The Desert of the Tartars is a military movie with foreign legion-type troops stationed in a hostile, far-flung land, but any sane producer would have turned director Zurlini's proposed movie down cold. Very little happens in Valerio Zurlini's The Desert of the Tartars two-and-a-half hours, which is exactly the point, as Jacques Perrin's initially ambitious young officer is posted to a magnificent desert fort overlooking the spectacular ruins of an ancient city on a non-existent border where soldiers wait endlessly for a possibly imagined enemy to give a sense of focus and purpose to their lives. On the border of a central European Empire in the year 1900, the young Lieutenant Drogo, freshly out of military school, is assigned to the Bastiano fortress, located in an outpost of the Empire overlooking a huge barren expanse: the desert of the Tartars. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. On the border of a central European Empire in the year 1900, the young Lieutenant Drogo, freshly out of military school, is assigned to the Bastiano fortress, located in an outpost of the Empire overlooking a huge barren expanse: the desert of the Tartars. Buy Le Désert des Tartares [Blu-ray] from Amazon's Movies Store. The desert of the Tartars) is a novel by Italian author Dino Buzzati, published in 1940. The Desert of the Tartars (1976) directed by Valerio Zurlini • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd The mission of the garrison is to prevent a possible incursion by the fearsome Tartars, coming from beyond the desert. The novel tells the story of a young officer, Giovanni Drogo, and his life spent guarding the Bastiani Fortress, an old, unmaintained border fortress. Valerio Zurlini's The Desert of the Tartars is an intelligent adaptation of a famous book about the cosmic waste and loneliness of military life. Few films have ever conjured up a more profoundly melancholy sense of the passing of time than The Desert of the Tartars (Il deserto dei tartari), the last, and arguably the best, of the eight features made by Valerio Zurlini, who came of age as a director alongside other post-neorealists such as Ermanno Olmi and Francesco Rosi. Very little happens in Valerio Zurlini's The Desert of the Tartars two-and-a-half hours, which is exactly the point, as Jacques Perrin's initially ambitious young officer is posted to a magnificent desert fort overlooking the spectacular ruins of an ancient city on a non-existent border where soldiers wait endlessly for a possibly imagined enemy to give a sense of focus and purpose to their lives. Faded Delusions of Grandeur: The Desert of the Tartars Posted on February 1, 2013 by JStafford Each year hundreds of international films never get picked up for distribution in the U.S. and the select few that do are either high profile film festival prize winners like Michael Haneke’s Amour (2012) or popular commercial hits like March of the Penguins (2005) from France and Life is Beautiful (1997) from Italy. There are no battles, no swashbuckling action and no opportunities for conventional bravery or stirring sacrifices. As his first assignment, lieutenant Drogo is sent to an isolated fortress on the borders of a desert and of a range of high mountains. Lieutenant Giovanni Drogo is assigned to the old Bastiani border fortress where he expects an imminent attack by nomadic fearsome Tartars. NoShame has found another gem in 1970s Italian filmmaking. Young men going off to become officers a hundred years ago must have been searching for dreams of glory to transcend reality. As his first assignment, Lieutenant Drogo is sent to an isolated fortress on the borders of a desert and of a range of high mountains. It is also reminiscent of an era when International Co-Producers saw potential in filming in Iran. The "Desert of the Tartars" is a strange movie, that takes full advantage of the lunar scenery of the Bam Citadel and the Iranian Desert. The mission of the garrison is to prevent a possible incursion by the fearsome Tartars, coming from beyond the desert.