The Thirty Years War is a dramatic period not often covered in cinema, and although some aspects of the movie are dated it does a very good job of presenting the era in a moving way. The movie touches on almost all of the key points that mark the era, even if sometimes presented as over-the-top caricatures or shallow stereotypes. Ravaging armies, plague and famine have decimated the land, pursuing political goals under the guide of religious conflict, with the hapless peasants stuck in the middle. The tension between the various Christian groups is highlighted, even if the dialogue rarely gets more creative than screaming "Heretic! Devil worshipper!" at each other. The religiously and ethnically mixed mercenary company is also representative of the period. Costumes and weapons vary widely from reasonably historical 17th century, to medieval or even pure Hollywood fantasy. Around three-quarters of the way through I felt it started to drag, but by the time the movie was over I was overall very emotionally satisfied with the experience.
Review of The Last Valley
