The battle colossus
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The battle colossus |
| Original title | Warlords of the 21st Century |
| Country of production | New Zealand |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1981 |
| length | 93 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Harley Cokeliss |
| script |
Michael Abrams Irving Austin John Beech Harley Cokeliss |
| production |
Lloyd Phillips Robert Whitehouse |
| music | Kevin Peek |
| camera | Chris Menges |
| occupation | |
| |
The Battle Colossus is a New Zealand end-time film from 1982 .
action
A global oil war has put the world in a post-apocalyptic state. The fight for the few remaining fuel reserves is fierce. Straker has gathered a strong force around him, which is terrorizing the surrounding area with a heavily armored truck and another off-road vehicle. So two men are forced to stop with a horse-drawn vehicle. It turns out that the men have a canister of diesel in the truck bed. Straker wants to know where they got the fuel from. The driver evades the question and is murdered by Straker. The other fearfully leads Straker to a secret, underground fuel depot that contains 50,000 liters of diesel. Straker now wants to get rid of this man too. His daughter Corlie is supposed to shoot the man. Corlie, however, points the gun at her father and pulls the trigger. The gun is empty, Straker shoots the man himself.
Straker sets up a camp for himself and his men at the depot. During the night Corlie flees, but Straker realizes. However, he does not search for her until daylight the next morning. Corlie is overtaken by Straker's men in the SUV. She tries to escape, but is injured in a fall. The escape attempts are observed by a stranger with binoculars. He mounts a motorcycle and, after distracting the pursuers, is able to get Corlie out of danger. The man who calls himself Hunter brings Corlie to his hiding place, an old farm. There he takes care of her wound, but has to take her to the Clearwater Farm for further treatment, where there is a real doctor. Clearwater Farm is a fortified settlement where the residents, mostly men, peacefully earn a living by farming. Corlie, can immediately make herself useful by looking after the children. She gives one of the girls an amulet. Corlie is accepted into the community in a vote. She becomes friends with Charlene, but is watched suspiciously by Judd.
Corlie helps out with an out-of-town assignment. When people hear an approaching engine, Corlie is appalled to identify the noise as the engine of her father's truck. On the run back to the settlement, Judd is certain that Corlie knows more than she wants to say. The truck breaks through the gate and the inadequately armed defenders have no chance. After a brief fight in which several residents are killed, Straker calls on the Clearwater residents to surrender via an outside microphone, which they do. Meanwhile Corlie escapes with a horse to get to Hunter. Straker has the village looted and hands the women over to his men. He sees the girl with Corlie's amulet among the children and takes it from her. Then he interrogates Judd about Corlie. He reveals to Straker that she was brought here by a man named Hunter and has now probably run back to him. He himself doesn't know where to find Hunter, but Rusty does.
Corlie manages to get through to Hunter, to whom she confesses that she used to be one of the attackers. Hunter brings her inside so she can rest. The two get closer and spend the night together. At dawn, Straker's truck approaches, and Hunter wakes up to the noises. He wakes Corlie and there is a fight with Straker's men. Hunter blows up his own fuel supply and escapes on the motorcycle with Corlie. Straker's men take up the chase in the off-road vehicle. Corlie can use grenades to stop the pursuers, who are not allowed to use their firearms.
Hunter and Corlie use binoculars to watch Straker and his men return to their camp at the depot. On their way back to Clearwater, they encounter a group of residents at a funeral, including Judd and Charlene. Judd tries to extradite Corlie, but Hunter prevents this. Together with her, he visits Rusty, who confesses to Hunter his betrayal, which he committed under torture. Hunter doesn't blame him, he asks Rusty to help. Hunter needs an armored vehicle and explosives, which Rusty makes with the help of young Alvin. Unnoticed by Straker, who is looking for Hunter with his people in the area, Hunter and Corlie mingle with the residents and work with them. The other residents, especially Judd, who wants to support the fight against Straker, provide their help. With Rusty, Hunter brings the undamaged hidden arsenal from his farm to the settlement.
Judd goes to Corlie and asks her forgiveness. While she is making tea, she is knocked down by Judd and dragged away. The hut, in which Corlie and Hunter have found shelter, catches fire. Judd makes his way to Straker in a horse and cart. The next morning, Hunter returns with Rusty and is alerted by Charlene. With his faster motorcycle, Hunter soon caught up with the wagon. But Judd, suspecting that Hunter is chasing him, lies in an ambush with a crossbow. In fact, he succeeds in a hit that throws the approaching Hunter off the motorcycle. Judd delivers Corlie to Straker and reports on Hunter's death. He wants to join Straker but is beaten up by him as a greeting and punishment for Corlie's treatment.
Meanwhile the hunter, believed dead, whom the arrow struck in the shoulder, comes to again. He can hide when Straker shows up with Judd and a couple of men. Straker wants to see Hunter's body, which of course cannot be found. The injured man makes it to Clearwater and is treated there by Charlene. Since she lacks the necessary means, she burns out the arrow wound. At the same time, Corlie tries to convince her father to either let her go or kill her. It remains unsuccessful.
Hunter wakes up the next morning and tells Rusty to hurry. In fact, Hunter has the heavily improvised vehicle under control despite his wound. He breaks through the gate to Straker's camp with him and attacks the men. Horrified, Judd tries to flee, but is shot by Hunter. Straker's men fail to break through the vehicle's armor. On the contrary, Hunter can take out several of his opponents with his weapon. With the explosives, he blows up the pumping station. Hunter breaks through further barriers and sped on at top speed. Straker is chasing him with his truck. However, the machine of the heavy truck cannot maintain its speed in mountainous terrain. However, the driver Bone is forced by Straker to continue driving.
Hunter meets Rusty, Charlene and Alvin, who await him with a rocket launcher. Hunter damages the truck, Straker now wants to destroy Clearwater. Hunter, back on his motorcycle, can overtake the truck cross-country. With his machine he jumps through the opening he has shot onto the truck and kills the surprised enemy. Bone, who fears for his vehicle, is killed by the determined straker. Corlie takes the wheel. Hunter fights his way forward and is attacked by the last remaining straker. Corlie leaves the wheel and tries to distract her father, who is putting Hunter under intense pressure. Hunter can knock Straker down with a fire extinguisher and jump off the driverless truck with Corlie. The truck falls into a ravine and explodes.
Clearwater is being rebuilt by the survivors. Corlie is taken back by them. Hunter says goodbye to her but promises to come back. Then he rides away on a horse.
Reviews
The lexicon of international films judged: "Ambivalent action film, which is excitingly staged, but has no profile in the character drawing."
The film magazine Cinema described the film as a "well-staged 08/15 story."
Blogger John Charles found the film "adequately produced and staged, but occasionally boring."
Awards
At the Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya , Annie McEnroe was awarded the Clavell de Plata as best actress .
background
The film premiered in New Zealand in January 1982. In Germany it was released in cinemas on July 1, 1982.
The film was shot in the Otago region on the South Island of New Zealand .
Web links
- Battletruck in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Battle Colossus. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Critique of Cinema
- ↑ John Charles' Blog
- ^ Archives of the Sitges Film Festival