To Kill a King (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | To kill a king |
| Original title | To kill a king |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2003 |
| length | 102 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Mike Barker |
| script | Jenny Mayhew |
| production | Kevin Loader |
| music | Richard G. Mitchell |
| camera | Eigil Bryld |
| cut | Guy Bensley |
| occupation | |
| |
To Kill a King is a British film drama directed by Mike Barker from the year 2003 . It deals with the burgeoning and later escalating conflict between friends and mutual comrades-in-arms in the English Civil War , Oliver Cromwell and Lord Thomas Fairfax . This contrast breaks out between the two after the victory over the king and is sparked by opposing ideas of how to deal with the former opponents. The film has been available on DVD in Germany since February 12, 2009.
action
The Commander-in-Chief of the Parliamentary Army, Lord Thomas Fairfax, and his deputy and friend Oliver Cromwell fought together against King Charles I in the English Civil War. This had tried to enforce an absolutist rule by force . Now, in 1645, he is defeated and a prisoner of Parliament. There is hardly any time for the winners to celebrate their victory, because conflicts of interest between the various parliamentary groups soon break out. While the wealthy merchants under the leadership of Parliament Chairman Holles want to reinstate the king soon, the Puritans and above all Oliver Cromwell are calling for the rights of parliament and the citizens to be certified.
The imprisoned king is at first cleverly able to sow discord between the individual parties in order to regain his old position of power. He secretly pulls the speaker of parliament (Holles) and with him some of the rich merchants to his side. Their betrayal is soon discovered and the conspirators arrested with the help of the army. At the same time, soldiers take the king to a secret location. Only Holles can flee because he received a secret tip from his friend Thomas Fairfax in time, even if the latter is still on Cromwell's side and is leading the arrests.
Although defeated again, the king does not give up his idea of divine right . In order to avert the threatened process, Fairfax tries in a final attempt at mediation to get the king to sign the constitutional treaty. Ignoring the actual balance of power, the king categorically rejects the demands of parliament and tears up the constitutional treaty offered to him.
Lady Fairfax finds herself in a loyalty conflict between her husband and her father's loyal family due to her old attachment to the king. So she reveals the king's secret whereabouts in a weak hour. The king is released from captivity, threatening a continuation of the civil war. But soon Cromwell and his soldiers can take the king prisoner again. Through their behavior, Lady Fairfax and her husband put themselves in a life-threatening situation. Out of friendship with Fairfax, Cromwell waived a charge against Lady Fairfax.
Now the king is charged with high treason. The death sentence has already been determined. The jury is specifically pressured by Cromwell to achieve the desired outcome. Fairfax only realizes this when he is supposed to be the last to sign the document - but he refuses. He leaves London disappointed with his wife and does not take part in the political reorganization of England. Charles I is found guilty, sentenced to death and executed .
After his execution, Cromwell finally takes control. He reconciles himself once more with Fairfax, who had to realize that his wife's family is unwaveringly pursuing the restoration of an absolutist rule for the king's son. But instead of reconciling the people, Cromwell becomes more and more ruthless and therefore more and more hated. Soon as lord protector he will be more powerful than the old king. Fairfax cannot and will not accept that. This time he leaves Cromwell for good and retires into private life. Years later, the two meet again when Cromwell is about to die.
Characters
Lord Fairfax is a successful military leader who is popular with the army. In contrast, he has little experience in politics. He is torn between the various interest groups. He wants the compensation, even if he initially supports his old comrade in arms Cromwell. But as it becomes increasingly radicalized, he ultimately turns away from him, even if he remains his friend to the end.
Like her father, Lady Fairfax would like best to see the old order restored with an absolute king at her head. She is suspicious of her husband's friends around Oliver Cromwell, even if she follows him in his decisions. But she too stands between the parties, because her father's family does not accept the husband she loves, to whom she stands firm.
King Charles I is stubborn and unwilling to take a single step towards his opponents. He intrigues and tries to play them off against each other. In doing so, he completely misjudges the actual balance of power and his own weak position. That'll cost him his head in the end.
Cromwell is irascible and often unpopular. He's not afraid of anyone and knows exactly what he wants. He is in his element in the political struggle. As the film progresses, he gradually evolves from a courageous defender of civil rights to a brutal ruler, worse than King Karl was.
criticism
In some places the film story deviates from the historical tradition. In reality, Cromwell was a very capable general and not someone who could not distinguish between north and south. The so-called second civil war, after which the king was indicted and then executed, does not even appear in the film. Nor do the religious differences play a role. But the different characters are all the more worked out. Rottentomatoes counted only three reviews dealing with the film (2 of which were positive).
background
The film takes place in the time of the English Civil War and the English Republic, between 1645 and 1658, the year Oliver Cromwell died. The action takes place primarily in London. The film was shot in England. Among other things, in Kents Dover Castle (which once served as the Tower of London and Penshurst Place in Tonbridge ). The film was also shot at Harrow School , Ham House and Hampton Court Palace .
Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for the following awards:
- 2003: 25th Moscow International Film Festival - Best Director: Mike Barker
- 2003: Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney - Best director: Mike Barker
- 2004: BAFTA Awards - Best Screenplay: Jenny Mayhew
Literature on Cromwell and the English Civil War
- EW Zeeden: Hegemonic Wars and Faith Struggles 1556–1648 (= Propylaea History of Europe, Volume 2), Frankfurt / Berlin / Vienna 1982, pp. 341–353 ISBN 3-548-04772-6
Web links
- To Kill a King in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ On Rotentomatoes
- ↑ Kent Film Office: Kent Film Office To Kill a King Film Focus . Retrieved December 7, 2014.
- ↑ 25th Moscow International Film Festival (2003) . In: MIFF . Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
