Knight out of passion
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Knight out of passion |
| Original title | A Knight's Tale |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2001 |
| length | 132 minutes |
| Age rating |
FSK 12 JMK 10 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Brian Helgeland |
| script | Brian Helgeland |
| production |
Todd Black , Brian Helgeland, Tim Van Rellim |
| music | Carter Burwell |
| camera | Richard Greatrex |
| cut | Kevin Stitt |
| occupation | |
| |
Knight from passion (original title A Knight's Tale ) is a comedy film by the US director Brian Helgeland , which was shot in 2001 in Prague . The English title is taken from the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer , but has nothing in common with the story. Heath Ledger's name Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein from Gelderland, adopted in the film, is that of the Styrian minstrel Ulrich von Liechtenstein (around 1200-1275), who glorified the life of the wandering knight in his book Women's Service .
action
Action description
Around 1360 in England : the young William Thatcher dreams of one day becoming a knight . His father, a poor roofer from London , therefore places him in the care of Sir Hector, a tournament fighter , in order to become a squire there, and advises him to always believe that a man can change his fate.
Sir Hector lives from the profits from competitions in the joust . Only the nobility are allowed to take part in these jousting games. Twelve years after William was hired by Hector, he died during a tournament in France . William decides to take on the role of the knight despite his low origin and to end the tournament in his name with Hector's horse and armor . William wins the tournament, and with this success he can convince Hector's other assistants - Wat and Roland - to continue participating in competitions.
However, William succeeds in registering as a participant in other tournaments only with the help of the penniless, still unknown writer and poet Geoffrey Chaucer , whom William, Wat and Roland met on the way to the tournament in Rouen and who can forge the necessary letters of nobility . William assumes the identity of "Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein" from Gelderland . Geoffrey takes on the role of a herald who announces his Mr. Ulrich to the audience before the competition . Wat and Roland appear as Sir Ulrich's squires.
In Rouen he meets the lady-in-waiting, Lady Jocelyn, and falls in love with her, and she too seems to like him. Count Adhemar von Anjou , also tournament participant and Williams 'greatest competitor, also courted Lady Jocelyn and mocked Williams' fighting style and old armor.
William competes against Sir Colville without knowing that this is Prince Edward , who under this identity takes part in jousting games incognito . Colville is injured. William allows him an honorable retirement from the tournament and thus earns Colville's recognition.
Sir Hector's old armor is badly damaged in a competition. William leaves from the blacksmith convince Kate, but lighter at the same time stable one she designed harness made of hardened steel to wear.
At the end of the tournament in Rouen, William loses to Adhemar, who has never suffered a defeat.
Blacksmith Kate joins William's group after teaching William to dance for the tournament banquet. At this banquet Adhemar tries to expose William (he seems to suspect that William is not a knight), but Jocelyn shows that she is on William's side.
In Lagny-sur-Marne , William, Jocelyn and Adhemar meet again. Adhemar has to play against Sir Colville in the joust and withdraws when he realizes that Colville is the king's son Edward. William, on the other hand, competes against Edward despite the knowledge of his true identity, and the latter gives William high credit for not simply having withdrawn. William wins the Tjost tournament, but is frustrated that he couldn't face Adhemar and argues with Jocelyn out of frustration.
The group moves on to Bordeaux . Jocelyn is no longer in the audience. Adhemar is also missing, as Prince Edward called him to the front of the Hundred Years War . William wins the tournament in Bordeaux and the tournaments of the following month and becomes the most successful tournament fighter of the season.
Finally, he wrote to invite Jocelyn to the tournament in Paris . Jocelyn asks William to lose the tournament to prove his love for her. William then loses the first Tjost games. Jocelyn acknowledges his feelings and orders William to win the tournament for her. William wins, he and Jocelyn are now a couple. Jocelyn also suspects that William is not a knight, but this is of no importance to her.
Adhemar is also back at the World Championships in London. Even before the tournament starts, he observes William visiting his (now blind) father in the poor district and reveals Williams' origins to the tournament management. Jocelyn and William's friends want to flee with William, but William refuses - knights would not run away. He is arrested and pilloried for having participated as a non-nobleman in tournaments reserved for the nobility.
Prince Edward appears, frees William from the pillory. , Impressed that William did not flee from the threat of arrest, and in recognition of gallant behavior Williams during tournaments, suggests Edward William knighted. Then William takes part in the tournament and meets Adhemar. This illegally uses sharpened lances during jousting and injures William. But spurred on by riding as a knight under his own name for the first time, and with the support of Jocelyn, his friends and his father, William Adhemar knocked off his horse despite his injury and became world champion. William has finally managed to change his fate and secure the longed-for social advancement and an undisturbed life with Jocelyn.
