Thread by @CrazyItalianPol

That crazy time when the Italian government financed a Hollywood-style blockbuster... and failed badly.

"Barbarossa", the Italian "Braveheart" you've probably never heard of - featuring Rutger Hauer!

A thread 🧵

First, let's go back a few centuries. On 7 April 1167, at the Abbey of Pontida, 26 cities (later 30) united in the Lombard League to counter the attempts by the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman emperors to assert influence over the Kingdom of Italy as a part of the Holy Roman Empire.

At the Battle of Legnano on 29 May 1176, the Lombard League defeated Barbarossa's troops. With the Peace of Constance, the cities agreed to remain loyal to the Empire in exchange for full local jurisdiction over their territories.

The League was finally disbanded in 1250.

Although the Lombard League was led by Guido da Landriano, the best known figure is that of Alberto da Giussano and his "Company of Death", whose 900 horsemen supposedly were vital to the success of the battle.

However, Alberto da Giussano and his "Company of Death" are first mentioned 150 years after the events by Galvano Fiamma, chaplain of the Visconti family.

According to many historians, neither Alberto da Giussano nor his armies ever existed.

Let us return to the present day. On 4 December 1989, from the union of several autonomist movements, the Northern League was born: a party that would become increasingly influential on the Italian political scene in the decades to come.

The party, led by Umberto Bossi, has always stood in continuity with the spirit of the Lombard League, as shown by the figure of Alberto da Giussano in the logo and the rallies held at Pontida, where the Lombard League sanctioned the alliance between the cities of northern Italy.

The difference was that the enemy was no longer a German emperor, but the Italian centralist state that lived on the taxes paid by the north.

('Pay up and shut up, you Northern ass. For you the accusation of racism is ready.')

By now you may be wondering what a medieval battle, an Italian party and the attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion have anything in common.

Don't worry, we're getting there.

Somewhere around 2007, Umberto Bossi pitched the idea of a film on Alberto da Giussano to Renzo Martinelli, an experienced director friend of his, who agreed to direct the film.

The intention was for a movie that would create a "Po Valley mythology", just as Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" had helped to awaken Scottish national consciousness and achieve greater political independence for Scotland.

According to some analysts, in fact, the result of the referendum on Scottish devolution in 1997 was partly influenced by the huge success of Mel Gibson's movie. The Northern League, of course, has always been favourable to Scottish autonomy.

In a telephone call between Agostino Saccà (head of RAI Fiction) and Silvio Berlusconi, which ended up at the centre of a corruption investigation, Berlusconi pressed Saccà to finance 'Barbarossa': 'Bossi is giving me a headache because of this goddamn movie'.

When the film was announced, Yasmine von Hohenstaufen, descendant of Barbarossa, demanded that the project was canceled or alternatively made with the participation of objective historians and philosophers to avoid anti-historical instrumentalisation.

The story of 'Barbarossa' begins in 12th century Italy, which was divided into various domains, including independent communes. Frederick Barbarossa's desire is to reunify the peninsula under one sceptre and re-establish what was once Charlemagne's dominion.

In order to realise his plan, Barbarossa is forced to personally descend into Italy several times. On one of these occasions, Barbarossa is saved by Alberto da Giussano, a young man to whom the Emperor gives a dagger as a token of thanks.

Barbarossa then laid siege to Milan: in the ensuing battle, Alberto's two brothers die. Filled with rage, Alberto swears revenge on the emperor and joins the Company of Death, a handful of rebels intent on freeing the Lombard people from the yoke of the Germanic tyrant.

Cast of 'Barbarossa' included 🇳🇱 actor Rutger Hauer as Frederick Barbarossa, 🇮🇱 actor Raz Degan as Alberto da Giussano, 🇫🇷 actress Cécile Cassel as Beatrice of Burgundy and 🇺🇸 actor and Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham as Barozzi.

Here's the English trailer.

(note: in foreign markets, the movie was released as "Barbarossa: Siege Lord" or "Barbarossa: Sword of War")

The director stated that the budget was EUR 12 million, but other sources report that the cost was way higher: EUR 30 million.

The Ministry of Culture financed the film with EUR 1.6 million. RAI Cinema contributed with EUR 2.5 million, while RAI Fiction with EUR 4.5 million.

But why is the title 'Barbarossa' and not 'Alberto da Giussano', since he is the main character?

Because, as the director admitted, if he had dedicated the film to the figure dearest to the Northern League, he would not have been able to obtain public funding.

Despite being set in Italy, the film was shot entirely in Romania because nowadays the Po Valley is completely urbanised and the vast open spaces of the 12th century no longer exist.

The extras were mostly Romanian, some from the local Roma and Sinti communities.

This is quite paradoxical, given the many anti-Roma campaigns carried out by the Northern League.

The leader of the Northern League, Umberto Bossi, appears in a short cameo (he is the man on the right). His face has been digitally applied to an extra's body.

The premiere was held on October 2, 2009 at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, in the presence of numerous guests including politicians Umberto Bossi, Silvio Berlusconi, Letizia Moratti, Roberto Formigoni, Ignazio La Russa and Roberto Maroni.

Cécile Cassel, after learning that 'Barbarossa' was backed by the Northern League, decided to distance herself from the movie.

Distributed in over 280 cinemas, 'Barbarossa' was a box-office bomb, grossing around EUR 1 million. The movie had some success in Lombardy, while in the other Italian regions it was basically ignored.

Critics panned the movie, particularly the direction, acting, special effects, historical inaccuracies and lack of pathos.

Years later, in March 2012, 'Barbarossa' was broadcast in two episodes on RAI1 state TV. Even there, the result was disappointing, with an audience share of 13.5%.

Strangely enough, on TV the movie was more successful in southern Italy (17.4%) than in northern Italy (11%).

The then Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Roberto Castelli protested when 'Baarìa' by Giuseppe Tornatore was chosen as the Italian candidate for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, implying that it was a political move against 'Barbarossa'.

If you've come this far (thank you!) here's a treat: some scenes from 'Alex l'Ariete', considered one of the worst Italian films ever - which, if nothing else, was not tax-funded.

See you next time!