AllMovie

The unceasing march of the Ottoman Empire was halted in the mid-16th century in one of the most dramatic battles ever fought. Director Michael Bonello breathes life into the historic happening in The Great Siege of Malta 1565. Pitting the Turks against the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, the war was more than a bid for territory. It was a showdown between Christians and Muslims and a triumph of the underdog. The video release coincides with the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Knights order. Bonello re-creates the battle with detailed accuracy, using the same battlegrounds and exact replicas of the soldiers' uniforms. Though outnumbered four to one, the 9,000 men of Malta held their own in this unbelievable story of a fight for freedom.