Black Death (2011)
VERDICT:
8/10 Missions from God
Succeeds and destroys where so many others have failed.
Set in England during the height of the bubonic plague, Black Death is about a young monk whose devotion to his faith is tested when the girl he secretly loves goes away to find a town that is free from infection. So when a band of holy knights show up looking for a guide to lead them to a town that’s supposedly immune from disease, the monk jumps at the opportunity and saddles up. But once they’re on the road, the knights drop a bomb on the monk by telling him that they’re not looking for a sacred village, but rather seeking out a Satanic village that they believe is the root of the fatal epidemic sweeping the land. Rather than go back to the monastery looking like a bitch, the monk stays the course and has his being tested in ways he never could have imagined.
Now, I don’t watch a lot of movies like these, because movies like these tend to suck. Season of the Witch, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, King Arthur – all those movies that take the awesomeness of medieval knights running train and somehow manage to turn them into laughing stocks that just don’t get it. Granted, I’m no film maker, but it seems like a pretty difficult formula to fuck up. Yet that’s exactly what happens more often than not, and the overwhelming surprise that this was a total exception to the rule played a big part in why I’m still so freaking crazy about Black Death.
One thing I was expecting from this movie and ended up getting in spades was violence. Not that I have a bloodlust in need of quenching, but the title was a dead giveaway and a bodycount just comes with the territory. With that being said, the few battle scenes we’re subject to keep very much in line with the rest of movie, meaning that they’re totally ruthless and don’t hold back. It’s a lot, but it works on a couple of levels because everything’s choreographed very well and our band of knights dispose of their enemies like they’re just taking out the trash for the big man upstairs. The Achilles’ heel of all those crappy movies about knights seems by and large to be a wonky tone, and as evidenced by the brutality and seriousness on display, the tone here is dead on.
But a movie can only work for so long on severed heads and rivers of blood alone, and that’s where the story comes in. These days in the good old 21st Century, you can just Google “bubonic plague” and find out that the whole damn thing was just caused by rats. But back in the 14th Century when you’d be burned as a witch for just sneezing the word “Google,” they had no idea what the hell was going on. All they knew was that if you were bleeding from your armpits, you were gonna die, and the best way to prevent that from happening was to pray like gangbusters.
Looking back, one can only imagine the kind of apocalyptic paranoia people were experiencing at that time, so having that blind quest for answers and salvation as a driving force behind the story is just a great freaking premise for a movie. It’s that contrast between faith and savagery, it’s watching “good” men justify their evil actions because they’re doing it in the name of the Lord, it’s watching Crusaders put everything on the line for a cause they believe in when they’re really just chickens with their heads cut off. These are not men of mercy, they’re men of God, and nothing is going to stop them from achieving what they set out to do. Folks, it’s as awesome as it is nuts.
For a movie that could easily be written off as “greasy he-men killing stuff for two hours” from the outset, it’s that much more impressive how strong this script is from head to toe. There are a lot of characters here and a whole lot of them die, but they all serve a genuine purpose, even when they’re taking dirt naps. Whether it’s establishing the imminent danger they’re always in thanks to the plague or just putting a face to these holy killers, they really do work and they all need to be there. There’s good character development, there’s strong dialogue delivered by stone cold actors with a twisted sense of humor, and there are a surprising number of twists here that I didn’t see coming whatsoever and left me pretty taken aback by the time it was all over. Seriously, where the hell did this movie come from?
I mean, you see Sean Bean on a poster and he’s still doing the whole Boromir shtick, originality isn’t exactly what comes to mind. But not only is that what I got, but Sean Bean was also a bigger badass than I ever knew he could be. Part of it is just the way he carries himself like a man who’s been slaughtering villages since infancy, but he’s an actor who manages to get a lot out of a little and he damn well knows it. Eddie Redmayne also has some highly memorable moments as the naive young monk, but Bean cannot be stopped and absolutely commands a cast of bonafide hard knocks that do not take shit from Satan.
