The Desert of the Tartars (Valerio Zurlini, 1976, 2h 18m)

Young Lieutenant Drogo is assigned to the defense of an isolated fortress in a mountainous desert region. The garrison is tasked with fending off a possible attack by the fierce Tartars. Time is what will prove to be the fort men’s worst enemy, plaguing their lives in an endless wait, without the infamous Tartars ever showing up.