1943年,侵华日军为了挽救必然失败的命运,挥军进犯湘西北军事重镇常德。驻守当地的国军第74军57师临危受命,八千代号虎贲的将士在师长余程万带领下,准备与数倍于己的敌人决一死战。
战云密布的前夜,连长冯宝华推迟了与未婚妻婉清的婚事以全力备战,同日军有国仇家恨的当地苗族青年黄二虎踊跃参军,敌兵未至,常德军民斗志已燃!然而在日军的优势火力迫压下,德山与河伏先后失守,常德成为一座孤城。余程万下令全师与城共存亡,虎贲将士在毒气与炮火中与日军展开一寸寸土地的争夺。最终57师用覆亡的代价谱写下抗战史中不朽的一页。。This Film seems to be some kinda sequel to the Hunted City. Comissario Ferro comes from Rome to Milan. The violence is at a all time high. Gangsters dress up with some bizarre Carnival-masks. They use this outfit to liquidate some opponents. Ferro is no friend of such behavior and so he uses his gun the traditional way and lightens their masses a little bit.
Even though the ending is a bit disappointing, the film contains a great fight in a plastic-factory with lots a white plastic bottles. Visually nice! I like the documentary-style of Massis Camera very much. It makes the film so involving and real. His Experience in the Western-Genre as Camera operator in films like "C'e Sartana vendi la pistola..." and "Dio Perdoni la mia Pistola" sure comes in handy. Joan Collins had no trouble with face-surgery at that time.。