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On Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 8:06:32 AM UTC-7, a425couple wrote:
> Yes, they flat out recognize:
> Braveheart might not be known for being the most historically accurate
> of films -- it jettisons historical fact altogether
>
> from
>
https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/25 best movies and tv
shows about the middle ages/s1 39006598#slide 1
>
> 25 best movies and TV shows about the Middle Ages
> Updated 36 minutes ago | By Thomas West
> Though films and TV series about the Middle Ages do not always attract
> the same level of love and critical praise as those set in other periods
> of history, there are still a number of notable films and TV series
> which take the period as their setting. For some time, many of these
> looked to the medieval period as a moment of chivalry and knightly
> quest. More recently, however, popular culture set in the Middle Ages
> has leaned into the gritty and grimy aesthetic, demonstrating how
> flexible this particular period remains and the many things it has come
> to represent.
>
>
> 1 of 25`Camelot`
> `Camelot`
> Starz via MovieStillsDB
> If there`s one figure from the Middle Ages who looms larger than any
> other, it would have to be King Arthur. His saga has been reimagined
> countless times, but one of the more noteworthy efforts was the
> short-lived Camelot from Starz. Though it only lasted one season, the
> series was nevertheless noteworthy for the extent to which it straddled
> the line between historical authenticity and the core elements of this
> well-established legend. In addition, it features a strong cast, and Eva
> Green is particularly exceptional as the cunning and ruthless Morgan
> Pendragon, who wants to bring down both Arthur and Camelot.
>
>
> 2 of 25`Monty Python and the Holy Grail`
> `Monty Python and the Holy Grail`
> EMI Films via MovieStillsDB
> Of all the films released by the Monty Python comedy troupe, Monty
> Python and the Holy Grail is arguably the best and funniest. A riotous
> and joyful send-up of everything having to do with the King Arthur
> legend, from King Arthur himself to Lancelot and the Lady in the Lake.
> It has all of the surrealism and absurdity of the troupe`s usual humor,
> but what makes it really special is how it seems to understand what
> makes the original legends so enduringly popular. Perhaps nothing
> highlights its premier status more than the fact that it ended up being
> the basis for its musical, Spamalot.
>
>
> 3 of 25`The Pillars of the Earth`
> `The Pillars of the Earth`
> Starz via MovieStillsDB
> Based on the bestselling novel by Ken Follett, the Starz miniseries The
> Pillars of the Earth focuses on the residents of the fictional town of
> Kingsbridge as they struggle to build a cathedral and contend with the
> political strife known as the Anarchy. Though there are a host of
> characters, much of the action revolves around Eddie Redmayne`s Jack
> Jackson and Hayley Atwell`s Lady Aliena, with Ian McShane and Matthew
> Macfadyen turning in performances as the cunning and ruthless Waleran
> Bigod and Prior Philip, respectively. Though it can be a bit
> melodramatic and predictable in its plot, the series is nevertheless a
> good adaptation of Follett`s novel and a rich depiction of life and
> struggle in the medieval period.
>
>
> 4 of 25`The Adventures of Robin Hood`
> `The Adventures of Robin Hood`
> Warner Bros via MovieStillsDB
> In classic Hollywood, few actors were as dashing and handsome as Errol
> Flynn, so it makes sense that he would have been cast as Robin Hood in
> Michael Curtiz`s The Adventures of Robin Hood, released in 1938. It`s a
> Technicolor swashbuckler as only old Hollywood could have made it, and
> Flynn is joined by a great supporting cast that includes Olivia de
> Havilland as Maid Marian, Claude Rains as Prince John, and Basil
> Rathbone as Guy of Gisbourne. What it lacks in historical authenticity,
> it more than makes up for in simple joy and exhilaration, as it sweeps
> the viewer up in the efforts of Robin and his Merry Men to topple the
> cruel and corrupt rule of Prince John.
>
>
> 5 of 25`El Cid`
> `El Cid`
> Allied Artists via MovieStillsDB
> If there was one actor in classic Hollywood who represented the epic
> film, it was Charlton Heston. Whether as Moses or Ben-Hur, something
> about his chiseled physique and simple physical presence made him seem
> ideal for epic heroes. In El Cid, he plays the titular character, one of
> the most celebrated heroes in Spanish history, a man who fought against
> the Moors of Spain during the Middle Ages. It has everything one expects
> of such a drama, with moments of powerful passion and others of deep
> introspection about the nature of religious faith, the bounds of duty,
> and the ultimate price of heroism.
