After having greatly enjoyed watching the HBO series Game of Thrones,I decided to search online to see if lead actor Sean Bean had done anything similar.Taking a look at Bean's IMDb credits,I was pleased to discover that he had starred in a historical Horror film,which led to me getting ready to unleash the black death.
The plot:
England: 1348
Arriving at a monastery,a knight called Ulric announces that he needs a monk to help him and his men to locate a remote village,which has strangely been untouched by the black death plague sweeping the country. With having made a deal with his secret girlfriend that he would meet her near the village,a young monk called Osmund tells Ulric that he will take him and his men safely to the village.
Heading to the village,Ulric and Osmund find themselves surrounded by death,which leads to Ulric having to kill one of his most loyal men,thanks to him getting infected with the black death.Arriving at the village,Ulric and Osmund are taken aback,when they receive a warm welcome from the towns residence.As everyone starts to relax for the night,Osmund and Ulric soon discover the secret behind the villages plague vaccine.
View on the film:
Slowly releasing the Gothic Horror atmosphere,the screenplay by Dario Poloni carefully draws a thumbnail sketch for each of the character's,as Poloni shows the effects that Ulric's rigorous mission has on the rest of the gang.Delaying the supernatural Horror aspect from entering the first half,Poloni shows everyone to be gripped with a deep fear of their nearest & dearest being infected by the plague,which leads to Poloni striking the title with a wonderfully bleak,haunted ending.
Filmed on location over 5 weeks,director Christopher Smith wraps the movie in a harsh decaying mist,as Smith keeps away from using primary colours, (with the exception of blood red)by choking any sense of light from the film with dried-up and rotting grays,blacks and muddy browns.Despite Smith building up a good sense of terror by using excellent wide-shots to show the films stunning woodland locations,the movies feeling of dangerous adventure is chopped to bits,thanks to Smith disapprovingly deciding to give the fight scenes a choppy appearance,which leads to ever strike made in the fights completely failing to connect.
Teaming up with future-Game of Thrones co-star Carice van Houten, (who gives an elegant,uneasy performance as the village leader)Sean Bean (or as he is known "Oop North" of the UK as Sir Sean Bean!)gives a tremendous performance as Ulric,as Bean hits Ulric with real shots of gravitas on his quest to wipe out the black death,whilst gradually showing Ulric to develop a caring side,as Ulric attempts to stop Osmund (played by a very good Eddie Redmayne) from being drawn into the black death.
The plot:
England: 1348
Arriving at a monastery,a knight called Ulric announces that he needs a monk to help him and his men to locate a remote village,which has strangely been untouched by the black death plague sweeping the country. With having made a deal with his secret girlfriend that he would meet her near the village,a young monk called Osmund tells Ulric that he will take him and his men safely to the village.
Heading to the village,Ulric and Osmund find themselves surrounded by death,which leads to Ulric having to kill one of his most loyal men,thanks to him getting infected with the black death.Arriving at the village,Ulric and Osmund are taken aback,when they receive a warm welcome from the towns residence.As everyone starts to relax for the night,Osmund and Ulric soon discover the secret behind the villages plague vaccine.
View on the film:
Slowly releasing the Gothic Horror atmosphere,the screenplay by Dario Poloni carefully draws a thumbnail sketch for each of the character's,as Poloni shows the effects that Ulric's rigorous mission has on the rest of the gang.Delaying the supernatural Horror aspect from entering the first half,Poloni shows everyone to be gripped with a deep fear of their nearest & dearest being infected by the plague,which leads to Poloni striking the title with a wonderfully bleak,haunted ending.
Filmed on location over 5 weeks,director Christopher Smith wraps the movie in a harsh decaying mist,as Smith keeps away from using primary colours, (with the exception of blood red)by choking any sense of light from the film with dried-up and rotting grays,blacks and muddy browns.Despite Smith building up a good sense of terror by using excellent wide-shots to show the films stunning woodland locations,the movies feeling of dangerous adventure is chopped to bits,thanks to Smith disapprovingly deciding to give the fight scenes a choppy appearance,which leads to ever strike made in the fights completely failing to connect.
Teaming up with future-Game of Thrones co-star Carice van Houten, (who gives an elegant,uneasy performance as the village leader)Sean Bean (or as he is known "Oop North" of the UK as Sir Sean Bean!)gives a tremendous performance as Ulric,as Bean hits Ulric with real shots of gravitas on his quest to wipe out the black death,whilst gradually showing Ulric to develop a caring side,as Ulric attempts to stop Osmund (played by a very good Eddie Redmayne) from being drawn into the black death.