I grandi condottieri

I grandi condottieri - a solid biblical movie filmed in Spain and Italy detailing two stories about two of Israel's most famous judges from the book of Judges in the Old Testament. The book of Judges is such a fascinating book in the bible and it has always been frustrating to me how few filmmakers take on the challenge of telling its stories. (with the obvious exception of Sampson). This movie also tells the story of Sampson (played by Anton Geesink - who was the first non-Japanese judoka to win gold at the World Judo Championship) but differs from other films in that it also tells the story of Gideon, a military leader, judge and prophet who is called by God to bring victory over the Midianites. Gideon is played by Ivo Garrani, who perfectly captures the skepticism and disbelief Gideon feels when first informed of his mission by The Angel of The Lord. This movie is a highly enjoyable watch (especially for Old Testament fans) and will hopefully one day inspire future film makers to create more films based on some of the lesser known Judges.