The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683

The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683 (Italian: 11 Settembre 1683; Polish: Bitwa pod Wiedniem, literally: "The Battle of Vienna"; also released as Siege Lord 2: Day of the Siege) is a 2012 English-language Polish and Italian historical drama film based on the 1683 Battle of Vienna and directed by Renzo Martinelli. The film was released on October 12, 2012.[1][2]

The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683
Polish poster for the film September Eleven 1684
Bitwa pod Wiedniem
Directed byRenzo Martinelli
Produced by
  • Renzo Martinelli
  • Alessandro Leone
Written by
  • Giuseppe Baiocchi
  • Alessandro Leone
Screenplay by
  • Renzo Martinelli
  • Valerio Manfredi
Starring
Music by
CinematographyFabio Cianchetti
Edited byTommaso Feraboli
Production
company
  • Agresywna Banda
  • Martinelli Film Company International
Distributed by
  • Monolith Films (Poland)
  • 01 Distribution (Italy)
Release date
  • October 12, 2012 (2012-10-12) (Poland)
Running time
114 minutes
Country
  • Poland
  • Italy
LanguageEnglish
Budget€ 13,000,000

Plot

Beginning after the First Siege of Vienna the century before, the film brings viewers through the various conflicts between Catholic Christianity and Turkish Islam which led up to the events of September 11, 1683 and the Battle of Vienna. It shows the alleged circumstances of the 2nd siege of Vienna and the assault of Ottoman Turks led by Kara Mustafa (Enrico Lo Verso) against the Habsburg monarchy. The assault was stopped by King Jan III Sobieski (Jerzy Skolimowski), and curtailed Turkish expansion into European Christendom.

Cast

Production

It took ten years to raise the film's $13,000,000 budget. In addition to the theatrical version, the filmmakers have prepared a longer version to be released on television as a mini-series.[1] Filming began in April 2011, with support from backers in Austria, Poland and Italy, with RAI supporting with 5.8 million euro, and another million euro from the Friuli region.[3]

The title's allusion to the September 11 attacks is intentional.[4] Director Martinelli explained that while that date is associated with the attacks on the United States, few people know that the date also marks the historical events of 1683 when 300,000 soldiers moved from Constantinople to Vienna with an intent to capture Rome and turn St. Peter's Basilica into a mosque.[3][5] In reality, though, the Battle of Vienna (Schlacht am Kahlenberg) took place on 12 September 1683.

During production in June, it was first revealed that with a planned-for 13-week shooting schedule, the film would be using over 100 actors from Poland, the United States, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Greece, Spain, and France, over 10,000 extras and 3,000 horses in the battle scenes.[6] Filmmakers were unable to acquire permissions to use castle structures in Poland, and although interiors of Wilanów Palace were eventually used, castle exteriors were shot at Mantua, Lombardy, to represent that of King Jan III Sobieski.[7] The film was shot entirely in English with intention for worldwide distribution.[8]

Reception

While complaining that the film's special effects graphics resembled those of a low-resolution video game, Polityka noted that while based in the times and location of the Battle of Vienna, the film is not strictly historical, but is instead a fictional drama, like any other historical movie.[2] ISBN 8804519533 ISBN 978-8804519539

References
  1. "Bitwa pod Wiedniem nie jest filmem historycznym". Wprost (in Polish). October 8, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  2. Pietrasik, Zdzisław (October 9, 2012). "Blamaż pod Wiedniem". Polityka (in Polish). Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  3. staff (September 17, 2010). "September Eleven, 1683 –2012 im Kino – Die Schlacht von Wien und die Twin Towers". Katholisches (in German). Retrieved January 30, 2013. "Ich will dabei helfen, zu verstehen, wo die Wurzeln für den 11. September 2001 zu suchen sind" (I wish viewers to understand the roots of the September 2001 attacks).
  4. Anselmi, Michele (June 6, 2005). "Il mio film sull'11 settembre Ma quello di Vienna del 1683". il Giornale (in Italian). Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  5. Olivotto, Alexandra (June 27, 2011). "Martinelli, cineastul care sfidează Vaticanul". Evz.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  6. staff (May 13, 2011). ""Bitwa pod Wiedniem": Kto zagra króla?". Newsweek Poland (in Polish). Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  7. Kamila Baranowska, Janina Blikowska (September 9, 2011). "Kamila Baranowska, Janina Blikowska". Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  8. Viezzer, Alessandro (June 3, 2010). "Villa Stefanel diventa il set di un kolossal". La Tribuna di treviso (in Italian). Retrieved January 30, 2013.
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