This one of the best of the genre. the swordplay is fantastic and the costumes excellent. the only fault i find is the dubbing. The plot is a bit thin but who cares. If you like swordplay the technical aspects of this film are hard to beat. The character that Granger plays is one that he seems to be at home with. The wit and banter between him and his co-star are funny and to the point. The film lacked only the final duel, between Granger and the villain. The end I felt was anti-climatic. However the beauty of Sylva Koscina more than makes up for the films shortcomings. In my opinion they could have come up with someone other than Christine Kaufman for the secondary female role.
14 Reviews
Wordplay and swordplay
dinky-417 June 2002
This costume adventure never quite gets off the ground, perhaps because its plot is so predictable. However, Stewart Granger gives the proceedings a touch of class and he seems to relish delivering lines of dialog which have some bite and wit to them. Particularly good are his scenes with leading lady, Sylva Koscina. The "action" scenes include sword fights, a racking, a whipping, and a horse race, but they're never more than routine. Sets and costumes aren't quite of "A" level but are better than one usually finds in "B" productions. One scene almost recreates a Vermeer painting.
Good European costumer with Stewart Granger
WNYer26 October 2012
An English swordsman for hire is employed by a Spanish Governor ruling an insurgent Italian province. He becomes the bodyguard of the future duchess and is soon embroiled in court intrigue and the growing rebellion.
This film marked the beginning of Stewart Grangers career expatriation to Europe after his estrangement with the powers that be in Hollywood. In this context, it's not a bad costumer and recalls shades of his former success with Scaramouche. In fact, the film has some surprisingly energetic action scenes - most notably - some well staged sword fights where Granger aptly shows his swordplay skills and a grueling horse race at the end of the film.
The story and plot are standard fair for this type of movie but are handled well and given a lift by Grangers charming delivery. The pace is brisk, the widescreen photography is nice and the Italian cast comes off pretty well led by Sylva Koscino as the fiery duchess. In fact, the film succeeds on many levels emulating a good Hollywood costumer with one exception, the music. It's atrocious. The movie screams for the fiery score of a Korngold or a Max Steiner but is instead left with fluff. It doesn't kill the movie but it hurts.
This film marked the beginning of Stewart Grangers career expatriation to Europe after his estrangement with the powers that be in Hollywood. In this context, it's not a bad costumer and recalls shades of his former success with Scaramouche. In fact, the film has some surprisingly energetic action scenes - most notably - some well staged sword fights where Granger aptly shows his swordplay skills and a grueling horse race at the end of the film.
The story and plot are standard fair for this type of movie but are handled well and given a lift by Grangers charming delivery. The pace is brisk, the widescreen photography is nice and the Italian cast comes off pretty well led by Sylva Koscino as the fiery duchess. In fact, the film succeeds on many levels emulating a good Hollywood costumer with one exception, the music. It's atrocious. The movie screams for the fiery score of a Korngold or a Max Steiner but is instead left with fluff. It doesn't kill the movie but it hurts.
Ten against tyranny
dbdumonteil8 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Siena in the sixteenth century called the Spanish for help :litle did they know (and they were naive) that their protectors would be here to stay and that they would become dictators.His excellency wants to marry Henrietta ,a high born lovely wealthy lady ;but the little sister ,Serenella,does not agree and she tells her so:he is responsible for the death of their father;enter a mercenary (Granger),whose mission is to protect the governor's future wife.
This is an entertaining swashbuckler,pleasant to watch:Stewart Granger ,who is going gray (and even white) at the temples ,is always dashing,dynamic ,and full of humor;he is good at fencing and Sylva Koscina is not chopped liver either;Christine Kauffmann is gorgeous as the little sister ;even if we guess the truth about Henrietta long before the end,the story is so eventful we never get bored.Now tongue in cheek,now tragical (the death of the kid sister),with a nasty cousin Hugo,fond of tortures, ten rebels (check the title)against tyranny and a Robin Hood feel:very entertaining stuff!
This is an entertaining swashbuckler,pleasant to watch:Stewart Granger ,who is going gray (and even white) at the temples ,is always dashing,dynamic ,and full of humor;he is good at fencing and Sylva Koscina is not chopped liver either;Christine Kauffmann is gorgeous as the little sister ;even if we guess the truth about Henrietta long before the end,the story is so eventful we never get bored.Now tongue in cheek,now tragical (the death of the kid sister),with a nasty cousin Hugo,fond of tortures, ten rebels (check the title)against tyranny and a Robin Hood feel:very entertaining stuff!
A nice and simple story...
