A Knight's Tale

I can't help myself. After reading and writing about the Hundred Years War and the Black Prince I was always going to watch A Knight's Tale.

Honestly it's even more interesting now that I know more context, including when it takes place and many of the locations cited. During the reign of English king Edward III (1327-1377) jousting tournaments were popular on either side of the Channel. This was in part due to the king's own interest in them, which occasionally included tilting under someone else's name (sly wink). It also all clearly takes place during the Hundred Years War, the height of the chivalric code of conduct, even directly overlapping the battle of Poiters (1356) to provide an exact date. The Black Prince, the king's eldest son, appears as he was at this time, a model and famous knight in addition to being heir to the throne and English commander. Geoffrey Chaucer was born sometime in the 1340s, so here his age may be off slightly but that's no big deal.

I was previously unaware the films title comes from the first introduced character in The Canterbury Tales, one of if not the most famous written work in Middle English and dating to the 14th century. Of course it makes sense given Chaucer's inclusion in the story and the discussion of what he'd later leave for posterity.

A Knight's Tale, the movie, came out in 2001. Set in medieval Europe (France and England), it features a low-class nobody son of a thatcher (Heath Ledger) with dreams of 'changing his stars.' With the help of some friends he fearlessly seizes a chance to do this through tournament competition but breaks all the rules of who exactly is allowed to participate. Along the way he gets better and better while gaining a nemesis, a love interest and eventually a powerful benefactor. The journey is about self-respect, will, and following your heart.

This description is exactly why it was panned by a number of critics, hovering just below the 60% threshold on RT. I can't really argue with the fact it's essentially Rocky on horseback. However unlike Rocky, which is first and foremost a drama, A Knight's Tale doesn't take itself so seriously. That's actually what makes it good and to me very re-watchable. It should never be considered one of the best movies ever either, and that's okay.

It's certain this movie didn't sweat some of the details. The rules and format of the tournaments aren't consistent in any way. Why would the Count of Anjou, loyal to the French king, care about facing the future king of England in a joust on French soil? I doubt he would. There certainly wouldn't be such a thing as the 'World Championships' in this era. But none of that should matter too much when mixing an adventure with some hilarity.

Movies attempting this type of thing have to walk a fine line and somehow it's pulled off here. The reviews say it's bland once you get past the anachronism. I don't think that's true in the first place, as it's well paced, truly humorous throughout and still contains enough emotion to be an adequate film. And that's still ignoring the part most making it unique. Right off the bat, we have people in the Middle Ages clapping and cheering to We Will Rock You in preparation for the clash of horsemen. You only have yourself to blame if you don't understand it after that. There's also a bunch of dancing and other things that would never happen, at least in the manner displayed. The movie is worth the payoff if you can embrace all the silliness, including the time-mixing, without losing the suspension of disbelief. Or you can essentially be the villain in this story, Count Adhemar, and be constantly and joylessly looking for flaws. Come to think of it, was this intentional?

A couple characters appear to be in on the joke, potentially aware their mostly medieval story has much that doesn't make sense. Chaucer (Paul Bettany), the entire man, operates on a whole other intellectual level and seems subconsciously to know it's his story to tell. The wit later recorded in The Canterbury Tales shines and his hijinks, in tournament introductions and interactions with characters he'd later lambast in legend, almost single-handedly make the movie worth watching. Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon), the confident love-interest, really stands out through the way she thinks and talks, and her style, being thoroughly more modern than everyone around her. She must know something they don't.

Heath Ledger, barely over 20 and just a few films into his career (including 10 Things I Hate About You and The Patriot), already appeared destined for stardom and makes it all work as the lovable, charismatic, and earnestly hard-headed William. He knows what we wants and throws himself at it with abandon, regardless at times of preparedness or safety. The rest of the main cast are gems too. Alan Tudyk's (Firefly) fiery out of control nature is so great. Mark Addy (Game of Thrones) contrasts as a gentle and loyal companion. Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad/BCS) is warm and genuine, the opposite of her other well-known role.

Even beyond the introduction with Queen, the wonderfully used classic rock soundtrack is worth mentioning. The intrusion of David Bowie's Golden Years at the big party is a romp. I can't help but think of this movie every time I hear Thin Lizzy's The Boys are Back in Town. What I want to do is connect this with Guardians of the Galaxy, for the use of songs that really don't fit the backdrop, though maybe it's not a perfect comparison.

Anyway, I really enjoy this movie. If you've never seen it or didn't like it way back when, I'd suggest giving it a(nother) chance. It somehow balances all these things that shouldn't go together and the result is a ton of fun.