The Last Valley Film Guide

June 1, 2013

This film guide serves as a teaching and learning resource for use with the 1971 film The Last Valley, which tells the story of a band of religiously mixed mercenaries who decide to spend the winter in a town thus far unspoiled by the religiously motivated Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) raging across Europe. Because the film’s setting is historical, it provides an opening for classroom discussion about many complex issues of contemporary relevance, such as just war, religious justifications for violence, religious tools for conflict resolution, and the balance between religious sensitivity and security concerns. This guide focuses on six key scenes that can be shown in the classroom in less than 25 minutes. The guide contains a synopsis of the film, relevant historical context, a set of key terms, discussion questions, and transcripts of key scenes from the film.

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