Black Arrow - War of the Roses

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Movie
German title Black Arrow - War of the Roses
Original title Black Arrow
Country of production USA ,
Spain
original language English
Publishing year 1985
length 90 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director John Hough
script Harry Alan Towers ,
David Pursall ,
Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)
production Harry Alan Towers ,
Michael-John Biber ,
Jesús María López-Patiño
music Stanley Myers
camera John Cabrera
cut Geoffrey Foot
occupation

Black Arrow - War of the Roses is a co-production between the United States and Spain incurred and Disney -commissioned TV movie from the year 1985. It is based on the adventure novel " The Black Arrow " by Robert Louis Stevenson and plays the time of the Wars of the Roses .

action

Britain in the 15th century : the action takes place during the armed conflict between the noble houses of York and Lancaster , but before the revolt of the Earl of Warwick against Edward IV. The unscrupulous knight Sir Daniel rules with his followers Oates, Sykes, Appleyard and Scar his lands - but always trying to increase power and influence and to train his ward Richard to be a man. With the White Rose of York gaining power, Sir Daniel and his people have sided with them.

Two years earlier, the quintet had a devious coup when they betrayed a British nobleman. This later became the mysterious outlaw "Black Arrow" and went into exile in France. Before that, however, he managed to hide his daughter Joanna in a monastery and thus withdraw Daniel's influence. The "Black Arrow" has since returned and is waging a guerrilla-like war against the four former conspirators, in which it can kill Sykes. At the same time, Richard succeeds for the first time on the occasion of his 25th birthday to defeat Scar, who has trained him over the years, in a duel. Thereupon he is named "Sir" by Daniel and sworn to fight for the House of York. He sends him out to Appleyard's support, which is currently looking after the livestock of the land tenants. The two are ambushed by the "Black Arrow", which also kills Appleyard. Richard still resists but is overwhelmed and sent back to Sir Daniel.

Meanwhile, he plans to meet the Earl of Warwick and enter into an alliance with him. In addition, the knight has meanwhile also determined Joanna's whereabouts and brought it to his castle before the "Black Arrow" could intervene. Here Sir Daniel wants to marry her in order to get hold of Joanna's possessions and the arrow. A little later Warwick assures the knight of his help in the fight against the "Black Arrow", as the earl needs Sir Daniel's support in return in the impending coup against King Edward. At the same time, Lady Joanna is being prepared for the wedding with the knight. But since she is an ardent advocate of the red rose of the House of Lancaster, it comes to an argument with Richard when they meet and he sees the rose on Joanna.

During the negotiations with Warwick, Sir Daniel also comes up with the wedding with Joanna - but what she overhears, whereupon the lady in Richard's robes flees from the castle. Daniel then sends Richard to bring them back - and at the same time Scar me a couple of warriors. These are supposed to kill Richard and blame the murder on the "Black Arrow" so that Sir Daniel can more easily get to his lands. Joanna's escape is short-lived: although she can throw Richard off her horse with a ruse, the lady soon overpowers the lady and rides back with her, both of them getting closer. At that moment, Scar shoots Richard down with an arrow, but only injures him. Joanna rides away alone, is provided by the henchmen - and can thus prevent them from finding Richard. This is now found by the "Black Arrow" and given medical care. The outlaw then wants to make an example of the captured Scar, but Richard intervenes - and after killing Scar in a duel, he changes sides and joins the arrow.

Joanna is taken to York , where Sir Daniel and the Earl have gone and where the wedding ceremony is to take place. Suddenly Oates seems to be playing a double game and setting Sir Daniel and Warwick against each other in order to get into higher positions themselves. He can also arrest the "Black Arrow" which came secretly to York and wants to prevent the marriage. Richard, who also traveled with them, made it to the earl, whom he finally convinced and obtained the release of the arrow. Together they both prevent the marriage at the last moment. Sir Daniel, who murders the traitor Oates with a dagger, cornered a duel with Sir Richard - and is then brought down by the "Black Arrow" with one of them.

Richard and Joanna finally get married while the "Black Arrow" is apparently back in his former office and dignity.

Comparison book - film

Compared to the extensive historical book, the film is only an excerpt from the plot there, from which some set pieces were used in very different ways:

  • in the novel Sir Daniel and his men advocate the red rose of Lancaster, but in the film they advocate the white rose of York.
  • Richard's past as the son of the previous landowner, whom Sir Daniel once murdered and whose land and child took over, is not mentioned. Thus, an essential part of Richard's motivation to stand against Sir Daniel is missing. Only in one short scene does Sir Daniel refer to Richard's father as his brother - which is another dramaturgical variation.
  • Unlike in the film, Joanna and the Black Arrow have no family ties in the book. Here she is the parentless ward of a noble partisan of House York. Furthermore, Sir Daniel does not want to marry her, as in the film, but first to Richard and then to an elderly nobleman.
  • Mention of the true identity of the Black Arrow as Ellis Duckworth is omitted in the film. Furthermore, in the novel, he is a brother in arms and friend of Harry Shelton, Richard's father who was murdered by Sir Daniel.
  • Bennet Hatch, Richard's loyal ally, no longer appears as a character in the film. The same applies to the part Richard III. , from whom - unlike in the film - Richard receives his knighthood and this only later within the plot.
  • According to the film, the Black Arrow went into exile in France, from which it is returning. In the book it is Sir Daniel himself who, after suffering various defeats, decides to move to France. In addition, there are several places in the novel in which Sir Daniel disguises himself from various predicaments. This is not discussed in the film.
  • The full names of Sir Daniel (Brackley), Richard (Shelton), and Joanna (Sedley) are not mentioned in the film.

Trivia

  • In Germany, the film also had the alternative title "In the sign of the black arrow".
  • For Geoffrey Foot, editor in charge, it was the last job in his long career.
  • As a co-production between the USA and Spain, the film was shot almost exclusively on the Iberian Peninsula.
  • Benedict Taylor (Sir Richard) and Ralph Brown (Yeardley) were in front of the camera 14 years later in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace each in supporting roles in a joint film.
  • In the same year as "Black Arrow" there was another film adaptation of the novel: a Russian adaptation by Sergei Tarasov.

criticism

“Colorful and action-packed staging of a knight's film borrowed from the 'Robin Hood' myth; Not least because of the exquisite guard of actors a pleasant conversation. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Black Arrow - War of the Roses. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed June 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used