Jaap_Zuurkool14 September 2001
It's about an 16th-century english swordsman who has to protect a noblewoman. She is not particularly interested in having a protector. The noblewoman lives in an italian village where the people live under the reign of a dictator. There is also a secret group called 'The Ten', which is trying to free the village. When the swordsman sees what is going on he switches allegiance...
Surprisingly good
charles-p-hall13 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
At first glance this movie doesn't have much going for it. Like Michael Caine, Stewart Granger made some turkeys and the Italian cast is mostly unknown to Americans. But I tuned in to see if Sylva Koscina was as beautiful as she had been in the Hercules movies with Steve Reeves. She's certainly a beauty, but somewhat upstaged by the young and beautiful Christine Kaufman.
Granger's lines are good and he delivers them well. There are several excellent sword fights, one in a barn with some very slick moves. The plot's a bit obtuse, but the bad guys are pretty bad so you know who's on which side. The ending is little bit of a let down as you were hoping for Stewart himself to run the beggars through, but it's OK.
Christine kind of steals the rest of the show and does a fine job as a very idealistic young woman. So give this one a watch. I enjoyed it much more than I expected.
Fine Swordplay in an Average Swashbuckler
ragosaal21 October 2006
This is a pretty much standard swashbuckler. The story is not original at all: the fight against tyrany in colorful Siena (Italy) with the usual hero that starts by hiring his sword to the dictator but in time starts to change his mind and joins the just cause.
The soldier of fortune is here played by Stewart Granger a correct actor in my opinion. But what really is interesting in the film is the swordplay choreography most enjoyable indeed; perhaps Granger is no Errol Flynn but he doesn't lack some sort of elegance at it (just as he did 10 years before in the classic "Scaramouche"). Also in the cast Sylvia Koscina was a beautiful woman and an acceptable actress and Christine Kaufamnn is a beautiful woman.
If you enjoy cape and sword films you will enjoy this one for sure but don't expect a classic and not even a great movie.
The soldier of fortune is here played by Stewart Granger a correct actor in my opinion. But what really is interesting in the film is the swordplay choreography most enjoyable indeed; perhaps Granger is no Errol Flynn but he doesn't lack some sort of elegance at it (just as he did 10 years before in the classic "Scaramouche"). Also in the cast Sylvia Koscina was a beautiful woman and an acceptable actress and Christine Kaufamnn is a beautiful woman.
If you enjoy cape and sword films you will enjoy this one for sure but don't expect a classic and not even a great movie.
Renaissance Mercenary
bkoganbing17 June 2015
Like so many contract players in the days of the studio system decline in the Fifties Stewart Granger found himself looking for work and taking it where he could find it after MGM let him go in the late Fifties. He found work in Europe and in this particular swashbuckler Swordsman Of Siena which was released in America by his old studio MGM. Later on he would be doing spaghetti westerns.
But the swashbuckler was a film genre Granger was as comfortable and looked as comfortable as Errol Flynn. He's a mercenary, an Englishman working for whoever hires him and in this case it is Spanish captain Riccardo Garrone. Back in those days of the 16th century most of Italy was part of the Spanish empire either under Emperor Charles V or King Phillip,II of Spain. In this particular part of Italy, Tuscany they're not crazy about the occupying Spanish governor Garrone and his enforcer brother Fausto Tozzi.
Garrone wants to employ Granger as personal bodyguard to Sylva Koscina the daughter of the local Italian noble. She tolerates Garrone for the sake of the father, her sister Christine Kaufman is far less so.
There's a horse race which is the town's biggest event about to be held and it's more like the chariot race from Ben-Hur. With just about the same rules applying. The Spanish occupiers always win as a matter of propaganda and pride. Granger upsets a whole lot of plans.
In films like Moonfleet and The Prisoner Of Zenda, Stewart Granger showed he mastered the art of the swashbuckler. This one is all right entertainment, but hardly in the same league as those other films from his glory days at MGM.
Better than those spaghetti westerns to come.
But the swashbuckler was a film genre Granger was as comfortable and looked as comfortable as Errol Flynn. He's a mercenary, an Englishman working for whoever hires him and in this case it is Spanish captain Riccardo Garrone. Back in those days of the 16th century most of Italy was part of the Spanish empire either under Emperor Charles V or King Phillip,II of Spain. In this particular part of Italy, Tuscany they're not crazy about the occupying Spanish governor Garrone and his enforcer brother Fausto Tozzi.
Garrone wants to employ Granger as personal bodyguard to Sylva Koscina the daughter of the local Italian noble. She tolerates Garrone for the sake of the father, her sister Christine Kaufman is far less so.
There's a horse race which is the town's biggest event about to be held and it's more like the chariot race from Ben-Hur. With just about the same rules applying. The Spanish occupiers always win as a matter of propaganda and pride. Granger upsets a whole lot of plans.