>
>
> 6 of 25`The Last Duel`
> `The Last Duel`
> 20th Century Studios via MovieStillsDB
> Ridley Scott is one of today`s most versatile directors, and there are
> few genres he hasn`t worked in. He has proved particularly adept at the
> epic, however, and The Last Duel, while not an enormous success, is
> nevertheless a thoughtful exploration of the nature of patriarchy in the
> medieval world. It`s a grim and somber film featuring the superb acting
> talents of Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver. It shows a grittier
> side of the Middle Ages than some might expect, and this is its great
> strength and the thing that can sometimes make it difficult to watch.
>
>
> 7 of 25`The Northman`
> `The Northman`
> Focus Features via MovieStillsDB
> Following the success of The Witch and The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers
> returned to the big screen with The Northman. A retelling of the legends
> that inspired Shakespeare`s Hamlet, it revolves around Alexander
> Skarsg?rd`s Amleth, a young man who swears vengeance against his uncle
> after his father is traitorously murdered. Though it has moments of camp
> excess, there is still a profound beating heart to this film that helps
> to elevate above its excesses. Skarsg?rd makes for the perfect epic
> hero, at once strikingly handsome and spiritually tortured. The film
> also excels at bringing out the cruelty and beauty of the Middle Ages.
>
>
> 8 of 25`Braveheart`
> `Braveheart`
> Paramount Pictures via MovieStillsDB
> Braveheart might not be known for being the most historically accurate
> of films -- it jettisons historical fact altogether -- but there`s no
> denying its power. Mel Gibson is in extraordinary form as William
> Wallace, the Scottish rebel who led his people to fight back against the
> English, led by their hard-edged and avaricious king, Edward I. The film
> is filled with rousing battlefield scenes and speeches, but it also
> doesn`t shy away from the darker aspects of medieval life. This is
> entirely fitting, as this was an often-brutal age, and the film allows
> for a surprisingly rich understanding of one of the era`s most important
> historical figures.
>
>
> 9 of 25`Kingdom of Heaven`
> `Kingdom of Heaven`
> 20 Century Fox via MovieStillsDB
> After success in The Lord of the Rings and Troy, Orlando Bloom kept up
> with the epic filmmaking by appearing in Kingdom of Heaven. He portrays
> the character Balian of Ibelin, a blacksmith who goes to the Holy Land
> and becomes ensnared in the fraught politics of the Crusades. The film
> shows all of Scott`s keen eye for action and epic storytelling, and it
> was timely, as its examination of the relationship between Christians
> and Muslims dovetailed with the then-new War on Terror. Though it takes
> some notable liberties with known historical facts, there`s still an
> emotional truth to it, allowing it to become a surprisingly thoughtful
> piece of epic filmmaking.
>
>
> 10 of 25`The Green Knight`
> `The Green Knight`
> A24 via MovieStillsDB
> The legend of the Green Knight is one of the lesser-known stories from
> Arthurian legends, which gives director David Lowery quite a bit of
> license. The result is The Green Knight, one of the most unique and
> innovative films about the Middle Ages. Dev Patel gives a masterful
> performance as Sir Gawain, who yearns to be the type of hero he thinks
> he deserves to be. It is a unique mix of magic and desire and dark
> magic, and it is also fiercely deconstructive, diving deep into the
> haunted spirit of folklore, forcing a reckoning with what storytelling
> means and entails.
>
>
> 11 of 25`Vikings`
> `Vikings`
> History via MovieStillsDB
> As its title suggests, Vikings is set during the Viking Age and focuses
> in particular on Ragnar Lodbrok, one of the most famous heroes of the
> era (played by Travis Fimmel). As with so many other series, it takes
> some significant liberties with the known history of the period, but
> this doesn`t lessen its appeal. The series is remarkable for the extent
> to which it captures the grittiness and grime of the early Middle Ages.
> There is, nevertheless, a savage beauty about its presentation of this
> era and its most terrifying inhabitants, and Fimmel has a suitably
> fierce and intense charisma that makes him ideally cast as a Viking warlord.
>
>
> 12 of 25`Vikings: Valhalla`
> `Vikings: Valhalla`
> History via MovieStillsDB
> Vikings: Valhalla is a spinoff of the hugely successful Vikings and
> takes place about a century after its parent series. In this case, it
> focuses, in particular, on the conflicts between the English and the
> Vikings. As with its predecessor, there`s a gritty and realistic feel to
> the show that is key to its appeal. At the same time, however, it gives
> viewers an understanding of the complicated politics that were very much
> at work in the period when the dominance of the Vikings was beginning to
> come to an end. It also features some of the most famous names of the
> Middle Ages, including Leif Erikson, Harald Sigurdsson, King Canute, and
> Queen Emma.
