Hired by the Pope to command an army of mercenary Italian soldiers against invading German forces, the fearless Giovanni de’ Medici leads his band of condottieri in a series of increasingly intense battles—until a cannon wound to the leg leaves him on the brink of death.

Directed by Palme d’Or winner Ermanno Olmi (The Tree of Wooden Clogs), this rousing character study is a pacifist declaration against the human suffering of war. Quickly moving through historical details and battles, the film uses its meticulous visual design to focus on the soul of its protagonist.