Structure of the plot
- Exposition: In the first two tournaments (unknown location and Rouen) all characters are introduced and the conflict between William and Adhemar emerges. Several subplots develop: Blacksmith Kate is accepted into William's group. Geoffrey has to be ransomed by William from his gambling debts and is loyal to William afterwards. However, there are scuffles between Wat and Geoffrey.
- Development: At the tournaments in Lagny-sur-Marne, Bordeaux and Paris and up to the arrival in London, the conflict between Adhemar and William reached its climax. In a subplot, Geoffrey, Wat, Roland and Kate bet with a few French people for Williams to win in Paris.
- Solution: William Adhemar beats at the tournament in London. Geoffrey and Wat also end their arguments.
place
The film is set in France and England. The following tournament locations named by name will be visited in sequence, the names of the locations will be displayed in the film:
- France: Rouen , Lagny-sur-Marne , Bordeaux , Paris
- England: London
All named or identifiable places actually exist.
Go to content
Character characterization
- (Sir) William Thatcher ( Heath Ledger ): Son of the roofer John Thatcher, only works as a squire for Sir Hector, takes part in tournaments as "Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein from Gelderland", in love with Lady Jocelyn, wants to improve his social position, leaves courageous, determined and passionate at the same time, can motivate his friends again and again, he is sometimes brusque and clumsy towards Jocelyn, sometimes feels uncomfortable in an upscale social environment
- Adhemar ( Rufus Sewell ): Count of Anjou, participant in jousting tournaments, leader of the guerrillas, ambitious, tough, merciless, arrogant, defends the clear separation of knights and common people, sees men as superior to women and collects women like trophies , loots and pillages with his army at the front
- Lady Jocelyn ( Shannyn Sossamon ): William's lover, knows what she wants, unconventional, demanding, interested in clothes
- Geoffrey Chaucer ( Paul Bettany ): Writer and herald of William, addicted to gambling, ultimately devoted to William, eloquent, likes to provoke
- Roland ( Mark Addy ): formerly Sir Hector's squire, then William's squire, calm, sensible, takes care of William, seems to fall in love with Christiana
- Wat ( Alan Tudyk ): formerly Sir Hector's squire, then William's squire, irascible, sometimes aggressive, fights with Geoffrey
- Prince Edward ( James Purefoy ): alias "Sir Thomas Colville", also known as the "Black Prince of Wales", prince, noble, brave, just, suffers from his prominence
- Kate ( Laura Fraser ): Blacksmith, makes new armor for William, dreamy, tries to assert herself in the male world, calm, innovative
- John Thatcher ( Christopher Cazenove ): roofer and father of William, blind, wants a better life for his son, proud of his son
- Christiana ( Bérénice Bejo ): Jocelyn's maid
Time and narrative time
No year is given in the film. Based on the life dates of the two real characters (after 1343, before 1376) and the historical background of the Hundred Years War , a season around 1370 can be assumed - director Brian Helgeland also assumed this.
Further timing information:
- Geoffrey Chaucer mentions his work The Book of the Duchess (The Book of the Duchess) , which was written in 1368 at the earliest.
- There is also talk of the Pope being French - this was the case in the 14th century from 1305 to 1394.
- The Battle of Poitiers , to which Adhemar is called by Prince Edward, took place in 1356. However, this cannot be reconciled with the age of Geoffrey Chaucer in the film.
Three flashbacks show William as a child - these scenes take place twelve years earlier. The film covers a period of around four months.
Conflicts
Nobility vs. common man
This conflict is constitutive for the course of action, it drives the action forward. He is also the main medieval motif of the film.
- Despite his simple origins, William takes part in the jousting games reserved for the nobility. His dream is to become a champion and knight and to live a better life. Even the nobility were not always noble, but fought for their position, says William at the beginning of the film. Williams' attitude is opposed to the defense or acceptance of the existing social order. Wat, for example, is initially skeptical about participating in the jousting games and says: "Fame, fortune and dreams are not intended for peasant sons." Adhemar is the figure who embodies the nobility and the immutability of the social structure. He tries everything to prevent the participation of non-nobles in the tournaments and shows William again and again that he does not have the power to defeat the socially superior Adhemar.
- The separation between the common people and the nobility can also be seen in the fact that the nobility follows the jousting games from a gallery, while the common people stand around the arena. At the beginning of the film, the heralds only address the nobility when they announce their masters in the arena.