There’s a rare satisfaction that comes with finishing a movie and liking it so much that you clear your schedule and start it right back from the beginning because it was just that good. For a sub-genre that’s horribly lacking in credibility and badassery these days, Black Death is the example by which all others should be measured. It’s a haunting experience, it’s no effing joke, and while I can’t quite give it a 9 since the violence jumps the shark a tad towards the end, I kinda loved this movie. I’m not really sure what the general consensus is, but the fact that it took so long for a someone to get this subject matter so right simply makes my head spin. Hat’s off in a big ol’ way to director Christopher Smith and Dario Poloni for this one.
Cut The Crap Movie Reviews 
Your review makes me want to think of Valhalla Rising, but you seemed to have liked this one much better. I’ll have to check it out. I love me some Sean Bean, especially in a movie about the medieval knights killing in the name of God.
Haha. Yeah, Sean Bean is the shit, I am a total convert. No idea why I still haven’t seen Game of Thrones. But you’re right about Valhalla Rising, there’s definitely a similar vibe and the visuals are just as stark (even though the landscapes were effing gorgeous in Valhalla). All the same, this was on a whole ‘nother level. Pretty sure it’s still on Instant, I highly suggest you check it out, homey.
Aiden,
Between Bellflower and Black Death, you’ve restored my faith in kick-ass movies. I love the reviews and can’t wait for these movies to come to Chicago. Great job!
Cheers,
Chris
Wow! Thanks, dude. Really appreciate that and it makes my day to know that someone else out there is savvy to these epically badass movies that deserve way more attention than they’re getting. Hope you dig them both as much as I did and thanks for stopping by!
And btw, The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of the all-time greats.
I believe this one is on Netflix Instant … perhaps worth a go …
Hell yes it is! Give it a shot, man. Hope you dig it.
Found it on Netflix. Black Death is officially now part of my weekend; I don’t think my wife is ready for the amount of carnage that’s coming to the house.
Thanks guys and have a great weekend!
Hahaha. Yeah, you should get ready for a Pretty in Pink session after this one. You have yourself an awesome three-day weekend as well, man.
Saw it on Netflix a couple weeks ago. As usual I am impressed by Sean. You haven’t seen Game of Thrones yet? Dude. Seriously. Bank it for the weekend.
I know, I know. I already read the book, I don’t know what’s taking me. Sean Bean is such a badass, I really need to get my act together already.
You know I haven’t actually read the books? So I’m saying this as a total TV person: WATCH THE SERIES. It may possibly be the best thing HBO has ever done.
The first book is good stuff, but still have yet to jump into the rest of the sequels. Still, I know, I will watch it, I feel shame.
Sean Bean has almost made a career off of playing doomed knights, but it’s Smith’s name that made me interested given how far off of Triangle and Severance this seemed. I really liked it– it’s about a lot more than men and swords and sorcery, and I think really stretches what Smith is capable of as a director.
Yeah, Bean is the doomed knight, but he is just so fucking good at it. Still haven’t seen Triangle, still haven’t seen Severance, but they’ve been on my list for a long time now. This really could have crashed and burn, but you’re right, Smith is what saves it. So freaking good.
Awesome flick. Violent, creepy, cerebral, Sean Bean being a total badass as per usual — what more can you want? Major kudos to Christopher Smith and company. I’ve watched about half of Severance, and that one seems really good as well, although it’s much more of a black comedy horror type thing.
By the way the actress that plays the “witch” in this is phenomenal and she’s what pushes it over the top for me.
There are just very, very few period movies of this caliber being made today.
Glad you liked it, man! One of my personal favorites of the year, too bad so few have seen it. Arguable the best role Bean’s ever had and Christopher Smith just nailed this on every front. Still haven’t seen Severance, still haven’t seen Triangle, I need to start doing my homework.
And I totally agree, amazing how much better this is than so much of the other medieval horseshit that Hollywood keeps churning out.
I’m not sure how I managed to live through last year without even hearing about this movie, sounds right up my alley…
Hop to it, Hugh. You don’t know what you’re missin’.
I’m glad somebody else thought highly of this movie. A flawed epic, for sure.
Right back atcha. Wish more folks were on the bandwagon.