Brancaleone alle crociate is a 1970 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli. The film features Vittorio Gassman in the lead role of Brancaleone, a ragtag knight who sets out to conquer the Holy Land with his band of misfits. Along the way, they encounter a series of comical mishaps and obstacles as they battle their way towards Jerusalem.
The film is a sequel to Monicelli's 1966 film Brancaleone at the Olympics and picks up with the eponymous hero years later on a new adventure. This time, Brancaleone's mission is to reclaim the Holy Sepulchre from the infidels and bring it back under Christian control. Along the way, he and his companions, including a monk, a dwarf, and a hunchback, encounter a series of eccentric characters, including a band of bumbling Saracen soldiers.
Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Brancaleone and his band manage to outsmart their foes and make their way towards their ultimate goal. But things take a dark turn when they are ambushed by the followers of the antipope Clemente, leaving only a handful of survivors.
Brancaleone is left humiliated and disillusioned, feeling that his mission has been a failure. He takes solace in the fact that Death itself has appeared to him and offers him the chance to finally be at peace. But Brancaleone, ever the survivor, decides to carry on and continue his quest for glory.
The film is known for its irreverent humor and political satire, as well as its use of medieval jargon and historical accuracy. It was a hit at the box office, grossing over 2.5 million dollars in Italy alone, and is considered a classic of Italian cinema.