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| I had to use this instead of a film poster... From http://www.post-apocalypse.co.uk/aus/NewBarbarians.jpg |
Dir. Enzo G. Castellari
With The New Barbarians I realise why Italian genre cinema would sadly
fritter away by the late eighties, because as the Hollywood blockbusters
travelled around the world, you can see the difference between Star Wars and a film shot entirely in a
rock quarry with buggies. Obviously, why would anyone only just like Star Wars when you can enjoy both
equally I don't know, but unfortunately back when films like The New Barbarians were being made, the
Italian public probably wanted to watch the American imports rather than the
cheap rip-offs made by theirs. Yes, these films were being shown in theatres in
the English speaking world, which would have been awesome to live through, but
this wouldn't last. Unable to keep up with Hollywood, and their virtues ignored
by the end, regardless if they were rip-offs in the first place, these
entertaining and interesting films would dwindle out by the late eighties,
which having seen a few from this period showed how bad it got. The less said
about Cruel Jaws (1995) the better.
But looking back, even if The New Barbarians wouldn't qualify as
a great film in Enzo G. Castellari's
filmography, its definitely not impoverished as its limited production design
suggests. Set in 2019, after a nuclear apocalypse has passed, it means we've
missed the worse, thus setting this in a fictitious reality, or that I really
need to get a driver's license, learn how to use a laser gun, and arm a car
with spikes and rockets for the impending doom befalling us soon. Within this
scorched earth, an evil group known as the Templers exist led by One, played by
Italian genre mainstay George Eastman;
exceptionally tall physically, a giant decked in smart, menacing white uniform,
bearded and with an evil smile on his face, the psychopathic leader of a group
who desire, after the apocalypse, to eliminate all of mankind in a suicidal
drive. The sight of an all-male group with perms, Mohawks and luscious locks,
driving armed buggies, and dressed between white clad soldiers and Evel Knievel,
would be frightening even before your head came off from the spinning blade
extended out from one of their killing vehicles. They're definitely evil
because One hates books, particularly ripping the New Jerusalem Bible in half.
In their way is Scorpion (Giancarlo Prete),
a Mad Max stand-in who seemed to borrow Robert
Powell 's hair. Since Mad Max had a souped-up car, Scorpion has a similar
looking one too but with a giant chrome skull on the bonnet. It does lose
aesthetic points however for whoever in production design thought a giant
bubble roof on the top which flows lime green in the dark was a good idea. Fred
Williamson is Nadir , the former American football player and star/director of
many exploitation films looking a considerable bad ass even if dressed up in
sci-fi garb, the circlet not stopping the fact that his body armour was
probably designed to be able to fit his machismo. It's strange though to see
him soft spoken and without his trademark cigar. With him also to help Scorpion
is child actor Giovanni Frezza as a
child genius of car mechanics who is deadly with a slingshot; most will
recognise him, blond haired and looking like a mischievous cherub, from Lucio Fulci's The House By The Cemetary (1981) as Bob, infamously given a less
than desired English dubbing.
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| From http://monsterhuntermoviereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/NewBarbarians2.jpg |
I've fallen in love with the
Italian genre movies of the seventies and early to mid-eighties. Before the
seventies is a large wealth of potential gems, while for the criticisms I've
made, my love for this area of cinema means I'll still be hopeful for late
eighties and nineties work even despite the lessening quality from a lot I've
seen. There is truly great craftsmanship and art in the best. But those which
are more pulpy or less than perfect are irresistible to me still. Talented
individuals of Italian art cinema worked on these films too, and their creation
developed a unique tone and presentation to them that even makes a ridiculous
film like this stand out. Strong colours. Post dubbed soundtracks. American
stars. Lurid content. Memorable scores, with Claudio Simonetti of Goblin
going mad with a synthesizer here. The
New Barbarians is low budget schlock but I delight in the idea of these
actors playing dress up in quarries. There would be a child-like innocence to
this were it not for the gore and adult content. That with its few resources
its had to try and weave a limited story from what's there, as Scorpion is pursued
by the Templers, is more interesting and entertaining, with its grasps of high
budget cinema, barely reaching the budget ceiling, and accidental absurdisms
that add great layers to it. It helps to that the film cinematographically is
still exceptional despite the nuclear apocalypse being camper vans and buggies
decked out like Robot Wars/Battlebots contestants. The quarries,
when space is shown, are brightly textured and expansive, and there is never a
flabby camera shot or edit despite the narrative side being flimsy. Castellari stands out in Italian genre
cinema, impressive considering the great directors within it from the era. He
shows great love for all the films of his I've seen, regardless of them being
b-movies, caring for the immensely invigorating action scenes but also capable
of making films that go beyond this. Thus Street
Law (1974) is a vigilante film that becomes a lyrical ode to the
complications of taking justice into your own hands, while Keoma (1976) is a sombre, oneiric send off for the spaghetti
western. The New Barbarians is slight
as a story - cars driving around in circles at each other, conventional on-foot
action - but its saved as much by the gifts of his and the crew he worked with
as it is the infectious behind it. The quarries are allowed to feel expansive
at times despite the limited locations and the touch of the film in editing and
look are far removed from lacksidasical but solid. And that its ended up as it
is anyway is much of a joy. From the Templers' costumes to a sex scene in a
tent made of bubble plastic, the absurd decoration of lower budget films stand
out positively for me because, contrary to what would be perceived as taking
away the magic of cinema, knowing it can be made from stuff from your home but
has become an object of a fantasy world is even more magical, as befitting a
medium that started with trick films. For example, realising a communication
van is covered in tinfoil isn't a failing, but instead that it is both this and
a new thing in a future world, a strangeness that's rich. It's only when mere laziness
exists where problems arise. The plot eventually becomes mere construct for
this notion to play out, which doesn't dampen the textual pleasure from it. To
grin. Admire the action, which is still there in spades. To look on in
surprise, at the least expected way a villain 'tortures' a hero, both male, in
a regular genre narrative, one that, were not for a single line of dialogue to
have added an un-PC side to it, would have uprooted archetypes of masculinity
and turned it upside down completely.
If you like your silly, post apocalypse
cinema with a plot hanging on a thread bare, this one is worth seeing. Scorpion
is a stock characters, but Williamson
is simply cool and Eastman looks like
he's lording it up as the bad guy, the only regret in the characters being that
the women are just there to look pretty, when really this cinema should always
make an excuse for a tough female as equal to the hero even if she's
stereotypical. You'll find amusement in the laser sounds and the amount of
exploding dummies is something, especially as Castellari likes using slow motion quite a bit. Seeing stunt men do
their best front flips from explosions and cars flipping over is inherently fun
when its shot as considered as here. I cannot dismiss its cheap look in terms
of what is onscreen because how it's shot is still good, if you notice, and I
cannot help but simple enjoy cars driving around each other in mock combat with
bubble roofs on them. In seriousness again, even schlock can have the gift of enthusiastic
craft to them, instantly as much cinema as a great film because, cobbled
together, the obvious faults nonetheless add to the fantasy played onscreen. If you admit the farce of this being a nuclear
wasteland set in a rock quarry with a few cars lying baout, like the creators
probably did before going on professionally regardless and doing your best, you
don't worry about this and find virtue in this less-is-more style. The regret
that films like this became of disinterest back when they were being made is
that, yes, you should be able to enjoy your Star Wars films and these equally, one from the best money can buy
in Hollywood, but the other being an enjoyment from what they were able to do
with limited resources.
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| From http://monsterhuntermoviereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/NewBarbarians1.jpg |
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