Henry V in the cinema: Laurence Olivier’s charismatic version of history
Public attitudes to Henry V are very much influenced by William Shakespeare’s interpretation. Richard Inverne discusses how Shakespeare’s version has been translated into cinematic form by Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh.
Game of Thrones, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Roots of Modern Fantasy
With the coming of the final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones, the mainstreaming of the medieval-fantasy genre that began with Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies is complete.
A Quest for the Black Knight: Casting People of Color in Arthurian Film and Television
Must actors of color be portrayed as the “Other” when (or if) given roles in films made in the West about the European Middle Ages?
The Bright Side of the Knife: Dismemberment in Medieval Europe and the Modern Imagination
Together with hazardous quests, plagues, peasant squalor, witches, trials by ordeal, and makeshift projectiles (including catapulted livestock and annoying monosyllables), dismemberment in Monty Python’s dark Arthurian world is a commonplace
Medieval Movie Review: Robin Hood (2018)
With dozens of adaptations of the medieval tale of Robin Hood in film, could this latest one offer viewers something new? More importantly, is it any good?
From Ivanhoe to Ironclad: Excavating Layers of Tradition in a Medieval Film
By calling into question the trustworthiness of the historical record, this scene, from the 2011 film
Ironclad directed by Jonathan English, could be the filmmaker’s pre-emptive strike against those who
would criticize a film’s historical accuracy
Medieval Movie Review: Outlaw King
Although it sticks to the medieval film playbook – mud, blood, and a bit of romance – it’s in the details that Outlaw King stands out, giving Robert the Bruce’s fight for independence a uniquely Scottish air.
Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Hollywood’s Problem with Public Domain Properties
Why does Hollywood keep making Robin Hood and King Arthur movies even though no one cares about them?
Sewing the Scene: The Uses of Embroidery in Medieval Film
Embroidery has been used in medieval film as a means by which the main female character reclaims her autonomy.
The Unicorn in the Symbolic and Semantic Expression of the Film Director Ridley Scott in the Context of Medieval Bestiaries
This paper observes and researches the relations between symbolic unicorn representation in Ridley Scott’s movies Blade Runner and Legend comparing it to the medieval bestiary descriptions and representations.
The Best Medieval Film: The Case for A Knight’s Tale
Making a medieval movie is a difficult task. Natalie Anderson discusses why, in her opinion, one of the best films set during the Middle Ages is 2001’s A Knight’s Tale.
Cinema Paradiso: Re-Picturing the Medieval Cult of Saints
Cinema is not, of course, a medieval cultural form but its evolutionary trajectory can perhaps be seen as rooted in aspects of medieval material culture, particularly the plastic arts, manuscript illumination and printing and the performing arts, particularly religious drama with its propensity for movement.
Medievalists at the Movies: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword premiered May 2017 MAN CANDY ALERT! When I sat down to watch “King Arthur” over this past…
Medievalists at the Movies: Assassin’s Creed
In between the exciting chases, hand-to-hand combat, and surprisingly well-acted dialogue, the overall film drags with too many flat moments of the lead actors staring into the camera or watching something happening from afar.
Get ready for medieval zombies on film!
Horror just got medieval! An Australian filmmaker is set to expand a short film about crusaders fighting zombies, hoping to create a web series. A fundraising campaign is now underway to give Black Crusade the chance to unleash its undead horde.
Flatness and Depth: Classic Disney’s Medieval Vision
Since a castle is its corporate logo, we should hardly be surprised that castles, as well as other elements of medieval architecture, figure prominently in a host of classic-era Disney films.
The World’s Worst Fantasy Film: In the Name of the King
What do you get when you mix Burt Reynolds, Jason Statham, Ray Liotta and Ron Perlman in a movie together? You get a horrible movie. Those worlds are never meant to collide, and never in a fantasy movie.
Friendship, Betrayal, War: “Soldier of God” Movie Review
A Templar and a Muslim; their strange friendship is the premise of this week’s movie based in the 12th century immediately after the disastrous Battle of Hattin.
A Viking Mess – Northmen: A Viking Saga Movie Review
This week’s medieval movie is Northmen: A Viking Saga.
Sir Gawain Gets an 80s Reboot: The Sword of the Valiant Movie Review
This week, we have the retelling of the epic Arthurian romance of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in this 1984 fantasy reboot.
A Forgettable Fantasy Film: The Four Warriors
Another weekend, another medieval movie! This week, I review “The Four Warriors”.
Lacklustre “Last Knights” – Movie Review
My review of this disappointing venture featuring Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman.
So Bad, it’s Good: Movie Review – The Magic Sword
So bad, it’s good. If you’re looking for a medieval movie to watch and a laugh, The Magic Sword might be for you!
Disney’s Medievalized Ecologies in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty
As I explore how Disney medievalized nature, I also explore how Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, in a small but significant way, participated in mid-twentieth-century discourses on the environment.
Macbeth: Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star in dark, gritty interpretation of Macbeth
Macbeth opened in October in London to critical acclaim. The movie is being released today in Canada and the US.