The Reckoning (2003/I)

Director:

Paul McGuigan

Writers:

Barry Unsworth (novel)
Mark Mills (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 February 2004 (Hungary)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

The truth shall come to light

Plot:

A priest on the lam takes up with a traveling band of actors, who then discover a murder has occurred and try to solve it by recreating the crime in a play.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Murder | Actor | Monk | Death

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Paul Bettany	...	Nicholas
Marian Aguilera	...	Nicholas' Lover
Trevor Steedman	...	Jealous Husband
Simon McBurney	...	Stephen
Tom Hardy	...	Straw
Brian Cox	...	Tobias
Willem Dafoe	...	Martin
Gina McKee	...	Sarah
Stuart Wells	...	Springer (as George Wells)
Vincent Cassel	...	Lord De Guise
Elvira Mínguez	...	Martha
Richard Durden	...	Town Justice
Ewen Bremner	...	Simon Damian
Mark Benton	...	Sheriff
Hamish McColl	...	Innkeeper
Matthew Macfadyen	...	King's Justice
Luke de Woolfson	...	Daniel
Niall Buggy	...	Priest
Julian Barratt	...	Gravedigger
Luisa Requena Baron	...	Baker
Pedro Martinez De Dioni	...	Carpenter
Tom Georgeson	...	Flint
Simon Pegg	...	Gaoler
Teresa Berganza	...	Wells' Mother (as Maria Berganza)
Rafa Izuzkiza	...	Wells' Father (as Rafa Izuzquiza)
José Luis Martínez Gutiérrez	...	Man at Play (as Jose Luis Martinez)
Valerie Pearson	...	Woman at Play
James Cosmo	...	Lambert
Balbino Lacosta	...	Chamberlain
Heathcote Williams	...	Undertaker
David Luque	...	Captain of the Guard

Directed by
Paul McGuigan

Writing credits
Barry Unsworth		(novel "Morality Play")
Mark Mills		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mark Albela	....	associate producer
Stephen Evans	....	executive producer
Angus Finney	....	executive producer
Sarah Halioua	....	co-producer
Denise O'Dell	....	co-producer
Andrew Warren	....	line producer
Caroline Wood	....	producer

Original Music by
Adrian Lee
Mark Mancina

Cinematography by
Peter Sova

Film Editing by
Andrew Hulme

Casting by
Jina Jay

Production Design by
Andrew McAlpine

Art Direction by
Julian Ashby
John Ralph		(supervising art director)
Jordi Yria Roca

Set Decoration by
Anna Pinnock

Costume Design by
Yvonne Blake

Makeup Department
María Carmen Clavel	....	makeup artist (as María Del Carmen Clavel)
Caroline Frazer	....	makeup artist
Ana Belén Galiano Pérez	....	crowd makeup artist
Sue Ignatius	....	makeup artist
Maureen McGill	....	hair stylist
Sarah Monzani	....	chief makeup designer
Carmela Perez	....	crowd makeup artist
Graham Pownall	....	personal hair stylist: Mr. Cox and Mr. McFadyan
Simon Thompson	....	chief hair designer

Production Management
Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor	....	production manager
Yousaf Bokhari	....	production supervisor
Félix Burgos	....	unit manager: Spain
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Mark Mostyn	....	unit production manager: Spain
Charlie Thompson	....	unit manager: UK
Cristina Zumárraga	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Baker	....	second assistant director
Iñaki Beraza	....	third assistant director: Spain
Yousaf Bokhari	....	first assistant director
Joe Geary	....	third assistant director
Andrew Hulme	....	second unit director
Juan Jiménez	....	second assistant director
Alex Oakley	....	additional second assistant director
Mary Soan	....	first assistant director: UK

