Stationed in a remote corner of the North Kingdom lieutenant Drogo (Jacques Perrin) has been impatiently awaiting to face the threat everyone talks about- the Tartars. Day after day Drogo and his comrades are tormented by the idea that the isolated garrison, the last stronghold of the almighty North Kingdom, could fall victim to an enemy too skilled and too powerful to withstand. With the sun mercilessly beating down and an enemy which the soldiers are yet to see moral, honor, and patience will soon be tested.

Based on the novel by Dino Buzzati and directed by Valerio Zurlini The Desert of the Tartars (1976) is not a film of exceptional contrasts. On the contrary this multinational production (the film was co-produced by West Germany, Italy, France, and Iran) offers an impressive amount of subtle character exploration typical for European features from the late 70s. The structure of the film offers little, if at all, of the massive action scenes and elaborate set designs which Lucino Visconti's The Leopard (1963) for example boasts. As it quickly becomes evident after the opening scenes The Desert of the Tartars aims to recreate an environment where everything appears heavily influenced by an atmospheric camera work reminiscent to what I can only compare to as the late Stanley Kubrick and his intoxicating works. Indeed, The Desert of the Tartars is one unusually mature film with an abundance of surprisingly subtle overtones.

The strength of the cast which Zurlini's film offers, however, is what truly impresses here. Teaming up some of the icons of European cinema from the 70s and 80s such as Max von Sydow (The Emigrants), Giuliano Gemma (The Leopard), Fernando Rey (Mission in Morocco), Vittorio Gassman (Scent of a Woman) and Philippe Noiret (Cinema Paradiso) amongst others The Desert of the Tartars is truly a pleasure to behold. In addition, the spectacular and haunting music score by the timeless Ennio Morricone provides a finesse touch to this film which very few can rival.

One has to admit, however, that the unusual structure of this more than 2 ½ hour long film is something many will find difficult to endure. The lack of quick resolutions (the viewer certainly grows as impatient as the soldiers at the fort) and massive combat scenes will probably disappoint those looking for a more engaging adventure-drama set amidst the burning sands of the North Kingdom. Furthermore, that fact that most of the characters match Drogo's enigmatic presence makes it difficult to embrace the "main" protagonist as the only one worth siding with.

What truly elevates The Desert of the Tartars into an unusual cinematic experience is the mature touch of a director who has realized that in cinema at times showing less could actually be more! By sparing the viewer the opportunity to see the barbaric Tartars Zurlini achieves the uncanny and elusive feeling of fear which successfully transcends from the hearts of the soldiers occupying the fort to the minds of the viewers immersed in this exotic story.

Awards/Recognition:

For years aside from its native Italy The Desert of the Tartars was neglected by film distributors until a few years ago a small Italian company performed an excellent restoration work allowing those unfamiliar with Valerio Zurlini's work to truly enjoy his masterpiece. No Shame Film's presentation is the first and only uncut version of this film to emerge on the US market boasting the restored print mentioned above.
In 1977 The Desert of the Tartars won the prestigious David di Donatello Awards for Best Director (Valerio Zurlini) and Best Film as well as the Special Jury Award which went to Giuliano Gemma for his spectacular acting as Mattis. During the same year the film won the Silver Ribbon for Best Director granted by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's the film looks great. Deep colors, excellent degree of contras, and a print that certainly has aged well make this presentation a solid recommendation for those interested in owning Zurlini's film. What truly impressed me here however was the natural film grain which No Shame's print seems to have preserved in a spectacular way. The film certainly looks as good as it could and comparing this R1 release to the already existent Italian R2 version without a doubt makes No Shame's disc a winner. I am glad an utterly satisfied that the film has gotten the better treatment in the US.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with its original Italian Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack the Desert of the Tartars sounds great! The haunting score by Ennio Morricone comes off extremely well and it is quite an experience to view this film with restored audio and video (note: listen to the re-mastered CD supplied with this release which offers the entire soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, it is superb!!). The film comes with removable English subtitiles.

Extras:

-There is a very short introduction by the Director of Photography Luciano Tovoli which highlights the strengths of the film and cast.

-Ghosts of the Desert: Interview with the Director of Photography Luciano Tovoli: In this quite long interview Mr. Tovoli goes in great detail discussing the shooting process of The Desert of the Tartars. In addition, he reexamines different stages of his career as a cinematographer pointing out a notable collaboration with Dario Argento and his notorious Suspiria.

-The Most Important Role of my Life: Rare vintage interview with Giuliano Gemma: Shot entirely in Italian with English subtitles this interview reveals how Giuliano Gemma got involved with Zurlini's film. While interesting to listen the interview is very short (only about 6 min).

-Memories from the Fortress: Interview with Giuliano Gemma: Once again shot entirely in Italian with English subtitles in this short interview Giuliano Gemma recalls the time spent on the sets of the Desert of the Tartars. Indeed it must have been a spectacular experience as the old fortress where the film takes place is amongst one of the most breath-taking vistas one could imagine.

-Original Italian theatrical trailer (with English sibtitles)

-Poster and Still Galerry

-Collectable Booklet: Once again No Shame have provided what I now consider to be their marquee extra so to speak: an excellent and extremely well-put together booklet. Offering plenty of information about Dino Buzzati, Valerio Zurlini, Luciano Tovoli, and their work this collectable booklet alone is worth the highest recommendation DVDTALK allows.

Final Words:

Refined, sophisticated, an enormously well-scripted adaptation of Dino Buzzati's novel The Desert of the Tartars is a rare film experience which you should seek immediately. In addition, a great and truly impressive presentation by everyone's favorite No Shame grants this DVD the HIGHLY RECOMMENDED mark!!