White Warrior

Although this uninspired Italian adventure film is loosely based on Leo Tolstoy's tale about a 19th-century clash between Czarist Russia and several ethnic groups in the Caucasus, Tolstoy's original talent is buried. Ponderous and quickly put together, the story stars Steve Reeves as the muscular hero known as the "White Warrior" who leads the defence against the Russians. ("White" in this case refers to his warrior's garb.) His defence strategy would be an easier task if there were not political intrigue and romantic hurdles to overcome within his own camp, obstacles which provide grist for the narrative mill.