- Resolution of the conflict situation: William can finally fight for knighthood through his behavior despite of low origin and win Jocelyn for himself. Adhemar loses against William in a joust and is knocked off his horse with the words "Welcome to the new world". Following the example of Geoffrey Chaucer, the heralds begin to address the common people in their speeches in the arena.
Women vs. Men
- The two female characters in the film are initially not taken seriously by the men: the blacksmith Kate is not accepted by her professional colleagues. William is reluctant to have his armor repaired by a woman. When Kate developed a new, light armor for him, he didn't believe in its strength. Jocelyn is perceived by the tournament participants as a trophy rather than an independent person. All men promise her to win the tournament for her, but do so more for their own glory. For Adhemar, trophies and horses are worth more than women, as he says. Even William says in frustration that women are useless, the men ultimately have to do the important tasks, which is why women have to follow the men and not the other way around.
- The conflict situation resolves: Kate is accepted into William's circle of friends when her armor proves its worth and she teaches William to dance before the banquet. Jocelyn maintains her independence by rejecting the noble Adhemar and choosing William despite his simple background. She gets William to shed his selfishness by asking him to lose the tournament for her.
Historical background
people
According to Brian Helgeland, the story is based on the rise of William Marshal (Guillaume le Maréchal) (1144-1219), who came from a humble background and finally - not least through his success as a tournament knight - became the first Earl of Pembroke and Regent of England.
Implementation of the medieval material
Verbal implementation
- People are addressed by their title, their job title, their function (in German each in the 2nd person plural): "Sir William", "My lord", "My lady", "Count", "Squire", "Master Thatcher" "," My master "," my liege "," Father "(William to his father)
- Religious elements when speaking: "My husband, God rest him, ...", "God loves you, William.", "Then I may burn in hell.", "The Virgin Mary is my witness ..."
- Outdated word forms: "nay" instead of "no", "aye" instead of "yes", "hoy" instead of "hey", "thee" or "ye" instead of "you", "shall" instead of "should"
- Medieval-looking expressions: "to uncross her legs" (sleeping with her for the first time), "I have word" (I have a customer), "to gild the lily", "Godspeed!" (Good luck), “Oh my giddy aunt!” (Exclamation, Oh God), “glory and riches” (honor and wealth), “Behold my lord Ulrich!” (See my Mr. Ulrich)
Anachronisms
- Tournament circus: Tjost is referred to as "sport", the audience as "fans". The armor is reminiscent of sportswear. The fans make the wave, try to catch a helmet flying towards them (like in baseball), they swing flags and put on the heraldic animal of their favorite knight. The heralds announce the knights as boxing or wrestling champions. There are fan chants that are reminiscent of today's stadium chants. The tournament in London is known as the World Cup. The successful knights are celebrated like stars and have many admirers.
- Music and dance: The film is largely based on modern music. The dance style is also modern. The most obvious anachronism is the well-known opening scene in which the Tjost viewers clap along to We Will Rock You by Queen .
- Clothing and hairstyle: especially women's clothes are equipped with modern elements. Jocelyn has colored make-up and partly colored hair. Kate puts the Nike mark on Williams' new armor.
- Social classes: The behavior of the lower social classes towards the nobility and the clergy is sometimes not very respectful. The relationship between the sexes is also presented in a more modern way.
- Speaking and acting: The language does not seem very medieval in part. Expressions such as “Wow!”, “Hello!”, “Dirty son of a bitch!” Or “Damn!” Are used, first names are abbreviated (Geoffrey - Geoff). Even when acting, the film integrates modern elements - people clap, kiss and hug in public. Emotions are shown openly and in a modern way and the figures radiate joy of life.
- The woman who made the sharpened lance for Adhemar mentions that it is made from cotton candy and shoe polish . The shoe polish was only patented in 1901, the cotton candy was not invented until 1897.
Filming
- The action takes place against the background of a "Tjosten League ", in which there is a ranking and points system. The scriptwriters were based on well-known leagues, such as the European football championships . A hit on the body gives one point, a hit on the head gives two points, and those who knock the opponent off the horse get three points. The end of the film is also the “ finale ” of the tournament.
- The final version of We Are the Champions by the group Queen was sung by Robbie Williams and re-recorded with Brian May and Roger Taylor .
- Heath Ledger beat the director with a broom one incisor like she the motion for a Tjost- scene tried out.
- So that the lances would splinter convincingly without seriously injuring the stunt men , they were made of easily broken wood , hollowed out and filled with uncooked linguine .
