The Last Valley is a 1971 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.
Plot summary
Caine's character, known only as "The Captain," leads a band of ruthless Mercenaries. His men pillage the countryside, raping and looting freely when not engaged in actual military work. Sharif, as Vogel (German for Bird), 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 onto an idyllic mountain vale, seemingly untouched by war.
The Captain's small band are not far behind, and they too are impressed by the valley and its inhabitants, but for darker reasons. Trapped in the valley, Vogel convinces The Captain to preserve it and the village it contains for their own benefit as the outside world faces famine and devastation. "Live", Vogel tells The Captain, "while the army dies." Outgunning the locals by a wide margin, The Captain decides that his men will indeed rest here for the winter, and wait for political events outside to turn in their favor. He forces the locals to comply, especially their headman Gruber (Nigel Davenport). The local Catholic Priest (Per Oscarsson) is livid that a number of Protestants (and nihilistic Atheists for that matter) are amongst the Mercenaries, 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 act as judge in matters of dispute between the Mercenaries and local people. As long as food, shelter, and a small number of comfort women are provided, the Mercenaries leave the locals alone. But as winter fades, it becomes obvious that the Mercenaries will have to leave. A man exiled from the group manages to lead a rival Mercenary band to the valley, which is no longer snowed-in. After a short, but fierce, battle in which the interlopers are destroyed, The Captain gets word that a major military campaign in the Upper Rhineland is happening. Since his men are soldiers of fortune, he decides this is the time to leave the valley and seek combat again.
At the end of the film, we see The Captain and his men engaged 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.
Production
The film was mostly shot in Tyrol, Austria (Trins and Gschnitz and the Gschnitztal Valley). It was based on the novel by J.B. Pick.
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