Well looks like 2010 maybe a sword movie year with all the projects that look as if they will reach the screen.

Here is Ridley Scott's Robinhood

Movie Site

Trailer looks very Ridley- some decent action, but as was mentioned in the Viking movie thread probably best not to sit next to us when trying to watch the movie. I am not nearly as bad as I used to be. After being involved with many projects over the years it is somewhat amazing that they come out as closely as they do. If I could correct anything in the system of making movies it would be to teach production designers that history is almost always more interesting and full of variety than any mind of a single creative individual. Let the reality of the past add meaning to your production rather than postage stamping on bits and pieces that some actor/director/stylist thinks identifies or has the "right look" for a production that is interested in an authentic look.

Some movies do this well but they are usually not the big budget variety, to many committees involved in those types of projects.

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Not to bad a look though they have guys wearing Sallets later in the pic. Oh well....

Craig

After watching Gladiator for the first of many times, I turned to my wife--a Roman Archaeologist who specializes in the military frontier of the late empire-- and said, "Well?" She loved it, and when I said, "but what about....," she said, "If you want history, read a book." :lol:

Hi Sean

Your better half is obviously pretty smart :) Took me about 15 years of complaining in movies to figure that one out. My wife got to a point where she did not want to go to historical pics with me.

After seeing the process behind the camera in several different situations I would say the stuff we get is usually about as good as it will get. MAybe if you had an independent with massive amounts of cash and a very clear vision you could get a very historical detail and let the actors do the appeal with great acting but their are so many others that have to be intune with it all to come off correctly it would be unbelievable for someone to pull it all off and be popular.

MAybe some budding producer on the forum will take up the challenge and make it happen. :)

Craig

Also, if I remember correctly, Leo Todeschini worked on the Robin Hood. Perhaps he'll chime in with some behind the camera insight with the weapons and armour.

I see that they changed the name from 'Nottingham' to 'Robin Hood'...oh well...

Ridley Scott makes decent films; I've became a fan of his over the years - ever since 'Bladerunner'.

Historically-accurate? Of course not. Films very seldome are, so I never expect it. It's sure to be entertaining at the least.

Michael B wrote

Quote:

Also, if I remember correctly, Leo Todeschini worked on the Robin Hood. Perhaps he'll chime in with some behind the camera insight with the weapons and armour.

Yes I did do some work on it and supplied lots of bits and pieces (my ususal fillers from my site) and lots of knives.

Most of the knives I supplied were modified in one way or another to fit story lines or expectations. The bottom line is that an audience pays good money to go to a film and be entertained and except for art house audiences who may want to be really surprised, most audiences want an fairly predicatable experience. What I mean by this is that the unexpected will distract them from the point of the film and that is a damn fine story, excitment etc.

For people like us a sallet as Craig says, is totally wrong in this film and makes us squirm, to mr Joe average punter a sallet is a medieval helmet that is recognisable as such and so does not distract from the story. If you put him in a late Norman Sicilian style helmet with brass face plate and a little Phrygian flick on top (quite feasible for a Norman back from the Holy Land) people would get distracted by it. They could however have stuck them all in Spangens or proto great helms and that would have worked. But it is the art directors and the directors who have an image and so weave a vision better than I could ever do and I hazard to say other forumites too. It is after all Ridley Scott who has the oscars, not us.

Fire arrows make loads of fire in the air, catapults don't have slings, armies always consisted of 50,000 men, every sword blow is immediately fatal, baddies always wear black, everyone in medieval times wore brown and grey and mud and so on. Give the audience what they want and the story and cinematography can shine, confuse them with documentary level detail and it will all be unfamiliar to them.

I too would love a film that is as it was - well actually would I? I love films like Gladiator and 13th Warrior and how different would they be if they were strictly accurate in all respects. It would be nice to find out though.

I suppose to sum up, for us an accurate film would be our nivana, but for mr average............the system works just fine.

Regards

Tod

Figure it will probably be at least as good as the last major effort done at the subject. :wtf: :cool:

Off tack a little, but talking of Ridley Scott and authentic films, check out his first? film 'The Duelists' Small sword fights 2 seconds long - not very Hollywood but totally believable.

Tod

I'll do what I always do with period pieces: take off my "takes things too seriously" hat, kick back and enjoy the spectacle. Ridley Scott is always good for that.


My favorite "Hood" movies in order of preference:
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Robin and Marian
Robin Hood (Patrick Bergen)

As an aside: we saw Clint Eastwoods Invictus a few days ago, highly recommended.

Any mention in Invictus of how the majority of the All Black players (the New Zealand rugby team for those who don't know) were suffering from intentional food poisoning in the final game. That was the only way they were going to get beaten in that tournament.

One of my favourite Robin Hood movies has to be Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I can't help it. I'm a sucker for Mel Brooks movies :D

As for Hollywoods historical accuracy, what do you think about Kingdom of Heaven? Is it any good?

Personally, I would like Ridley Scott to make "Liege Lord down!"; the riveting saga of curage and sacrefice by sergants and men at arms during a failed cursader raid...
savage fighting through narrow middle eastern streets, bowmen on every rooftopp...

Or Tortch Runner, a dark, gothic tale of a weary inquistor...