In films like Moonfleet and The Prisoner Of Zenda, Stewart Granger showed he mastered the art of the swashbuckler. This one is all right entertainment, but hardly in the same league as those other films from his glory days at MGM.
Better than those spaghetti westerns to come.
Join the ten!
ulicknormanowen18 March 2023
The English version was directed by Etienne Périer whose best work is a pacifist movie "le pont vers le soleil "(1960) .He made two costume dramas ,both taking place in Italy : "Rouge Venise" (1989) is the most ambitious, "la congiura dei dieci" aka "the swordsman of Siena " ,is a routine swashbuckler , a little tongue-in -chick,whose asset is the presence of Stewart Granger , who wields the sword (including a duel with ....Sylva Koscina )with gusto and ,as always ,displays plenty of go and humor ...In the prologue, he fools the duchess's escort with mischievousness; then he takes his bodyguard job seriously when he checks the room where Koscina sleeps ; humor becomes tinged with a certain sadism when the swordsman is tortured :" good things should not be hurried!".
As for the story ,there are actually ten secret people fighting the wicked duke's (and his brother's )tyranny ,and two beauties for the price of one :Koscina's sister is portrayed by gorgeous Christine Kaufmann. Entertaining ,with good use of wide screen .
As for the story ,there are actually ten secret people fighting the wicked duke's (and his brother's )tyranny ,and two beauties for the price of one :Koscina's sister is portrayed by gorgeous Christine Kaufmann. Entertaining ,with good use of wide screen .
Unadulterated fun with a G rating
hkfilmbuff27 April 2005
The last sword-wielding swashbuckling adventure starring Stewart Granger that I am aware of, (two others that came before were "Scaramouche" and "The Prisoner of Zenda"). If you enjoyed the relatively recent "The Mask of Zorro" with Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Anthony Hopkins, you will not be disappointed with these classics. Granger was one of the few actors - besides Mel Ferrer and Basil Rathbone, possessing convincing fencing expertise. I have always preferred his movies to those of Errol Flynn. Captivating sword fights, handsome heroes and beautiful heroines, smart and humorous dialog without the vulgarities permeating the movies of the last few decades. Sylva Koscina was beautiful with an attitude. Christine Kaufmann was just eye-candy, possibly intended as a contrast to Koscina.
Italian Cloak-and-Dagger-Film with Stewart GRANGER and Christine KAUFMANN
ZeddaZogenau19 March 2024
Stewart Granger and Christine Kaufmann against the Conspiracy of the Ten
This briskly staged cloak-and-dagger film takes place in the 16th century, when Italy was controlled by Spain. The English mercenary Thomas Stanswood (Stewart Granger) also takes part. But there is also contradiction! The passionate adolescent Serenella Arconti (Christine Kaufmann) vehemently rails against the Spanish occupiers. Her busty sister Orietta (Sylva Koscina), on the other hand, has long since come to terms with the occupiers. Don Carlos (Riccardo Garrone) has long had his eye on the voluptuous beauty. Every now and then there are minor disturbances from a suspected gang of conspirators known as the TEN. But of course the Spaniards have it under control. Only when Don Carlos wants to marry the very young Serenella to his hot-blooded nephew Hugo (Fausto Tozzi) does the situation escalate...
Really good fencing scenes (Stewart Granger was really great in that!) and exciting actions on horseback put this film well above the average of comparable productions. A short time later, Stewart Granger (1913-1993) was used as Old Surehand in various Karl May films.
Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) had already been able to present her extremely advantageous figure in the Hercules films with Steve Reeves. But the actress is also good for some surprises when it comes to acting.
When the film was shot in October 1961, TOWN WITHOUT PITY was just opening in cinemas in the USA. In this film, shot primarily in Bamberg, Christine Kaufmann (1945-2017) played a young girl who is brutally raped by several US soldiers. For this role she was awarded the GOLDEN GLOBE in the spring of 1962.
A film worth seeing for all fans of the cloak-and-dagger genre!
This briskly staged cloak-and-dagger film takes place in the 16th century, when Italy was controlled by Spain. The English mercenary Thomas Stanswood (Stewart Granger) also takes part. But there is also contradiction! The passionate adolescent Serenella Arconti (Christine Kaufmann) vehemently rails against the Spanish occupiers. Her busty sister Orietta (Sylva Koscina), on the other hand, has long since come to terms with the occupiers. Don Carlos (Riccardo Garrone) has long had his eye on the voluptuous beauty. Every now and then there are minor disturbances from a suspected gang of conspirators known as the TEN. But of course the Spaniards have it under control. Only when Don Carlos wants to marry the very young Serenella to his hot-blooded nephew Hugo (Fausto Tozzi) does the situation escalate...
