Column (film)

106 AD The Roman Empire wages war against Dacia . Emperor Trayan defeated the army of Detsebal , the rebellious leader of the Dacians . Decebal committed suicide, and Dacia again turned to the Roman province . But the struggle continues and the Dacians rise again to the battle with the Romans.

Part One

Roman troops stormed the capital of the Dacians Sarmizegetuzu . Dacian ruler Detsebal forced to flee. Traian , entering the city, sends his officer Tiberius to chase him. Hiding in the cave, Detsebal tells his commander Jerule that the Dacians must resist. The Romans overtake the fugitives and Decebal to avoid captivity commits suicide . Tiberius orders to take the head of Detsebal Traian. Jerule manages to escape. In the non-occupied part of the country, he gathers a detachment of Dacians and cherishes the dream of revenge against the Romans and Tiberius personally.

Traian decides to return to Rome and orders Tiberius to stay to rule the country. Tiberius moves with a detachment inland and is going to establish a fortress on the border with the lands of barbarians . The young duck makes an attempt on him, but Tiberius permits the local elders to judge him by their own laws. Influential local leader One-armed, the father of a rebel, imbued with sympathy for Tiberius and helps him choose a place for a fortress. One of the centurions Sabinius converges with a local woman, but accidentally stumbles upon Jeruli’s camp, the latter blinds the Roman. Tiberius again shows mercy to the local aristocratic Andrade, who killed the Roman soldier, she becomes the wife of Tiberius. Tiberius with the help of Dacians and One-armed builds the city, uses Roman technology to improve the lives of Dacians.

Part Two

Years have passed. The senator from Rome, the envoy of Trajan, proclaims the city built by Tiberius as a municipality and is killed by Jeruli’s arrow. Blind Sabine became a child teacher. Jeruli's squad raids on a train with gold to Rome, destroying all guards and “traitors”, including One-armed. Tiberius manages to track down Jerul’s squad, but he lets go of the Dacians, offering them peace and saying that the Romans are masters here forever. Otherwise, they will destroy each other, and, perhaps, other enemies will do it. Dzherula accidentally meets the son of Tiberius and Andrada Traian (he received the name in honor of the emperor) and plans to rehabilitate the boy in the right direction, which may bring good in the future for Dacia and her people.

Fears of Tiberius are confirmed. A strong squad of barbarians approaches the city. Delighted Jerulla hurries to their leader, promising to fight with his squad on their side and asks in return for the head of Tiberius. The commander agrees and demands that all the Dacians after the victory of the barbarians go away to the last one: “I like this land! He will like our lord. Good places for wandering! ”
Clear after negotiations with the barbarians of Jerul, he realizes that a victory over the Romans can bring a greater defeat from the barbarians who have come, and hardly convinces the grandson of Detsebal, in which he sees the future ruler of the Dacians, to come out on the side of the Romans. The next day, the barbarians go on the offensive. Tiberius' infantry, with a mock retreat, lures the racing cavalry of the barbarians on a field studded with stakes. However, the barbarians too much, they climb on the defensive walls, click on the Roman infantry. In the midst of the battle, a squad of Jerulla collapses on the barbarians, the Roman cavalry completes the rout. The grandson of Detsebal dies in battle. Jerulu clashes with Tiberius who approached and kills him, avenges Decebal’s head and right hand, and then accompanies Tiberius’s body to the city ^[1] and tells his son that his father was a great warrior, and that Jerul will now bring up the great warrior, so that the boy defended his land from enemies.

• Richard Johnson - Tiberius .
• Hilarion Ciobanu - Jerul .
• Antonella Lualdi - Andrada .
• Amedeo Natstsari - Emperor Traian
• Stefan Chubotarasu - One-armed
• Florin Piersik - Sabin .
• Amza Pell - King Decebal .
• Sidonia Manolache - Zia
• Emil Botta - High Priest (from previous film)
• Franco Interlenghi
• Gheorghe Dinica - Bastus
• Mircea Albulescu

The first world premiere of the film took place on October 24, 1968 at the International Film Festival in San Francisco . The premiere of the German version was held on November 1, 1968 in Vienna , the premiere of the Romanian version on November 18, 1968 in Bucharest ^[2] . The film was watched by 10 508 376 viewers in Romanian cinemas, which made a record ^[3] . The film ranked seventh among the most popular Romanian films of all time ^[4] . At the box office of the USSR, the film was shown from August 3, 1970 ^{[comm. 1] [5]} .

The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 1969, but did not win an award. At the International Film Festival in Adelaide ( Australia ), the film won the Diploma of Merit ^[2] .

• Column on the Internet Movie Database