>
>
> 13 of 25`Excalibur`
> `Excalibur`
> Warner Bros via MovieStillsDB
> The legend of King Arthur has inspired generations of filmmakers, but
> few have approached the material in quite as unique a way as John
> Boorman. His Excalibur has many of the elements of the traditional
> Arthur story -- with the boy raised in ignorance of his true heritage,
> his dalliance with his own half-sister, Morgana, and the doomed romance
> of Guinevere and Lancelot -- but he glosses it all with his unique visual
> sensibilities. The film exists in the fraught territory between history
> and fantasy, with scenes of such brutality and beauty that they seem to
> sear themselves into the viewer`s mind.
>
>
> 14 of 25`Becket`
> `Becket`
> Paramount Pictures via MovieStillsDB
> Thomas Becket was one of the most formidable and noteworthy
> personalities of the Middle Ages. His friendship-turned-rivalry with
> King Henry II was significant for the men and England`s history. Richard
> Burton (who plays Becket) and Peter O`Toole (who plays Henry) give
> stirring, soulful performances. They both excel at taking these
> larger-than-life figures and turning them into fully fleshed-out
> individuals, two men driven to collide with one another due to their own
> deeply-held beliefs. This is the kind of literate costume drama viewers
> can really sink their teeth into, and the well-written screenplay and
> the tremendous performances help to elevate it to the best the genre has
> to offer.
>
>
> 15 of 25`The Lion in Winter`
> `The Lion in Winter`
> AVCO Embassy Pictures via MovieStillsDB
> Based on the play of the same name, The Lion in Winter depicts a
> Christmas gathering of King Henry II of England and his fractious
> family, including his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his three
> surviving sons, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. It`s a film filled with
> memorable performances, particularly from Peter O`Toole, Katherine
> Hepburn, and Anthony Hopkins. It`s a literate drama about a family
> damaged almost beyond repair. Moreover, it ably captures the toxic
> politics which were always such a key part of the Angevin family, a
> dynasty in which fathers frequently fought against sons and in which
> sons turned against one another.
>
>
> 16 of 25`The Sword in the Stone`
> `The Sword in the Stone`
> Walt Disney Pictures via MovieStillsDB
> Though it wasn`t an enormous success at the time of its release, The
> Sword in the Stone has subsequently come to be seen as one of the most
> beloved Disney films. Loosely adapting the first book of T.H. White`s
> The Once and Future King, it follows a very young King Arthur as he
> becomes the student of the eccentric wizard Merlin. Filled with
> memorable songs, vibrant animation (including a wizard`s duel, in which
> Merlin and his nemesis Madam Mim transform into various animals), and
> some valuable life lessons, it`s a film that shows the extent to which,
> even in the post-Walt era, Disney still knew how to produce a great
> animated feature.
>
>
> 17 of 25`Robin Hood`
> `Robin Hood`
> Walt Disney Pictures via MovieStillsDB
> Disney`s Robin Hood is another of those Disney films that emerged from
> the 1970s to lackluster reviews but has subsequently become beloved.
> With its memorable cast of anthropomorphic animals in the traditional
> Robin Hood roles and catchy songs, it`s a treat to watch. Of course, no
> Disney film is complete without a good villain, and the nefarious Prince
> John ranks up there with the best of them, though he is far sillier than
> he is competently evil. It`s a lighthearted take on one of the most
> beloved legends from the Middle Ages.
>
>
> 18 of 25`The Name of the Rose`
> `The Name of the Rose`
> Columbia Pictures via MovieStillsDB
> Based on the thought-provoking novel by the late Umberto Eco, The Name
> of the Rose stars Sean Connery as William of Baskerville and Christian
> Slater as his novice, Adso of Melk. Together, they undertake an
> investigation of a series of strange deaths at a remote abbey. Slowly
> but surely, they uncover the dark secrets hidden behind its walls.
> Though not quite as elegantly constructed as the book, there is still a
> great deal to enjoy about this film, not the least of which is Connery`s
> performance. However, it`s also enjoyable because it grapples with
> weighty issues, including, most notably, the perilous nature of
> forbidden knowledge.
>
>
> 19 of 25`The Last Kingdom`
> `The Last Kingdom`
> BBC via MovieStillsDB
> In keeping with the gritty aesthetic that seems to characterize so many
> contemporary depictions of the Middle Ages, The Last Kingdom immerses
> the viewer in the turbulent period of English history when the native
> English were starting to fight back against the Vikings. It focuses in
> particular on the character Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon raised by
> Vikings who finds his fate intertwined with that of the man known to
> history as Alfred the Great. The Last Kingdom doesn`t shy away from the
> brutality and violence that were often a part of the medieval world, but
> it also has moments of soaring triumph.
