I've been keen to see this since I first came across it. If I recall correctly it was the cast that had initially caught my eye, but more interesting to me was that it explores a real figure in Czech history, and that it has been described as the most expensive Czech film made to date. Having had an opportunity several years ago to travel to the Czech Republic, I've been especially interested in watching any pictures I can from Czech filmmakers. Incidentally, I didn't realize until after I sat down that I already had some familiarity with filmmaker Petr Jákl, having watched his 2015 found footage flick 'Ghoul' last fall - which I found to be average, but a strong average. As to 'Medieval' itself - well, I think it's solidly made. The writing is fine in the broad strokes. It becomes troubled in the details, however, and on that basis is less actively engaging and enjoyable than I had ideally hoped it would be.
It's noteworthy that in the first few minutes we're given a voice-over that provides background on the historical scenario into which the narrative fits, and thusly, exposition. At the same time this audio greets us, a few lines of it are also presented as text on the screen - but weirdly, only select pieces, and not enough that would cement the exposition in and of itself. What comes across is that the film movie has conveyed this information to us rather poorly, and unfortunately, this echoes a major problem with which this struggles at large. 'Medieval' is rather weak in communicating its plot, whether that means establishing characters, the dynamics between them, or the goings-on of any particular story beat. This results in bloody, violent, and well orchestrated battles and action sequences that lack the clarity and context that would make them really matter to us. This needed more meaningful balance in the first place between its moments of robust violence and the quieter drama to fuel it, and those quieter moments aren't the best at telling us what's happening. I harbor no ill will toward Jákl, but rather, I'm just sad that the complexities and nuances of Czech history, in a Czech film by a Czech filmmaker, are reduced to "a struggle for power and stability, wherein murder and backstabbing ensues."
In other capacities there is much to admire in 'Medieval.' The filming locations are lovely, and the production design and art direction are superb. All those effects that are employed come off great, from blood and gore, to fire, and more. Stunts and fight sequences are fantastic, and from costume design to hair and makeup, the feature works hard to underline a core theme of the brutality and ugliness of this period in European history. I quite like Philip Klein's score that lends to the mood of any given scene, and I would note as well that provided one has the speakers by which to appreciate it, the sound design is surely among the more impeccable qualities of the picture. Would that I could say the same of the cinematography, or editing, or Jákl's direction. I don't think any of these elements are specifically bad, and some discrete instances thereof are splendid. Rather, the issue is that overall there's a coarse brusqueness to each facet that contributes needless, unwelcome frenzy on top of action scenes, chops up and shortchanges the more story-driven scenes, reduces the strength of the cast's earnest performances, diminishes the impact of every beat, and amplifies the sense of the narrative being meagerly imparted. Zesty pacing does this title no favors; that's hardly a fault exclusive to 'Medieval,' but that doesn't make it any better.
I think this is entertaining and deserving on its own merits; Jan Zizka's tale is one worth telling. The movie's value would be much more evident if the plot it has to impart didn't feel like it were being unnaturally squeezed into two hours. It needed to be longer, and its craft less zippy, simply so that every moment could manifest, breathe, and resolve of its own accord, and subsequently make its weight be truly felt. Its value would be much more evident if the screenplay were more careful in its scene writing and dialogue, and its storytelling generally, so that not even the smallest details were lost, nor the gravity of every beat, and character relationship and identity. This could and should have been an engrossing, exhilarating, grand, violent historical epic. All the right pieces are here for it to have been just that. Yet while its flaws are few, they are so substantial as to significantly drag down the worth of the whole. There's no disputing the immense hard work and sincere heart that all involved poured into the production. Had more fastidious care been applied in a few important ways, we in the audience would have felt that labor and authenticity resonate.
'Medieval' is good, and better than not. The problem is that it ultimately feels rather common and unremarkable, and troubled, when it might have instead been exceptional. Alas.
It's noteworthy that in the first few minutes we're given a voice-over that provides background on the historical scenario into which the narrative fits, and thusly, exposition. At the same time this audio greets us, a few lines of it are also presented as text on the screen - but weirdly, only select pieces, and not enough that would cement the exposition in and of itself. What comes across is that the film movie has conveyed this information to us rather poorly, and unfortunately, this echoes a major problem with which this struggles at large. 'Medieval' is rather weak in communicating its plot, whether that means establishing characters, the dynamics between them, or the goings-on of any particular story beat. This results in bloody, violent, and well orchestrated battles and action sequences that lack the clarity and context that would make them really matter to us. This needed more meaningful balance in the first place between its moments of robust violence and the quieter drama to fuel it, and those quieter moments aren't the best at telling us what's happening. I harbor no ill will toward Jákl, but rather, I'm just sad that the complexities and nuances of Czech history, in a Czech film by a Czech filmmaker, are reduced to "a struggle for power and stability, wherein murder and backstabbing ensues."
In other capacities there is much to admire in 'Medieval.' The filming locations are lovely, and the production design and art direction are superb. All those effects that are employed come off great, from blood and gore, to fire, and more. Stunts and fight sequences are fantastic, and from costume design to hair and makeup, the feature works hard to underline a core theme of the brutality and ugliness of this period in European history. I quite like Philip Klein's score that lends to the mood of any given scene, and I would note as well that provided one has the speakers by which to appreciate it, the sound design is surely among the more impeccable qualities of the picture. Would that I could say the same of the cinematography, or editing, or Jákl's direction. I don't think any of these elements are specifically bad, and some discrete instances thereof are splendid. Rather, the issue is that overall there's a coarse brusqueness to each facet that contributes needless, unwelcome frenzy on top of action scenes, chops up and shortchanges the more story-driven scenes, reduces the strength of the cast's earnest performances, diminishes the impact of every beat, and amplifies the sense of the narrative being meagerly imparted. Zesty pacing does this title no favors; that's hardly a fault exclusive to 'Medieval,' but that doesn't make it any better.
I think this is entertaining and deserving on its own merits; Jan Zizka's tale is one worth telling. The movie's value would be much more evident if the plot it has to impart didn't feel like it were being unnaturally squeezed into two hours. It needed to be longer, and its craft less zippy, simply so that every moment could manifest, breathe, and resolve of its own accord, and subsequently make its weight be truly felt. Its value would be much more evident if the screenplay were more careful in its scene writing and dialogue, and its storytelling generally, so that not even the smallest details were lost, nor the gravity of every beat, and character relationship and identity. This could and should have been an engrossing, exhilarating, grand, violent historical epic. All the right pieces are here for it to have been just that. Yet while its flaws are few, they are so substantial as to significantly drag down the worth of the whole. There's no disputing the immense hard work and sincere heart that all involved poured into the production. Had more fastidious care been applied in a few important ways, we in the audience would have felt that labor and authenticity resonate.
'Medieval' is good, and better than not. The problem is that it ultimately feels rather common and unremarkable, and troubled, when it might have instead been exceptional. Alas.