To carry out an epic adventure like “A Knight’s Tale,” Columbia Pictures needed to create a movie with swords and armor as well as gallant heroes and plotting villains. They managed to do this and much more in its latest release.
“A Knight’s Tale” was able to incorporate all of the above and did it humorously. Director Brian Helgeland was able to work with a deadpan script while producing rather likable characters.
Aussie hottie Heath Ledger plays the hero of the common people, William Thatcher, or as most know him, Sir Rorouke Van Lickenstein, his noble name.
He and his fellow squires played by Alan Tudyk and Mark Addy are found distraught after discovering their master has died before competing in his final jousting match. In a brave and heroic manner, Will straps on the armor to save their reputations and do what he considers the right thing.
After winning the match, he realizes that his lifelong dream of becoming a knight is in his grasp and decides to pursue his longing by turning his guts into his asset and learning the technique in less than a month.
Because he is not a nobleman, he has to fake the identity of an imaginary lord. Consqeuently, Sir Rorouke Lickenstein of a far-away place is born.
So off he starts his journey as a knight, winning tournament after tournament, defeating treacherous enemies and, of course, pursuing the love of lady Jocelyn, portrayed by Shannyn Sossamon, whose undeniable beauty seems to capture him.
Boredom is usually the word that comes to mind when trying to portray all of these things in a modern, medieval movie, but not with “A Knight’s Tale.” It beautifully and honestly unraveled the nonsense games women and men continue to play.
It is not until the they return for the final “Champion of Champions” tournament that things start to turn “edge of the seat.” William has the power to see his father after a 12-year sabbatical, but doing so may or may not place him in danger of exposing his identity.
Paul Bettany plays the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer whose words produce marvelous thoughts inside his listeners’ heads. He does a fantastic job of portraying the writer gone mad. Both Bettany and Ledger have promising futures ahead.
Do not attend this picture expecting the normal knight’s tale, for this is one of the only successful attempts to incorporate a modern tale that does not escape its medieval roots. This rockin’ and winsome soundtrack also adds to the mood of the movie.
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