The Tartars

Original title: I tartari

1961
Approved
1h 23m

IMDb RATING

4.6/10

520

YOUR RATING

Tartan and Viking forces clash in what is modern-day Russia.

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Action Adventure Drama

Tartan and Viking forces clash in what is modern-day Russia.Tartan and Viking forces clash in what is modern-day Russia.Tartan and Viking forces clash in what is modern-day Russia.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.6/10

520

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Trivia
According to Orson Welles's conversations with Peter Bogdanovich, as recounted in the book "This is Orson Welles", Victor Mature had his sandals built up by three inches to make him look taller.

Goofs
Vikings did not wear horned helmets.

Quotes
Burundai: Did you plan to desert me, Ciu Lang, eh? Where were you bound for? Did you dream of bearing your lying reports of me to the court of the great Khan? Did you dare to think I would let you return to the east?
Ciu Lang: You cannot stop me, Burundai, unless you kill me.
Burundai: Why should I spare you, then? You give me no choice. I, who stand on the threshold of glory... What does your little life mean to me?
Ciu Lang: Less than nothing. It means no more to me. We have no choice in the matter of death. It comes for us all, Burundai.
Burundai: You seem to desire your own.
Ciu Lang: No, I have have no desire. I follow the way.
Burundai: The way... Your way is mystic humbug. It leads nowhere. Mine is forward... into greatness.
Ciu Lang: Not forward, Burundai, but downward. Your way is all downward into the darkness. Wading in blood... drowning in blood.
Burundai: You presume upon my patience. Would you dare to speak thus before the great Khan? I do not think so. I do not think that you would stand and face him as you dare now to stand and face me.
[to Guards]
Burundai: Leave us.
[Brandishes axe]
Burundai: I will see what reverence this wise old man will make to me. In the presence of that other Khan who is still called great, you would make the kowtow, wouldn't you, Ciu Lang? You would fall prostrate on your hands and knees and bump your head upon the ground. I would like to see that, Ciu Lang. I would like to see you make your kowtow... before me.
[Ciu Lang stands defiantly and Burundai strikes him down with the axe]
Burundai: That's it, Ciu Lang. Even so, your head at my feet... Even so, you must make obeisance to the great Khan.

Connections
Featured in They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)

An Italian-Yugloslavian epic with a few Americans along for the ride.

In the 1950s and 60s, Italian filmmakers realized that if they cast American actors in the leads in their films, they'd be more marketable worldwide. As a result, many B-list actors or A-listers in their waning years went there to make films. To do this, they needed to dub the actors in various languages...which is what they did with "The Tartars" ("I tartari"). Like most of the Italian epics of the era, it looks a lot like a Hercules/Maciste film...with large casts, nice costumes and adequeate acting.

In the case of "The Tartars", two Americans lead the cast...Victor Mature plays the leader of the Russian Vikings* and Orson Wells plays the leader of the local Tartars. Of the two, Wells looks the silliest...and SHOULD look like a Mongolian, but doesn't.

The film involves a war between the Tartars and Vikings...and various women are taken prisoner in order to try to convince the other side to capitulate. Of couse, this doesn't work so they spend much of the movie splitting each others' head open and acting macho.

This film turned out to be pretty much what I expected...a lovely looking story but also a relatively dull one. Why? Because the acting seems so incredibly muted and none of the main characters seem to act like real people...more like statues that somehow talk. This makes it all seem quite sterile...and dull. For a MUCH better and more interesting film, try Hollywood's "The Vikings" (1958)...a film that is better in pretty much every way.

*While most folks think the Vikings were only from Scandinavia, some migrated to Russia and instead of sacking the land, stayed and became farmers and traders. Many Russians today can trace their ancestry to these people.