A Knight's Tale

Surprisingly accurate for a voluntarily modern vision.

This is not a serious movie; and yet, it gets so many details right, or closer to right than most movies this century. The armour, weaponry, costumes are (most of them) pretty much coherent with 14th century Europe. Not historically perfect, some details modernised, but nothing is jarringly bad.
The movie does bend the timeline a little, but the pervasive Chaucer in-jokes make up for it.


By modern vision, I do in no way the fabled "modern audience"; I mean translating (some) events or costumes into modern culture.
The movie opens with the peasantry singing Queen's We Will Rock You at a tournament.
Though obviously anachronistic, it does, to my mind, convey the overall feeling. Tournaments, jousting in particular, was a cross between pro wrestling and drag racing at the time. Big show.
So yeah, Queen.
Love the bloke turning donuts with his horse.

The cast is brilliant, to the last. Bettany is simply fantastic as an over-the-top Chaucer. Ledger was on his way to greatness. Tudy is Tudyk. Addy is at his best. Sewell is perpetually under-rated.

As for political agenda, I find none.
Yeah, female blacksmith. It did happen. Widow to a tradesman (as in this movie), cause one has to eat, or tradesman with no son, cause trade is precious. In both cases, they would help enough to pick up some skills.
Armourer, though, might be pushing it; there are (rare) historical examples, but the actress just looks on the smallish side.
Ah well, it fits with the rest.


All in all, a surprisingly good and endearing movie.