[Regia-NA] About productions based on historical legends?

[Jack Garrett]

Most importantly, I love historical movies, particularly those that make an honest effort to accurately portray the period.  I tend to pretty forgiving if I sense that the movie-makers are trying.  For many reenactors, though, it’s far cooler to pick something apart (“Ah hah, they’re wearing their knives hanging vertically!”)  than to give points for reasonable effort.  That’s fun (and I do it, too), but I don’t like throwing the baby out with the bath water.

 

The point has been made before that historical movies reflect the period in which they were made more than the period that seems to be on screen.  Compare the armor and cloaks in “Ben Hur” or "Demetrius and the Gladiators" with those in “Gladiator”.  We live in a darker, more cynical world and the colors in “Gladiator” demonstrate that.  It’s even surprising to see how the lighting and colors on the “making of” features on the “Gladiator” DVD differ from the final, color-drained film.  (Now, why they threw in a pile of later period helmets for the gladiators to select from is simply bizarre.)

 

Similarly, in the 21st century, we can apparently accept an Achilles who kills without mercy, but he has to be depicted as avenging his beloved “cousin”.  Not the “Iliad” I read.

 

Few movies manage to balance historical accuracy (as far as I can discern it), with telling a good story.  The best, for me, are those like “Rob Roy”, “The Last of The Mohicans” and “Gettysburg”.  I even like movies that get it all wrong, but do so purposely and with the best of intentions.  As an example, I love the 1954 movie “Prince Valiant”, because it tells a rousing, exciting comic-book story without any pretensions to accuracy.  The Vikings are the worst of the fur-wearing, horned helmeted misconceptions – and they’re fun to see.  The Heath Ledger movie, "A Knight's Tale" and Tim Robbins in "Erik the Viking" kinda fall into the same category.

 

At the far end of the spectrum are those that don’t bother with accuracy at all, displaying a real contempt for the audience - both informed and not.  The most execrable example that comes to mind is “First Knight” with Sean Connery and Richard Gere.  Wrong castles, wrong armor, wrong weaponry, wrong cast, wrong plot.  Running a close second is Kevin Costner’s “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”.  The mystery with this one was that they researched the period extensively, even using cattle of the right size and breed.  How they then went so wrong, using the wrong Crusade, explosives, a weird tree-fort village, out-of period Celts and, oh yeah, the wrong star, can only be chalked up to the most cynical commercialism.

 

In the end, it’s always a compromise.  We might not want William Wallace in “Braveheart” to look like a painted (tattooed?) Bronze-Age Celt, but we wouldn’t want him to have a mouth full of yellowed, crooked or missing teeth.

 

I've gone to Medieval Times a half-dozen times and to a similar show at Excalibur in Las Vegas.  Historical?  Not even remotely, but I still get a small sense of what it might have been like by choosing the things that seem to be right - and that's worthwhile.

 
Well, time to watch Kirk Douglas in “The Vikings” again.  Not sure about those leather shorts, though...

Jack/Ottar


Moe Berthiaume <Talent at sympatico.ca> wrote:
Dear Regia Members!
 
Yesterday, I had a unique opportunity to meet with members of Wynmerestow, a Regia group based in Southern Ontario.  I found these people to be "real" in their endeavour to reach their goals as members within a Living Historical Society.  Everyone was warm, generous, they made me feel truly comfortable.  
 
Some demonstrated  workmanship and others shared some of their knowledge with me.  As a group, they gave me an opportunity to present a creation of mine, a project related to 9th century Viking and Anglo Saxon cultures.  Afterwards, we had discussions related to authenticity and the members' historical perspective about the above mentioned period.   
 
Many thanks to Mark, Beth, Chris, Grainne, David and the rest of the group.
 
An issue I find to be interesting is the disdain some members seem to have toward certain movies and other productions based on historical legends.  We briefly discussed Arthur, Troy and Alexander.   During my presentation, I mentioned "Medieval Times" in Toronto.  I felt certain members cringe a bit but we didn't elaborate on this.  
 
With regards to Medieval Times and/or other productions, would anyone have anything to add to this discussion in terms of authenticity, their positive or negative impact on viewers, other interesting topics of discussion!
 
Sincerely,
 
Moe      
Talent at sympatico.on.ca 
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