Art Department
Mark Bartholomew	....	draughtsman
Robert Betts	....	stand-by painter
Emilio Cañuelo	....	carpenter
Rafael Ceballos	....	stand-by props
Alan Chesters	....	construction manager
Leigh Chesters	....	carpenter
Jane Clark	....	storyboard artist
José Luque Cruz	....	carpenter
Martin Duffy	....	stand-by carpenter
Gavin Fitch	....	chief draughtsman
Ian Fryer	....	storeman
Michael Gunner	....	supervising painter
Danny Hunter	....	property master
Paul Inglis	....	draughtsman
David Ned Kelly	....	supervising carpenter (as David Kelly)
John Knight	....	stand-by props
Ray Lee	....	prop buyer
Pirra Jesús Lorenzo	....	assistant art director: Spain
Jonas Maldonado	....	stand-by props
Jon Marson	....	stand-by props
Iain McFadyen	....	storyboard artist
José Luis Moya	....	construction coordinator: Spain
Ramón Moya	....	construction manager
Colin Mutch	....	stand-by props
David Packard	....	scenic artist
John Palmer	....	prop buyer: Spain
Sandra Phillips	....	art department assistant
Alexandra Walker	....	assistant art director
Michael Webb	....	supervising stagehand
Tom Whitehead	....	junior draughtsman
Frank Howe	....	drapesman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	sound re-recording mixer
Antonio Bloch	....	production sound mixer
Edward Bulman	....	foley editor (as Ed Bulman)
Ricky Butt	....	foley artist
Jens Christensen	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sara Fijo	....	boom operator
Susan French	....	dialogue editor
Matt Grimes	....	supervising sound editor
Alistair Hawkins	....	assistant sound editor
John Hughes	....	boom operator
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dean Humphries)
Hugh Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andy Kennedy	....	sound effects editor
Melissa Lake	....	foley artist
Keith Marriner	....	supervising dialogue editor
Leslie Mona Mathis	....	adr mixer: New York
Jody Nazzaro	....	adr recordist: New York
Steve Schwalbe	....	adr editor
James Seddon	....	dolby consultant
Graeme Stoten	....	foley editor
Ruth Sullivan	....	foley artist
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist
Richard Todman	....	additional adr editor
John Warhurst	....	additional adr editor
Bernard O'Reilly	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
César Abades	....	special effects coordinator
Reyes Abades	....	special effects
Óscar Abades	....	special effects assistant
Ángel Alonso	....	special effects coordinator
Stuart Brisdon	....	special effects supervisor: UK
Román Cabrera	....	special effects assistant
Juan Carlos Corroto	....	special effects assistant
Mark Haddenham	....	special effects senior technician
John Mason	....	snow effects floor supervisor
Martin 'Marty' McLaughlin	....	senior snow effects technician
Juan Carlos Urbán	....	special effects assistant
Joaquín Vergara	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Mark Bakowski	....	digital compositor
Steve Boag	....	titles and opticals
Dave Early	....	digital matte painter (as David Early)
Charles Green	....	optical camera and grading
Martin Hobbs	....	visual effects plate producer
Antony Hunt	....	executive Producer: Mill Film
Emma Ibbetson	....	visual effects producer: main title sequence
Andrew Jeffery	....	optical cameraman: Mill Film (as Andy Jeffery)
Dylan Kendle	....	title design
Luke Pendrell	....	main title designer
Daniel Pettipher	....	digital supervisor: Cinesite
David Sewell	....	digital compositor
Angie Wills	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Jorge Huergo	....	stunts
Eugenio Jiménez	....	stunts
Miguel Pedregosa	....	stunt coordinator
Álvaro Quiroga	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
John Arnold	....	grip: second unit
Reg Boddy	....	electrician
Robert Diebelius	....	stand-by rigger
Paul Edwards	....	Steadicam operator
Jon Elicegi	....	video assist operator
Shaun Evans	....	focus puller
Roberto Fernández	....	clapper loader: Spain
Wilf France	....	clapper loader
Jiri Gazda	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Jiri Gazda	....	grip
Mark Goldeman	....	rigger
Darren Grosch	....	rigging gaffer
Paul Harford	....	lighting rigger
Rab Harling	....	clapper loader: "b" camera, UK
Dai Hopkins	....	key grip
Clive Mackey	....	focus puller
Dave Oldroyd	....	electrician (as David Oldroyd)
Ben Perry	....	clapper loader: UK
Ray Potter	....	gaffer
Keith Sewell	....	Steadicam operator
Martin Stephens	....	camera operator
Ben Tilley	....	camera trainee
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Shaheen Baig	....	casting associate
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Camilla-Valentine Isola	....	casting: Spain

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marianne Agertoft	....	key set costumer
María Luisa Durán	....	wardrobe assistant: Spain
Suzy Freeman	....	costume supervisor
Madeline Herbert	....	costume breakdown (as Madeleine Hubert)
Aurora Ferre Pereira	....	costume breakdown
José Vico	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Tomas Cabral	....	post-production assistant
Mark Gravil	....	assembly editor
Riaz Meer	....	assistant editor
Gemma Spector	....	post-production assistant

