Commercial Italian cinema is known for building opulent spectacles around epic-mythological stories. Vittorio Cottafavi brought a flair for pure scale to his prodigious productions of Cleopatra's Legions, The Gladiator's Revenge and Hercules Conquers Atlantis, but he also brought a strong interest in moral themes, irony and formal technique. The humor with which Cottafavi peppers the adventures of his heroes was also ample proof that he didn't take his often weak subjects very seriously. One Hundred Horsemen is set in the Middle Ages, where we find that a group of Moslem warriors has settled down in a Castillian village. A truce has been declared between the marauding Moors and the local Christians. However, after a short time, the Moslems reveal their true intentions and subdue the inhabitants. The villagers sneak off and-with the aid of an odd friar adept at warfare-set about reconquering their homes. In One Hundred Horsemen, Cottafavi creates a moral allegory of life, war and colonialism, infecting his contemporary concerns with themes from the Middle Ages. This self-conscious contamination of a period epic with topical issues makes for a most amusing blend of ancient sword play and modern philosophy.