Toth Database - Cinema 

Iron Crown

A 1941 comedy film directed by Alessandro Blasetti, winner of the Italian Mussolini Cup for best film at the international Venice Film Festival.

Plot

The expedition carrying the Iron Crown, forged with nails of the cross, sent by the Byzantine Emperor to the Pope as a sign of peace, crosses a land where we have just completed a long and costly war. The winner, Lincinio, is ready to offer to the defeated Mr peace, but the brother Artace Sedemondo has him killed at the back with an arrow, usurping the throne of Kindaor and sentenced the enemy into exile and his people to slavery. Try then to take over the Iron Crown, doing exterminate Commons from infallible Archer Farkas, the Gorges of Natersa, but the precious relic of the new sovereign is subtracted to mire, sinking miraculously in the land. A mysterious old woman who lives in the forest, prophesy to Sedemondo that his behavior sacrilegious cannot go unpunished: the fratricide bear a daughter to kill a boy that she will love him to death.In fact, Kindaor, Sedemondo's wife gave birth to a daughter, Elsa, and the widow of Licinius a male, Arminius, but infants are appropriately swapped to save their lives. The two children are grown up as brother and sister, until Sedemondo doesn't detect deception and a night ago kidnap little Arminius by a servant who abandons him in the Valley of the Lions. Sedemolo back into the Woods to meet the old woman and tell her to have defeated the fate and saved his daughter but this clears the memory of what was the fate of the child, then the King is forced to segregate Elsa at the Palace, protected by three gates. Twenty years have passed and King Sedemondo is organising a tournament, whose winner will marry Elsa. Meanwhile, a landslide opens a gap in the mountains surrounding the Valley of the Lions and Arminius grew up among the fairs strong and powerful can go outside, chasing a deer. During the hunt meets Tundra, daughter of Artace, of which fell in love right away, that he intends to fight in the tournament, to help win the freedom of his people. The same invitation is also addressed by the old forest. In Kindaor, on the eve of the tournament, Elsa comes out through the crowd disguised as a servant, he met Arminius and the two are fatally attracted to each other, as prophesied. In a subsequent meeting, as King's daughter asks him not to participate in the tournament, for not causing displeasure to his servant. But when the terrible King of the Tartars Eriberto defeats all suitors and refuses the offer of Sedemendo to give up the hand of Elsa in Exchange for wealth and Lands, Arminius cannot avoid help women prevailing on dangerous opponent and discovering with pleasure that Elsa and her maid are the same person, so it can freely express his love. Tundra would avenge the betrayal of Arminius, against him, but give up in front of the intention to propose to the father of Elsa to liberate from the bondage the people of Tundra and grant him the Kingdom. But when Elsa addressed this request to Sedemondo, these poisons the mind with the suspicion that Arminius actually ami Tundra and she decides to ruin any relationship between the two, making believe to beloved that the other has tried to destroy their lives. While Tundra, driven by Arminius, returns to his original plan and launches his army the signal to invade Kindaor through the Gorge of Natersa, Arminius begins to recover memories from childhood, in recognizing the Elisa the sign of an arm common whipping suffered by children at the hands of Sedemondo, believes that is his sister. ELSA, desperate for that discovery that condemns their love, he runs away. Arminius, dealt directly Sedemondo and found out that he and Elsa are only cousins, rushes off in pursuit of the woman, while the King goes mad to see come true the dreaded prophecy from long before. The Gorges of Natersa unfolds the fate of the protagonists of the story. ELSA to expiate his guilt towards Tundra, protects your body from the fatal arrow shot by Farkas, and dying reveals to Arminius, who rushed too late to save her, that he misled about the intentions of Tundra. The two armies, arrive, are divided to the sudden opening of a sinkhole, swallowing the body of Elsa and brings to light the Iron Crown, whose appearance to lay down their arms to both sides. While the relic resumed the voyage to the original destination, Arminius and Tundra they marry and go up the throne of Kindaor, finally at peace.

Film notes

Original title: The Iron Crown

Country of origin: Italy

Year: 1941

Duration: 97 min

Color: Black/White

Audio: Sound

Kind: Epic, Fantasy, Adventure

Director: Alessandro Blasetti

Subject: Alessandro Blasetti, Renato Castellani

Screenplay: Corrado Pavolini, William Zorzi, Joseph Zucca, Alessandro Blasetti, Renato Castellani

Studio: Enic, Lux Film

Photography: Mario Craveri

Editing: Mario Serandrei

Music: Alexander Cicognino

Art Director: Virgilio Marchi

Costume Design: Gino Carlo Sahar

Actors

Gino Cervi

Massimo Girotti

Luisa Ferida

Osvaldo Valenti

Elisa Cegani

Paolo Stoppa

Rina Morelli

Amedeo Trilli

Renato Navarrini

Ugo Sasso

Primo Carnera

Pietro Pastore

Victory Carpi

Dina Perbellini

Pietro Germi

Mario Ersanilli

Antony Mackenzie

Umberto Sacripante

Ada Colangeli

Adele Garavalgia

Adriana Micantgoni

Mario Mazza

Piero Carnabuci