The King - new Netflix film

[Atheling]

For a king of England, Timotheee also has a very French face 

Even after a four to five year hiatus I'm so *#%* deep in the HYW that I just cannot get my head around the armours! 

i'm going to have to watch a few episodes of The Last Kingdom to get myself accustomed before I watch The King! 

I probably need professional help   

[Atheling]

Well The king is released on Netflix today in the UK

[Captain Blood]

Just watched it.



SPOILER ALERT


Pretty good I thought. Bit slow, and wasn’t too keen on the reimagining of Falstaff as the gallant hero, but hey, the guy playing Falstaff was also the writer and producer, so what can you do... 
A very creditable attempt at the right costumes, armour and arms for the period. Not quite right in places, but a lot closer than most medieval movie and TV productions manage.
Unfortunately, Game of Thrones’ ‘Battle of the bastards’ has now infected every medieval battle to be portrayed on screen... if it’s not a seething mass of close-packed men squidging around ineffectually in  all-covering mud and viewed from a bird’s eye angle, it’s not considered proper. Personally, I doubt medieval battles were like this, but I suppose it makes good viewing... it’s just a bit of a cliché now, along with the flaming trebuchet balls (check), and the crates of squawking chickens signifying an army off to war (check).
Robert Pattinson as The Dauphin was excellent value though. Timothée Chalomet, less so - strangely disengaging and hard to feel anything for.
The twist in the ending was rather good, and the brutality was believably matter of fact and unsentimental.
On the whole, I’d say 7/10, pushing 8/10.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Well The king is released on Netflix today in the UK

Thanks for that.  It has also just become available on Netflix in New Zealand. 

Captain Blood,
like you, I would like things to be as historically "correct" as possible, however, I found this video informative about why some things are done the way they are in movies.


Apologies if this has already been posted here before. 

[Silent bob]

Unfortunately, Game of Thrones’ ‘Battle of the bastards’ has now infected every medieval battle to be portrayed on screen... if it’s not a seething mass of close-packed men squidging around ineffectually in  all-covering mud and viewed from a bird’s eye angle, it’s not considered proper. Personally, I doubt medieval battles were like this, but I suppose it makes good viewing...

Strange really, the crush at Agincourt was cited as being the reason Battle of the Bastards was filmed in such away....so you could say the idea had come home

I'm no expert in the HYW etc but I wasn't impressed.....I always thought Shrewsbury was a bit of a bigger affair.......I liked Hals scar but didn't see the point because it was not even referenced in the story

I am a strange creature - I can totally suspend reality while watching movies/TV (ie Game of Thrones) but I get my knickers in a right twist if something is sposed to be 'historical.

I suppose films have to be watchable and interesting (imagine the 'real' Zulu.....hours of gun fire and little else going on....no Ulla Jacobbson......) but my argument is that films are the nearest thing majority of the population come to history and they believe films implicitly, so the producers should get it right....or at least the basics right -

Spose everyone is different....so I shall now go back to my cave.....

SB

[mweaver]

I have to confess I couldn't watch the whole thing.  If you want to do Shakespeare, do Shakespeare.  If you want to an historical film, you should make some attempt at accuracy.  I counted six or seven serious historical errors in the fist 20 minutes of the film.  So I skipped ahead to the big mud wrasslin' scene at the end.  Then made myself feel better by re-watching Kennith Branagh's Henry V.

-Michael

[Silent bob]

There were some good bits - I liked the single combat scene at Shrewsbury - I hasten to add for the fight choreography and style of fighting...........I declared straight after Battle of Bastardcourt.....so I probably missed the exciting bit in the last 20 minutes.

However for me it has won the 'Valhalla Rising' award of 2019 AKA "whoosh there goes two hours of my life I won't get back again"

[Kitsune]

Didn’t really do it for me. Tonally very one dimensional, big battle that I’d waited 90 mins for was underwhelming. Best thing about it was that I didn’t pay for it.

[Sir_Theo]

It was OK. I preferred Outlaw King as far as Netflix medieval films go. Agincourt was.... Boring? And felt unlike anything I've got in my head about a medieval battle let alone Agincourt. Also the Battle of Shrewsbury was odd, as in this film it didn't happen at all.

The point made above about about the 'battle of the Bastards' reminds me of all films after the Brad Pitt Troy where there was a battle they had people running at each other at a sprint before leaping into the air. Its weird things that they do in films and TV. I rewatched some of Last Kingdom recently and was again stuck at the odd Testudo like shieldwalls.

[Cubs]

Thanks for that.  It has also just become available on Netflix in New Zealand. 

Captain Blood,
like you, I would like things to be as historically "correct" as possible, however, I found this video informative about why some things are done the way they are in movies.


Apologies if this has already been posted here before.

My wife is laughing in the corner after listening to this as I watched it - to quote her directly "I like him, he's just shat all over everything you say when we watch those films."

Bollocks.

[bergschotten]

Well I enjoyed it.... not the best film ever but far from the worst, and yes the History was all over the place but I thought it they made a good fist of time and place

[Captain Harlock]

Just finished it
I expected thunder. I got flies farting.... Meh

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Just watched it.
Whoever did the closing credits did a good job .................................


 

[Sparrow]

What a shame no one making this thought to read a history book or even read Shakespeare. A couple of hours of my life I won’t get back 

[has.been]

As opposed to all those other hours that you will get back Sparrow?