>
>
> 20 of 25`A Knight`s Tale`
> `A Knight`s Tale`
> Sony Pictures Releasing via MovieStillsDB
> Some of the most notable movies about the Middle Ages have tended to be
> dramas, but every so often, a comedy comes along. A Knight`s Tale is
> filled with deliberate anachronisms, but Heath Ledger, who portrays
> William Thatcher, a peasant who masquerades as a knight, is so
> charismatic and fun to watch that it`s easy to overlook these
> inaccuracies. It`s the sort of underdog story that is always guaranteed
> to thrill a film audience, and though it might not be one of Ledger`s
> more lauded performances, there`s no denying that he exudes the same
> charm he does in such other roles as 10 Things I Hate About You.
>
>
> 21 of 25`Henry V`
> `Henry V`
> Curzon Film Distributors via MovieStillsDB
> The works of Shakespeare have been adapted numerous times to film, and
> one of the more notable efforts in this regard is Henry V. Directed by
> and starring Kenneth Branagh as the title character, it focuses on
> Henry`s invasion of France and its consequences. Though it maintains
> Shakespeare`s dialogue, it still gives a gritty representation of
> medieval battle. In this film, Branagh pulls off one of the most
> difficult feats, reimagining the oft-adapted works of the Bard and
> rendering them into something new, fresh, and exciting. Among the other
> members of the talented cast are Judi Dench, Ian Holm, and Derek Jacobi.
>
>
> 22 of 25`The Hollow Crown`
> `The Hollow Crown`
> BBC via MovieStillsDB
> The Wars of the Roses were some of the most noteworthy and devastating
> conflicts to have hit England, and they make for fascinating and
> compelling drama. The British TV series The Hollow Crown is a
> multi-part adaptation of several of Shakespeare`s notable works,
> including The Henriad. It is truly an embarrassment of riches when it
> comes to its cast, which includes such heavy hitters as Ben Whishaw, Tom
> Hiddleston, and Michael Gambon. This is meticulously crafted television
> at its best, and it makes Bard`s classic history plays feel fresh, new,
> and ever more relevant for the 21st century. What sets this series
> apart, however, is the extent to which each episode manages to work both
> as an episode of television and as part of a coherent whole.
>
>
> 23 of 25`The White Queen`
> `The White Queen`
> Starz via MovieStillsDB
> For the past decade, Starz has made a point of releasing sumptuously
> produced historical dramas focusing on the experiences of notable
> historical women. One of the most notable is The White Queen, which
> tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner who married none
> other than Edward IV. However, their romance is only part of the story.
> The series masterfully weaves together their love with the broader
> conflicts of the Wars of the Roses, as Elizabeth`s fate intertwines with
> many of the other prominent women of the period, including the
> redoubtable Margaret Beaufort, who would herself give birth to a man
> fated to become a king.
>
>
> 24 of 25`Ivanhoe`
> `Ivanhoe`
> MGM via MovieStillsDB
> The works of Sir Walter Scott were enormously popular in his own
> lifetime, and they have a remarkable afterlife on the big screen. Of the
> many adaptations of his work, one of the best is 1952`s Ivanhoe. The
> film focuses on the adventures of its title character, a Saxon who
> nevertheless wants to see King Richard return to England. It`s a
> sweeping adventure film of a distinctly old-fashioned sort, and while it
> makes some changes to Scott`s novel, it keeps true to the spirit of it.
> It also features some great performances from Robert Taylor, Elizabeth
> Taylor, George Sanders, and Joan Fontaine.
>
>
> 25 of 25`Outlaw King`
> `Outlaw King`
> Netflix via MovieStillsDB
> Chris Pine is one of the most charming and charismatic actors working in
> Hollywood, and he brings all of that to bear in Outlaw King, in which he
> plays Robert the Bruce. Though often overshadowed by William Wallace,
> Bruce was also key to Scotland`s Wars of Independence, this film
> restores him to his rightful place in history. Though it might like some
> of the heightened grandeur of the earlier Braveheart, it`s a more
> historically accurate film. Like many other films about the Middle Ages
> from the 21st century, it doesn`t shy away from the dirt, blood, and
> violence of this pivotal period in Scottish history.
>
> Thomas J. West III earned a PhD in film and screen studies from Syracuse
> University in 2018. His writing on film and TV has appeared at Screen
> Rant, Screenology, FanFare, Primetimer, Cinemania, and in a number of
> scholarly journals and edited collections. He co-hosts the Queens of the
> B`s podcast and writes a regular newsletter, Omnivorous, on Substack. He
> is also an active member of GALECA, the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment
> Critics.
>
> More must-reads:
>
> The 25 best cult classic films of all time
> The 25 best TV miniseries of all time
Am I the only one who remembers THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE?
--- G2/1.0
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