Really good fencing scenes (Stewart Granger was really great in that!) and exciting actions on horseback put this film well above the average of comparable productions. A short time later, Stewart Granger (1913-1993) was used as Old Surehand in various Karl May films.
Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) had already been able to present her extremely advantageous figure in the Hercules films with Steve Reeves. But the actress is also good for some surprises when it comes to acting.
When the film was shot in October 1961, TOWN WITHOUT PITY was just opening in cinemas in the USA. In this film, shot primarily in Bamberg, Christine Kaufmann (1945-2017) played a young girl who is brutally raped by several US soldiers. For this role she was awarded the GOLDEN GLOBE in the spring of 1962.
A film worth seeing for all fans of the cloak-and-dagger genre!
A Pause that Refreshes
lamorak1320 May 2014
Here it is--a G-rated movie for the family that is dashing, up-beat, and which provides positive role models for both men and women. The entire set, costuming, storyline, romance, intrigue, plot twist and fencing were spot on. Granger turns in another fine performance as in the Prisoner of Zenda and Scaramouche. And what a fine swordsman he was, with only Cornel Wilde, Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone being a convincing match. I am a European historian who spent several years there and who loves these kinds of productions. When the movie ended, with a final little plot twist, I just sat there in the easy chair smiling, or was it beaming! A jolly good show.
Il Pallio
boblipton19 October 2012
This fairly standard Italian swashbuckler is considerably enlivened by two factors: the presence of Stewart Granger, one of movie's great swordsmen who actually was a good swordsman -- only Basil Rathbone was better. The swordplay in this movie is very real -- although the casual moviegoer might not understand the seemingly motionless pointwork, it is very well shot.
The other high point of the movie is the horse race, the famous Pallio of Siena. Although the real Pallio is a bareback race, this version of it is shot very excitingly with some nice point of view shots and excellent stuntwork.
Although I viewed an excellent print, it was dubbed, and therefore a bit hard to judge most of the performances. The costumes are excellent and the result is a surprisingly good Italian potboiler.
The other high point of the movie is the horse race, the famous Pallio of Siena. Although the real Pallio is a bareback race, this version of it is shot very excitingly with some nice point of view shots and excellent stuntwork.
Although I viewed an excellent print, it was dubbed, and therefore a bit hard to judge most of the performances. The costumes are excellent and the result is a surprisingly good Italian potboiler.
Siena, intrigue and Stewart Granger!
coltras3516 May 2021
A 16th-century Spanish overlord hires Thomas Stanswood (Stewart Granger) to protect his, less than eager, fiancee (Sylva Koscina) from rebels. Thomas finds himself drawn to both the fiancee and the rebels side.
Compared to Granger's other fine swashbucklers - Scaramouche and Prisoner of Zenda - Swordsman of Siena, a French-Italian production, is lesser known, which is a shame because it's fast-plotted, full of intrigue, colour, zest and great swordplay, not to forget the thrilling horserace at the end. The location is exquisite, the town and castles come alive, towering over participants- there's atmosphere, and suspense with a nice twist at the end.
Stewart Granger, in his last swashbuckler, executes his role as a British mercenary with much panache, suaveness and wit - his swordplay is very impressive. The scene in the town square where he takes on the bad guys is exciting, as is the scene where he fences in the barn, swinging on ropes, balancing on ladders. That's a well-staged sequence. The only drawback is that there should've been a duel between the main villain and Granger. The beautiful Sylvia Koscina and Christine Kauffman co-star and enact their roles well.
An excellent old- fashioned swashbuckling adventure imbued with positiveness - a tale of good over tyranny.
Compared to Granger's other fine swashbucklers - Scaramouche and Prisoner of Zenda - Swordsman of Siena, a French-Italian production, is lesser known, which is a shame because it's fast-plotted, full of intrigue, colour, zest and great swordplay, not to forget the thrilling horserace at the end. The location is exquisite, the town and castles come alive, towering over participants- there's atmosphere, and suspense with a nice twist at the end.
Stewart Granger, in his last swashbuckler, executes his role as a British mercenary with much panache, suaveness and wit - his swordplay is very impressive. The scene in the town square where he takes on the bad guys is exciting, as is the scene where he fences in the barn, swinging on ropes, balancing on ladders. That's a well-staged sequence. The only drawback is that there should've been a duel between the main villain and Granger. The beautiful Sylvia Koscina and Christine Kauffman co-star and enact their roles well.
An excellent old- fashioned swashbuckling adventure imbued with positiveness - a tale of good over tyranny.
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