Blood on the Crown (2021)

Just Noise (Storbju) chronicles how the citizens of Malta fought for independence from Britain in 1919. When the Army was sent to quell the riots and the British government covered up the ... See full summary »

Director:

Davide Ferrario

Writer:

Jean Pierre Magro

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, Malcolm McDowell, Tom Prior

Cast

Credited cast:
Harvey Keitel	...	General Hunter Blair
Malcolm McDowell	...	Colonel Saville
Tom Prior	...	Private Love
Ian Virgo	...	Corporal Bell
Leeshon Alexander	...	Private Colebrooke
Benedick Blythe	...	Major Ritchie
Mikhail Basmadjian	...	Carmelo Abela
Erica Muscat	...	Maria Abela
Matthew Maggi	...	Dying man
Stephen Oliver	...	Interrogating Officer
Chris Dingli	...	Superintendent Anton Busuttil (as Christopher Dingli)
Massimo Portelli	...	Terrified Man
Marc Cabourdin	...	Joseph Hamilton
Dimitri Giannakoudakis	...	British soldier
Robert Grose	...	Governor's Valet

Storyline

Just Noise (Storbju) chronicles how the citizens of Malta fought for independence from Britain in 1919. When the Army was sent to quell the riots and the British government covered up the bloody encounter, more than 100 Maltese were accused of instigating the violence and jailed.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the movie the Maltese flag is missing the George Cross. The George Cross was not added to the Maltese flag until 1943. The George Cross was awarded to the people of Malta by King George VI in 1943 to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the great siege where the Maltese people withstood an onslaught of bombings by the German and Italian forces in the early part of WW2. Even as they were cut off from food and ammunition supplies, the Maltese people did not surrender and some historians have said that if the Maltese people did surrender, it could have changed the course of WW2 to the Axis's favor.

User Reviews

I cannot find a flaw with the 'Storytelling Aspect'...not one. It gets a 10.

Utterly Brilliant! I study film, i make films, iam a passionate story teller...and let me tell you this film is nearly flawless...in fact none come to mind, though there must be some. lol

***There are zero spoilers in this review :)

The film is quite possibly the most subtle and diverse character study of 'conflict' that i have ever watched. The film Braveheart was brilliant and deserving of all its rewards, but its narrative arc and focus are much more wide in scope than this film. In contrast Blood on the Crown, is a beautifully nuanced look at the age-old empire vs rebellion story, completely dedicated to the characters' journey, and to my delight, both sides are equally represented in this regard.

The angry: hawks, simpletons, and youth of each side is well represented. The compassionate and more reasoned characters of the empire/rebellion, are both finely tuned and developed.

It depicts a very 'real' world. Each type of character with their flaws, and we see their struggles, and we understand their motives through many character development and story techniques.

I am in awe.

And notice how i haven't said anything about the Directing, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Production design, Music etc?

For me, and for stories in general, character development and journey is primary...crucial to any great storytelling.

Having said that...All of the above-mentioned key positions in film-making, are without a trace of doubt...MASTERFUL!

I was literally blown away by the subtle and nuanced choices the Director/editor made to tell this story!

This story could have been about anywhere, and anytime...it is the classic story of human conflict that spans recorded history, and is still equally present or relevant today. The choice to make a film set in Malta, with its beauty and rich history, and the fact that Malta's example sparked future rebellions in other colonized countries, was the perfect choice.

Respect to Malta, respect to all the players who helped to make this masterwork of storytelling. It brought me to tears...not because of the troubling and painful history being depicted, but for the sheer power and illumination that great storytelling can, and in the case of 'Blood on the Crown'...absolutely, does possess.

A must see... A must feel... Simply a must.

P.s. through the entire film i was wondering how I knew, but couldn't remember, who one of the actors was...until i saw the credits...Mr. Keitel...your back baby!!!

Details

Country:

Malta Canada USA

Language:

English Maltese

Release Date:

9 March 2021 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blood on the Crown

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anamorphic Media, Arts Council Malta, Electric Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1