King John's England and the film Ironclad

Castle Rochester as depicted in Jonathan English's film Ironcald (2011)

The 17th century English writer Thomas Hobbes said that life without a sound government was, "nasty, brutish, and short." Of course, Hobbes was not speaking specifically of the medieval period when he penned those words, but they could have proved true nonetheless. In Jonathan English's film Ironclad he shows just how nasty, brutish, and short life could be during the reign of King John I, when barons fought against the king, and king against the barons. English's movie shows in visceral detail the horrors of middle age warfare, where a simple nick or "flesh wound" (Monty Python) could prove fatal. Few men survived unscathed and a greater many died. While these over-the-top images stretch the truth in some instances, over all, the film strove for a historically accurate depiction of warfare during the Middle Ages. 

King John I

English's movie is set against the backdrop of England during the ruthless reign of King John (played by Paul Giamatti). At the beginning of the film, it shows the result of the barons march on London, and how they eventually forced the hand of King John into signing the Magna Carta in 1215. In this way, this movie plays out like an unofficial sequel to Ridley Scott's 2010 film, Robin Hood, albeit with a much more gruesome tone. After the signing of the Magna Carta, King John is furious and wants to even the score against the barons that made him relinquish some of his power. The king is hellbent on proving that he is the ultimate authority in the land. The history here is not too far off, either. After signing the charter, King John went back to war with the barons that had opposed him. 

English History in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood

Few legends have captured the imagination of so many as the tale of Robin Hood. Although there are many myths and legends that speak of Robin of the Hood, there is currently no historical evidence to support the idea that Robin Hood was in fact a real person. Nevertheless, that did not stop director Ridley Scott from taking on the legendary hero and lending a great deal of historical authenticity to his film. While Robin Hood, or Robin Longstride (played by Russell Crowe), is a fictitious character in the movie, much of the history surrounding his character is quite real, and is worth discovering for those interested in digging below the surface.

The start of Scott's film shows King Richard the Lionheart (r. 1189-1199) and a small army trying to take Chalus Castle in northern France. The group of soldiers fight valiantly to take the castle, but are unable to penetrate the castle's strong defenses. Historical sources say that at the end of the day, a handful of French soldiers defended the castle, proving once again it is easier to defend than to attack. Nearing the end of the battle, Richard is shot in the neck by an arrow. While this is in fact how Richard died in real life, he did not die upon returning from the Crusades, as it was depicted in the film. King Richard had in fact already returned to England to raise money for his costly Crusades, and after which returned to reconquer French lands. No doubt, Scott plays with the historical timeline a bit to play up the tension between the English and French at this time. Despite the minor changes to the timeline, Scott's opening battle sequence is thrilling, and it looks amazing, with great detail given to the period costumes. This is medieval cinema at its finest.