Over the last decade or so Russia has begun to re-position itself on the world stage as a cinematic competitor to China and America. In a similar vein to the Chinese experience, it has found that many things its citizens find commonplace are often viewed as unusual outside its borders. However, that is slowly changing. The likes of Stalingrad, Spacewalker and Attraction all proved to be box office smashes. Rustam Mosafir’s new film, The Last Warrior, delves into the realms of historical fantasy.
In 11th century Russia, Christianity is sweeping across Pagan lands. Lord Oleg (Yuriy Tsurillo) is following this crusade, along with his loyal and trusted second in command Lutobor (Aleksey Faddeev). After the birth of Lutobor’s son, their camp is attacked by a mercenary group; the Wolves of Perun. They kidnap his wife and daughter. The warrior has no option but to team up with a captured ‘Wolf’ Marten (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) and set-out to rescue them.
The Last Warrior mixes religion, fantasy and medieval politics to create a bloody and entertaining action romp. Shot largely on location, Mosafir focuses on the uneasy relationship between the odd couple. As the bonds slowly grow between them they’re thrown headfirst into one brutal altercation after another. There’s not much subtlety to The Last Warrior. It’s a big, brash and bold throwback to the muscular fantasy films of the ‘80s.
The Last Warrior is released on DVD by 4 Digital Media on 20 August.
