UKReb
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 2,436
I don't believe this 2011 movie has crossed the pond yet but for all you medieval history fans I thoroughly recommend Ironclad It got a very short run at some of the movie-houses earlier this year in the UK but has been released on DVD & Bluray this week.
It tells the true- but little known story- of King John's siege of Rochester Castle in 1215. John Lackland who was not one of our most cherished monarchs signed over his ancient feudal rights when forced by his barons to put his seal on the Magna Carter. The little known historical fact is that he reneged on the deal and with an army of Danish mercenaries he amassed at Dover marched to London to put down this bunch of rebel barons. He got as far as Rochester- an imposing Norman castle and keep on the banks of the river Medway- where a few of the rebels under the command of the Duke of Albany stood in his way holed up in the stronghold. John and his army laid siege on them for two months.
Is it a great movie? No but the filmmakers and actors get a 9 out of 10 from me for making it a downright enjoyable one. It is very very visceral and the fight choreography really is first class. Gallons of false blood is splashed across the camera lens as feet, hands and whole limbs are cut off with medieval ferocity. A superb bunch of Brit actors enhance the movie Brian Cox as Albany; Charles Dance as Archbishop Langton; Derek Jacobi and Kate Mara. But the brilliant actor Paul Giamatti as King John steals the show as he screams at the defenders "It's my castle and I WANT IT BACK".Almost Monty Pythonesque but his retribution on the rebels is far from lampooning. It's fearful.
As a young buck I attended grammar school at Rochester and used to take lunch in the castle gardens (when it wasn't tipping down with rain) subsequently, I got very familar with the large imposing Norman keep, which still to this day bear the scars of King John's siege and was extremely impressed with the re-creation of the castle (mostly CGI) in the film. Also they get it historically right in the film when John- after getting his men to mine tunnels under the castle- orders a few hundred pigs slaughtered and packed under the keep's support and set ablaze. Pig fat was constantly used during this period for setting fire to the wooden supports of fortifications.
Well worth a viewing if and when it gets to the States.
Reb
It tells the true- but little known story- of King John's siege of Rochester Castle in 1215. John Lackland who was not one of our most cherished monarchs signed over his ancient feudal rights when forced by his barons to put his seal on the Magna Carter. The little known historical fact is that he reneged on the deal and with an army of Danish mercenaries he amassed at Dover marched to London to put down this bunch of rebel barons. He got as far as Rochester- an imposing Norman castle and keep on the banks of the river Medway- where a few of the rebels under the command of the Duke of Albany stood in his way holed up in the stronghold. John and his army laid siege on them for two months.
Is it a great movie? No but the filmmakers and actors get a 9 out of 10 from me for making it a downright enjoyable one. It is very very visceral and the fight choreography really is first class. Gallons of false blood is splashed across the camera lens as feet, hands and whole limbs are cut off with medieval ferocity. A superb bunch of Brit actors enhance the movie Brian Cox as Albany; Charles Dance as Archbishop Langton; Derek Jacobi and Kate Mara. But the brilliant actor Paul Giamatti as King John steals the show as he screams at the defenders "It's my castle and I WANT IT BACK".Almost Monty Pythonesque but his retribution on the rebels is far from lampooning. It's fearful.
As a young buck I attended grammar school at Rochester and used to take lunch in the castle gardens (when it wasn't tipping down with rain) subsequently, I got very familar with the large imposing Norman keep, which still to this day bear the scars of King John's siege and was extremely impressed with the re-creation of the castle (mostly CGI) in the film. Also they get it historically right in the film when John- after getting his men to mine tunnels under the castle- orders a few hundred pigs slaughtered and packed under the keep's support and set ablaze. Pig fat was constantly used during this period for setting fire to the wooden supports of fortifications.
Well worth a viewing if and when it gets to the States.
Reb
