Black Death
The plot of Black Death has been marketed well. The synopsis alludes to the bubonic plague being something like a means of bringing back the dead, as if the film will be working within the conventions of a zombie film set in the Middle Ages. But though the plot deals with witchcraft to a certain extent, the overarching theme within Black Death is the religious confusion during the bubonic plague, a more realistic horror than the idea of undead zombies or witchery.
Black Death follows a band of warriors and a young monk that accompanies them on their quest to find a town where the dead seem to come back to life. This town has escaped the advances of the plague, and everyone seems to be in fairly healthy spirits. Along the way, the group encounters a series of disheartening events, including losing some of their own to the sickness and watching the madness of religious fervor as witches are burned. The film is in essence one of hearty adventure, but the atmosphere imbued by director Christopher Smith soaks the journey in tension and dread.
Characterization happens quickly, and that puts a damper on how much the audience gets to meet their adventurers. Unfortunately, most of the warriors tend to blend together, defined by their moody masculinity and domineering natures. But Ulric (Sean Bean) is able to rise above the more shallow characters by sheer amount of screen time alone, and although Ulric is somewhat stereotypical in his depiction, he appears more well-rounded when compared to the others in the band.
The monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) is obviously the most clearly defined character; there is a significant growth in his personality from the beginning to the end of the film, stemming from the villainy he encounters on his quest. The loss and death that he faces changes him, and it's apparent (almost painfully so) at the end that Osmund has become so vengeful that it drives his decisions.
Black Death features a number of riveting action sequences which are nicely choreographed, but the exceptional idea that drives Black Death is the suspenseful religious beliefs that are tested. At times, the chivalry of the warriors produces a melodramatic display from the band of hardened warriors, but it doesn't shake the fact that Black Death focuses a lot of its intensity into the differing belief systems of Christians and pagans. The resulting conflict creates a very real emotional horror that has nothing to do with the supernatural but is eerie and tense no less thanks to the hefty amount of dreariness surrounding the majority of the film.
Slash to the Point: Black Death effectively captures a dark tone that keeps the viewer on edge throughout; the lack of a supernatural aspect besides the Christians' confusion is not a flaw, but rather a boon that keeps the viewer engaged in the proceedings, and the adherence to common belief during the Middle Ages provides both a heroic and historical story of death, plague, and the search for God during a time where mortality was startlingly evident.
Black Death on Rotten Tomatoes
The plot of Black Death has been marketed well. The synopsis alludes to the bubonic plague being something like a means of bringing back the dead, as if the film will be working within the conventions of a zombie film set in the Middle Ages. But though the plot deals with witchcraft to a certain extent, the overarching theme within Black Death is the religious confusion during the bubonic plague, a more realistic horror than the idea of undead zombies or witchery.
Black Death follows a band of warriors and a young monk that accompanies them on their quest to find a town where the dead seem to come back to life. This town has escaped the advances of the plague, and everyone seems to be in fairly healthy spirits. Along the way, the group encounters a series of disheartening events, including losing some of their own to the sickness and watching the madness of religious fervor as witches are burned. The film is in essence one of hearty adventure, but the atmosphere imbued by director Christopher Smith soaks the journey in tension and dread.
Characterization happens quickly, and that puts a damper on how much the audience gets to meet their adventurers. Unfortunately, most of the warriors tend to blend together, defined by their moody masculinity and domineering natures. But Ulric (Sean Bean) is able to rise above the more shallow characters by sheer amount of screen time alone, and although Ulric is somewhat stereotypical in his depiction, he appears more well-rounded when compared to the others in the band.
The monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) is obviously the most clearly defined character; there is a significant growth in his personality from the beginning to the end of the film, stemming from the villainy he encounters on his quest. The loss and death that he faces changes him, and it's apparent (almost painfully so) at the end that Osmund has become so vengeful that it drives his decisions.
Black Death features a number of riveting action sequences which are nicely choreographed, but the exceptional idea that drives Black Death is the suspenseful religious beliefs that are tested. At times, the chivalry of the warriors produces a melodramatic display from the band of hardened warriors, but it doesn't shake the fact that Black Death focuses a lot of its intensity into the differing belief systems of Christians and pagans. The resulting conflict creates a very real emotional horror that has nothing to do with the supernatural but is eerie and tense no less thanks to the hefty amount of dreariness surrounding the majority of the film.
Slash to the Point: Black Death effectively captures a dark tone that keeps the viewer on edge throughout; the lack of a supernatural aspect besides the Christians' confusion is not a flaw, but rather a boon that keeps the viewer engaged in the proceedings, and the adherence to common belief during the Middle Ages provides both a heroic and historical story of death, plague, and the search for God during a time where mortality was startlingly evident.
Black Death on Rotten Tomatoes
2 COMMENTS:
hey friends,
thanks for sharing wonderful posts..
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