar...
). The local Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest (Per Oscarsson
Per Oscarsson
- External links :...
) is livid that the mercenaries include a number of Protestants (and nihilistic atheists for that matter), but there is little he can do to sway The Captain. The mercenaries are of one mind after The Captain kills a dissenting member of his band, and religious and ethnic divisions are irrelevant.
At first, the locals accept their fate. Vogel agrees to act as intermediary, using his cunning to settle disputes. As long as food, shelter, and a small number of women are provided, the mercenaries leave the locals alone. A man exiled from the group manages to lead a rival mercenary band to the valley, before the winter sets in and closes the valley to all outsiders. He and his band are destroyed and the valley goes into hibernation. But as winter fades, it becomes obvious that the soldiers will have to leave. The Captain learns of a major military campaign in the Upper Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
and decides to leave the valley in order to participate militarily. Soon after his departure his female romantic interest is caught engaging in witchcraft and is burned at the stake.
The Captain and his men engage in a major siege operation
Battle of Rheinfelden
The Battle of Rheinfelden was a military event in the course of the Thirty Years' War, consisting in fact of two battles fought in 1638 to the north and south of the present-day town of Rheinfelden, between a mercenary army led by Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and an Holy Roman Empire army led by Johann...
. One by one, most of his men are killed as their side rushes the fortified gate of Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden, Germany
Rheinfelden is a town in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, across from Rheinfelden, Switzerland, and 15 km east of Basel...
. The Captain survives long enough to return to the valley, but soon dies from his wounds. Vogel is left to ponder the madness enveloping the world.
Production
The film was mostly shot in TyrolTyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(Trins
Trins
Trins is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 20.30 km south of Innsbruck at the Gschnitz brook. The village was mentioned as “Trunnes” for the first time in 1030. Formerly a part of the village Gschnitz Trins became an own municipality in 1811. It has 1270...
and Gschnitz
Gschnitz
Gschnitz is a municipality with 415 inhabitants in the southern part of the District Innsbruck-Land and is located 25 km south of Innsbruck at an elevation of 1242 m.-Setting:...
and the Gschnitztal Valley). It was based on the novel
The Last Valley (novel)
The Last Valley is a 1959 historical novel by English author J. B. Pick. Set in southern Germany during the Thirty Years' War, the story centers on two individuals- a ruthless mercenary leader weary of war and a hapless intellectual fleeing destruction and starvation- as they each discover a...
by J.B. Pick.