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The New Barbarians

The New Barbarians (I nuovi barbari)

Movie · 1983 · 4 people

Italian post-apocalyptic action film The New Barbarians, whose Italian title is I nuovi barbari, dates from 1983 and has also circulated as Warriors of the Wasteland. Sitting where action meets science fiction, it was shot in Italian and runs about 90 minutes. The film is strongly influenced by Mad Max. German-speaking audiences know it as Metropolis 2000, and in France it is Les Nouveaux Barbares. Its Spanish title is Los nuevos bárbaros, and in Romanian it goes by Noii barbari and Războinicii pustiului.

The story is set in 2019, after a nuclear catastrophe. Two loners wandering among the starving remnants of humanity take it upon themselves to shield a band of pilgrims from a vicious gang bent on genocide. Giancarlo Prete and George Eastman take the lead roles, with Fred Williamson and Venantino Venantini also in the cast. Anna Kanakis, Ennio Girolami, Andrea Coppola and Massimo Vanni are among the other players.

Enzo G. Castellari directed the film and also wrote the screenplay with Tito Carpi. The production company is Titanus; in France the film is also described as an Italian-American production.

DirectorEnzo G. Castellari
Production companyTitanus

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Cast

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Fred Williamson Fred Williamson Actor · 88 years old Venantino Venantini Venantino Venantini Actor · died at 88 George Eastman George Eastman Actor · died at 83 Giancarlo Prete Giancarlo Prete Actor · died at 58

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Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

A 2019 after nuclear catastrophe, starving survivors and two lone warriors guarding pilgrims from a vicious gang: every ingredient for post-apocalyptic action is in place. A running time of around ninety minutes helps the pace too. But in a film this strongly influenced by Mad Max, anyone who knows the original may not be able to stop comparing. If you enjoy eighties Italian genre films, it makes for a fun night.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari and co-written with Tito Carpi, The New Barbarians exemplifies a common habit of early-eighties Italian genre cinema: quickly reproducing a successful foreign model. The strong influence of Mad Max is the biggest obstacle to the film building an identity of its own; the ruined lands, gangs and lone warriors look like borrowed iconography. Even so, the motif of protecting a band of pilgrims is an interesting genre hybrid, carrying the western's defend-the-defenceless pattern into post-apocalyptic science fiction. And circulating under so many titles in different countries suggests it was designed for an international market from the outset.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

The New Barbarians is not a film for children. It is a dark action film set after a nuclear catastrophe, in which a vicious gang tries to wipe people out. Violence sits right at the centre of the story. Adults and older teens who like action can watch it, but it will be too much for young children and sensitive grandparents. If you want a family evening film, pick something else.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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