- The first scene in which two knights jostle and one falls from his horse hit by a lance shows an accident that happened to Heath Ledger's stuntman while filming a later scene. He got his opponent's lance on his head and fell unconscious from his horse.
- A specially made medieval version of the London Eye is shown in a film scene in London .
- Paul Bettany got a laryngitis because he had to scream loudly as a herald .
- To mark her work, Kate provides the armor she made for William with the Nike logo in duplicate.
- In the scene after Heath Ledger's first sword fight , Paul Bettany made an announcement as the Herald. The Czech extras were not told to cheer after the announcement. Mark Addy cheered and the Czechs cheered. The scene is actually an outtake , but it was left in the film.
German dubbed version
The German dubbing was done in a studio of PPA Film, the dubbing company of the voice actor Pierre Peters-Arnolds in Munich . The dialogue book was written by Pierre Peters-Arnolds, and Axel Malzacher directed the dubbing .
| actor | German speaker | role |
|---|---|---|
| Heath Ledger | Simon hunter | William Thatcher |
| Rufus Sewell | Pierre Peters-Arnolds | Count Adhemar |
| Paul Bettany | Philipp Moog | Chaucer |
| Laura Fraser | Veronika Neugebauer | Kate |
| Shannyn Sossamon | Katrin Fröhlich | Jocelyn |
| Roger Ashton-Griffiths | Michael Rüth | Old bishop |
| James Purefoy | Udo Wachtveitl | Edward, the Black Prince of Wales |
| Mark Addy | Jan Odle | Roland |
| Nick Brimble | Harald Dietl | Sir Hector |
| Alan Tudyk | Benedikt Weber | Wat Falhurst |
Awards
Paul Bettany received the London Critics Circle Film Award in the British Supporting Actor category .
The stunt men from Ritter by passion were also successful . Pascal Madura received an award for the best animal stunt and Thomas DuPont for the hardest stroke at the Taurus Awards 2002 . DuPont was also nominated for the best animal stunt.
A nomination for the World Soundtrack Award went to Carter Burwell as a soundtrack composer.
Shannyn Sossamon and Heath Ledger were nominated for the Teen Choice Award in the Film - Choice Chemistry category, and Knight of Passion for Best Drama.
Shannyn Sossamon was nominated together with Heath Ledger for the MTV Movie Award in the categories "Best Kiss" and "Best Musical Sequence" and alone as a female newcomer.
Francine Maisler was nominated for Best Casting for a Comedy by the Casting Society of America .
Reviews
"The Oscar winner Brian Helgeland gave himself and the cinema audience a lot of fun by combining a knight's film with a rock spectacle."
“It is not the two young, beautiful leading actors that make the film worth seeing, but only two marginal characters. As a poet with a talent for comedy, Paul Bettany ensures pithy sayings, and Laura Fraser, as the blacksmith Kate, is more graceful than the main character, even in her modest supporting role. "
"With the fast-paced action adventure Knight from Passion , Helgeland breaks a lance for the coat and sword film , which he stages like a modern rock opera with the help of timeless costumes, clattering football anthems and disco- like minuet interludes."
“In this medieval fun, rock music by Queen and AC / DC gets going. A little silly, often romantic, always sweet. "
“Amusing, well-crafted new edition of the knight film genre, which has convincingly modernized characters; The film uses rock music hymns to suggest the proximity of the jousting games to today's sporting spectacles. "
Web links
- A Knight's Tale in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- Knight's Tale atrotten tomatoes(English)
- Comparison of the cut versions of the theatrical version and the extended version of Ritter aus passion at Schnittberichte.com
Individual evidence
- ^ Brian Helgeland : Making of. In: German / English DVD edition from 2009 .
- ↑ Michael C. Prestwich : Marshal, Family. In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages . Vol. 6, 1980-1999, pp. 329-330.
- ^ Marc-René Jung : Guillaume le Maréchal. In: Brepolis Medieval Encyclopaedias - Lexicon of the Middle Ages Online. Vol. 4, 1977-1999, p. 1783 ( http://apps.brepolis.net/lexiema/test/FullScreen.aspx?i=e435070&action=print ).
- ^ Brian Helgeland : Making of. In: German / English DVD edition 2009 .
- ↑ a b c Knights of passion. In: synchronkartei.de. German synchronous index , accessed on September 14, 2014 .
- ↑ A knight of passion. Movie review. In: TVSpielfilm.de . 2001, accessed September 2, 2015 .
- ↑ A knight of passion. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed September 2, 2015 .