The Profession of Arms
Directed by Ermanno Olmi
Produced by StudioCanal, Taurus Produktion
A sobering historical drama that strips war of its romance, focusing on the brutal conditions and human cost of 16th-century conflict through the lens of a commander's fatal wound.
In autumn of 1526, the Emperor, Charles V, sends his German landsknechts led by Georg von Frundsberg to march towards Rome. The inferior papal armies, commanded by Giovanni de'Medici, try to chase them in the midst of a harsh winter. Nevertheless, the Imperial armies manage to cross the rivers along their march and get cannons thanks to the maneuvers of its Lords. In a skirmish, Giovanni de'Medici is wounded in the leg by a falconet shot. The attempts to cure him fail and he dies. The Imperial armies assault Rome. The film is beautifully but unassumingly set, and shows the hard conditions in which war is waged and its lack of glory. It ends straightforwardly with the declaration made after the death of Giovanni de'Medici by the commanders of the armies in Europe of not using again fire weapons because of their cruelty.
Essence
Ensemble
Like The Profession of Arms
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as The Profession of Arms
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like The Profession of Arms, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like The Profession of Arms, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like The Profession of Arms, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