Other crew
Mark Beaumont	....	production accountant
Carrie Bond	....	production assistant: Spain
Philip Clark	....	location scout
Johnnie Clements	....	stand-in: UK
Francisco Cortes	....	acquisitions & co-productions: Paramount Classics
Leoni Cotgrove	....	production secretary: Spain
Marta de Dios	....	producer secretary
Ignacio de Loyola	....	carts engineer
Cristina Ecija	....	production secretary
Elizabeth Gemmill	....	medieval researcher
Sally Grace	....	dialogue coach
Dez Gray	....	floor runner: UK
Andrew Hill	....	health and safety advisor
Alan John	....	laboratory contact
Debbie Kaye	....	horses
Vernice Klier	....	dialogue coach: Vincent Cassel
Gabby Le Rasle	....	production runner
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor
Fry Martin	....	assistant accountant
Luis Miguel Mateos	....	horse wrangler
Rafael Molina	....	animal wrangler
Luis Navarro Merino	....	legal services
Luke Pendrell	....	main title sequence designer
Sebastian Pereira	....	horse wrangler
Gemma Rawsthorne	....	assistant production accountant
Adam Richards	....	location manager
John Robertson	....	supervising rigger
Melinda Smith	....	assistant coordinator
Phil Symes	....	unit publicist
Jane Templeton	....	production coordinator
Sarah-Jane Wilson	....	assistant production accountant

Thanks
Peter Berry	....	special thanks
Simon Crawford Collins	....	special thanks
Ashley Rowe	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Kanzaman (in association with)
• M.D.A. Films S.L. (in association with)
• Renaissance Films

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures Corporation (Canada) (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Capelight Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Entertainment in Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Mill Films (I) (visual effects)
• Reyes Abades Efectos Especiales
• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  lighting equipment (as AFM)
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance
• Abantel  special thanks
• Aerial Camera Systems (ACS)  camera and electrical equipment
• Agencia del Medio Ambiente (Comunidad de Madrid)  special thanks
• Ajumi  set construction
• Alcigrip  camera and electrical equipment
• Ambulancias Abraham  first aid services
• Andalucia Film Commission  special thanks
• Animales Y Carruajes S.A, Madrid, Spain  horses
• Apex Car Rental  hire cars (as Apex)
• Ayuntamiento de Nijar y Al Pueblo de San Jose  special thanks
• Bickers Action Enterprises  camera and electrical equipment (as Bickers Action)
• Camera Rent  camera and electrical equipment
• Camera Revolution  camera and electrical equipment
• Centro Penintenciario El Acebuche  special thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Churches Conservation Trust, The  special thanks
• Cinesite  digital output
• Ciné Image  titles and opticals
• Construcciones Moya  set construction
• Cornejo  costumes
• Deluxe  film processed by
• Domingo Morillo  set construction
• English Arms and Armour  arms and armour
• Europcar  hire cars
• Express Car Hire  hire cars
• Film Finances  completion bond
• Film World Freight  facility vehicles (as Filmworld Group)
• Global Effects  chainmail and helmets
• Hedingham Castle  special thanks
• Jumadi Electricidad  electrical fittings
• Legiscine  payroll company
• Mamen Cine y TV  extras
• Mole Richardson  lighting equipment
• National Atesa  hire cars
• National Trust, Ashridge, The  special thanks (as The National Trust's Ashridge Estate)
• National Trust, The  special thanks
• Navigant International  travel
• Offline Editing Company, The  post-production facilities
• Olswang  legal services
• Optex Rentals  camera and electrical equipment
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Parque Natural Cabo de Gata  special thanks
• Peris Hermanos  costumes
• Pérez Muñoz Transport  freight agent
• Rafael Catering  catering: Spain
• Set Meals  catering: UK
• Southern Sun  lighting
• St Mary's Church, Edlesborough  special thanks
• St. Mary's Church, Fleet Marston  special thanks
• Theodore Goddard  legal services
• Transcinema  lighting equipment
• Viajes Solymar  travel
• Willie's Wheels  facility vehicles
• Ángel Megino  facility vehicles

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality and violent images

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK | Spain

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Kanzaman

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The troupe of actors is heading north, as they tell Nicholas at the campfire, but when they come to a collapsed bridge shortly afterwards and debate whether to go west or east along the river, they point to their right as being west, which is the wrong way round.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nicholas:Seek those things that are above, not those things that are upon the earth.

A well told well acted story.

A gem of a film. Artistic without being pretentious, moving without being cliché. Paul Bettany is completely believable as a tormented priest, Willem Dafoe is as always intense and a joy to watch. The movie takes place in the dark ages mostly in a small outpost in the English countryside. A woman is wrongly accused of murder and a traveling troupe of actors, lead by Dafoe, enters the town and becomes involved in clearing her name of the accusation.

I was most impressed with the set they used for the village, it's incredible. The set immerses you in the desperate and dramatic feel of the film properly. The film has an authentic theatrical feel to it. More like it's being acted on stage rather than on location. I recommend this well acted tale.