Lux in tenebris
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Ironclad
1215. After being forced to sign the Magna Carta, King John (Paul Giamatti) hires mercenaries from Denmark to take revenge on the barons who humiliated him. William d'Albany (Brian Cox) hires the Templar Thomas Marshall (James Purefoy) and a band of rebels to defend the strategically important Rochester Castle from the king. This testosterone-fueled medieval mini-epic begins where Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood" left off, diving headfirst into the dirty politics of the baronial war. The vengeful monarch is trying to reclaim England, which he ceded to upstarts who forced him to grant the people unprecedented freedoms. Then come the inevitable borrowings from classic, formulaic knightly action films: the unkempt baron Brian de Cox in a nice chainmail cardigan, the valiant Templar Sir James from Purefoy, who rides across the country on his heroic steed, gathering a squad of old friends. The archer Mackenzie Crook, the criminal Jamie Foreman, the libertine Jason Fleming, and a couple more adventurers sign up to defend Rochester Castle; according to "Wikipedia," the siege was held by several hundred rebels, but "Ironclad" is limited to a traditional Magnificent Seven. As in all siege films, moments of anxious fear or inspiration alternate with dreary scenes of blockade and starvation. Something between boisterous nonsense for schoolchildren and a serious historical film, "Ironclad" still doesn't skimp on severed limbs, flashes of royal anger, and gate assaults capable of enlivening a boring Saturday evening. Having honed his skills in brutal carnage in "Solomon Kane," Purefoy solidifies his role as a monk-warrior with semi-mystical powers. However, with the first appearance of the lovely mistress of the castle (Kate Mara), it becomes clear that even before the end of the second act, the vow of chastity will be broken. His Marshall, defending Rochester Castle, is reminiscent of the bouncer Patrick Swayze from "Road House." Screenwriter and director Jonathan English, previously known for the TV movie "Minotaur," makes good actors utter rather false lines, but the picture of brutal medieval times looks convincing. Paul Giamatti is an excellent villain, delivering angry speeches about the divine right of the monarch, shaking his fist and chewing his beard, and his Danish henchman (Vladimir Kulich) carries a huge axe on his shoulder, preparing for unpleasant scenes of historically informative violence. According to King John, it is not enough for a rebel to have his hands and feet cut off – he must also be smeared on the castle wall, launched from a ballista. Although this is not a costume film about the Middle Ages from the "Culture" channel, you can learn a couple of interesting facts from it. If you happen to take a Norman castle, remember that the trick with burning pigs may come in handy. Kim Newman 03/21/2011
HERE
1215. After being forced to sign the Magna Carta, King John (Paul Giamatti) hires mercenaries from Denmark to take revenge on the barons who humiliated him. William d'Albany (Brian Cox) hires the Templar Thomas Marshall (James Purefoy) and a band of rebels to defend the strategically important Rochester Castle from the king. This testosterone-fueled medieval mini-epic begins where Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood" left off, diving headfirst into the dirty politics of the baronial war. The vengeful monarch is trying to reclaim England, which he ceded to upstarts who forced him to grant the people unprecedented freedoms. Then come the inevitable borrowings from classic, formulaic knightly action films: the unkempt baron Brian de Cox in a nice chainmail cardigan, the valiant Templar Sir James from Purefoy, who rides across the country on his heroic steed, gathering a squad of old friends. The archer Mackenzie Crook, the criminal Jamie Foreman, the libertine Jason Fleming, and a couple more adventurers sign up to defend Rochester Castle; according to "Wikipedia," the siege was held by several hundred rebels, but "Ironclad" is limited to a traditional Magnificent Seven. As in all siege films, moments of anxious fear or inspiration alternate with dreary scenes of blockade and starvation. Something between boisterous nonsense for schoolchildren and a serious historical film, "Ironclad" still doesn't skimp on severed limbs, flashes of royal anger, and gate assaults capable of enlivening a boring Saturday evening. Having honed his skills in brutal carnage in "Solomon Kane," Purefoy solidifies his role as a monk-warrior with semi-mystical powers. However, with the first appearance of the lovely mistress of the castle (Kate Mara), it becomes clear that even before the end of the second act, the vow of chastity will be broken. His Marshall, defending Rochester Castle, is reminiscent of the bouncer Patrick Swayze from "Road House." Screenwriter and director Jonathan English, previously known for the TV movie "Minotaur," makes good actors utter rather false lines, but the picture of brutal medieval times looks convincing. Paul Giamatti is an excellent villain, delivering angry speeches about the divine right of the monarch, shaking his fist and chewing his beard, and his Danish henchman (Vladimir Kulich) carries a huge axe on his shoulder, preparing for unpleasant scenes of historically informative violence. According to King John, it is not enough for a rebel to have his hands and feet cut off – he must also be smeared on the castle wall, launched from a ballista. Although this is not a costume film about the Middle Ages from the "Culture" channel, you can learn a couple of interesting facts from it. If you happen to take a Norman castle, remember that the trick with burning pigs may come in handy. Kim Newman 03/21/2011
HERE
Евангелие от Иоанна, 1.5: Lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt. Свет во тьме светит, и тьма не объяла его.