Movie Review: The Conqueror of the Orient

The Conqueror of the Orient (Il conquistatore dell'Oriente)
Gianna Maria Canale, Rik Battaglia, Irène Tunc, Edda Ferronao, Attilio Torelli, Riccardo Ferri, Myriam Cordella, Aldo Pini, Renato Montalbano, Paul Muller, Tatiana Farnese, Franco Balducci, Giulio Donnini, Fosco Giachetti 

Director: Tanio Boccia 

Tabos Film, Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA), Italy, West Germany, 1960. 

This movie is published as a part of Warriors 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment.

Nadir (Rik Battaglia) is a young(ish) fisherman living in an oriental kingdom. His father Omar (Fosco Giachetti) escaped the City of the Golden Dome when an usurper Sultan Dakar (Paul Muller) seized the throne. Dinazar (Gianna Maria Canale) missed Dakar while he was away conquering the empire. Dakar demands tribute from his subjects. One of the tributes is Fatima (Irène Tunc). Fatima is not willing to marry Dakar, because he killed her family. Jealous Dinazar warns Dakar of Fatima. 

Omar and Nadir

Dinazar and Sultan Dakar

Princess Fatima

Meanwhile Nadir practises archery. He dreams about going to the City. He wishes that someone would free the people from Dakar's oppression. Omar promises that someday a hero will come. Princess Fatima escapes the palace with the help of her servant and friend Katicia (Tatiana Farnese). Dakar's mercenaries try to find her from Nadir's village. Nadir finds a boat with unconscious Fatima. Counsellor Rato (Giulio Donnini) makes a deal with Dakar: he will find Fatima in exchange of some rich man's life, gold and properties. Nadir and Fatima fall in love and Nadir contemplates that he does not have a palace. Dakar's guards find Fatima and take her away. Nadir rides to save her. 

Katicia and Fatima plan for escape

Nadir saves Fatima from the boat

Rato makes a deal with Dakar

Nadir tries to enter the harem but gets caught by the guards. Fatima and Katicia help him escape, their trusted soldier helps Nadir but hurts his leg. Omar takes the wounded soldier with him. 

Fatima and Nadir fall in love

Nadir fighting the palace guards

Fatima and Katicia rejoice over Nadir's escape

Omar tells Nadir that Nadir's real father was the ruler whom Dakar killed. Omar gives Nadir some bling to prove his inheritance. Nadir also gets the scimitar of the king. To raise an army, Nadir has to clear tests to prove his worthiness. In one test he must hit a thrown plank with a sword. After a successful military campaign Nadir's troops near the palace. Dakar infiltrates the palace with the help of soldier who knows secret passages (possibly this is the same soldier who hurt his leg before). Meanwhile the troops await Nadir's signal arrow. 

Nadir gets some bling and a new sword

Nadir and Omar go to war

Hitting the plank

Dinazar says she will leave Dakar because he neglects her being too attracted to Fatima. However while escaping the palace, unlucky Dinazar has a romantic meeting with Nadir's soldier Nureddin (Franco Balducci). Nadir fights Dakar and kills him. Nureddin kills the sneaky counsellor Rato. (At which point Nureddin was introduced to the story is a mystery. According to IMDB the original film was 102 minutes, while the Mill Creek is only 72 minutes. So it could be logical if Nureddin was for example the son of the rich man that Rato murdered). Nadir and Nureddin get the girls. However the girls have to wait for the guys must conquer the rest of the empire. The end. 

Fatima leaves Dakar

Dinazar and Nureddin have a romantic moment

Final fight

The movie is not so bad adventure but it uses every trope in the book. The only things missing are Flying Carpet and Magic Lamp. There are also many jumpy cuts. I guess the original wide screen version was quite colourful and spectacular. Cutting half an hour of film material makes the subplots difficult to follow toward the end. There are some exciting sword fights, stealth action and beautiful harem girls.

Rating: Bad