Medieval
Expensive Czech flick sports game actors and many violent factors.
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I’m a sword-and-sandal subgenre stan and a big backer of Ben Foster as an actor. If anyone would be inclined to dig “Medieval” (now in theaters), it’d be me. Despite some caveats, I mostly did.
“Medieval” tells the tale of famed 15th century Czech warrior Jan Žižka (Foster). Following the demise of Charles IV, his sons King Wenceslas (Karel Roden) and King Sigismund (Matthew Goode) battle for control over Bohemia. Žižka and his men are employed by Lord Boresh (Michael Caine), an ally of Wenceslas’, to provide the Lord with protection.
It’s at Boresh’s behest that Žižka and his men kidnap Katherine (Sophie Lowe), fiancée of Sigismund sympathizer Rosenberg (Til Schweiger) and niece of the King of France. It’s Boresh’s belief that abducting Katherine will force both French and Italian Popes to ordain Wenceslas the one true Emperor putting power plays by Sigismund and Rosenberg to rest. Instead, Sigismund sends Torak (Roland Møller) after Žižka – this, despite the fact that the men were once brothers in arms. Further complicating matters is Žižka and Katherine falling for one another.
“Medieval” is written and directed by Petr Jákl and it’s the most expensive film in Czech history with a budget of 500 million CZK (about $20.5 million USD). It’s a big, bloody movie that’s likely to impress those who enjoyed the likes of “Braveheart” and “Gladiator.”
The cast is uniformly good, if not spectacular. Foster gives a solid, workmanlike performance as Žižka. Foster’s work isn’t as bombastic as his best stuff (“Alpha Dog” and “Hell or High Water” spring to mind), but he convincingly gives off a quiet decency and intensity. Lowe lends the proceedings some much-needed warmth. Having the likes of Caine, Roden, Goode, Schweiger and Møller on hand also elevates the material … even if I suspect most of these performers only spent a few days on set.
“Medieval” does come off a tad confused at times. It can’t seem to decide whether it wants to be a hack-and-slash programmer or something more substantial and it’s much more successful at the former as opposed to the latter. There was a lengthy lull at the film’s center from which it never quite recovers. I honestly loved the movie at the one-hour mark, but then it just sort of droned onwards. At a leaner, meaner 105 minutes “Medieval” would’ve played much better than it does at 126 minutes.
In spite of my complaints, I did admire much about “Medieval” and am of the belief that it’ll play like gangbusters to a certain subsection of filmgoers … especially those without an aversion to a bevy of bloodletting.