After watching the new Batman movie (The Dark Knight) with amazing performance of Heath Ledger I felt the need to refresh my memory and watch Knight's Tale again. For those who haven't heard of it, Knight's Tale is also a Heath Ledger movie, in which he plays the main character, a peasant squire, who after his master dies decides to pursue a dream of becoming a knight. Not exactly a fantasy movie, but set in a medival world, so if you overlook the fact that no magic or dragons were involved, it should fit here quite nicely. :-)
As you probably know, medival times were not famous for human rights, democracy and equality among men. In fact, it was quite the opposite. If you were not of noble birth, you were no one, a servant. William, played by Ledger, is a son of a thatcher, a peasant. He has a dream though, since his childhood days was to "change his stars", become something more, become a knight.

Perfect opportunity arises when the knight William is squire to dies just a moment before winning a small tournamet held by a local lord. Ser Ector (the knight) was not a rich man, his men, William, Wat and Roland, haven't eaten for three days. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation and win a coin for the next meal, three friends dress William in Ser Ector's armor to compete in his stead.

Thanks to a lucky blow of the lance and the ability to stay on horseback William manages to win the tournament and collect the prize. He doesn't want to stop at that though. Seeing how easy it was to fool the lords he wants to assume knight identity. He manages to convinces his two friends, who would rather use the coin they have won to get back home and put food in their bellies. False knight Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein is born there and then.

William and his friends encounter on their journey through medival Europe a scribe, who becomes Sir Ulrich's herald, a female smith who joins the merry party, beautiful Lady Jocelyn, with whom our hero falls in love and notorious Count Adhemar, an adversary William desperately seeks to defeat.

Knight's Tale is a comedy and a good one. Heath Ledger makes a good aspiring knight, however it is his companions that really shine and provide tons and tons of comedic relief. Sir Ulrich's herald (played by Paul Bettany), has a sharp tongue and continously teases Wat (played by Alan Tudyk), a red haired and short tempered peasant. Williams attempts to fit into the world of noble knights and lords & ladies adds additional humor to the twist.



The movie tells the story of reaching for ones dream, of honor and friendship. As William becomes Sir Ulrich he raises above the thinking of both the common folk, focused on surviving another day and the nobles, who are spoiled by their luxorious life. Knowing the hardships of life and following the idealized concept of a knight William makes bold choices, that finally bring trouble on him.

Under the cover of medival story Knight's Tale smuggles another picture, of discrimination (nobles vs common folk) and everlasting social division of rich and poor. William fights not only for his dream, but for his right to not live in poverty. Knowing both sides of the coin he's furious at nobles, who treat the common folk with contempt (Counte Adhemar) or simply don't understand the enormous gap between the two worlds (Lady Jocelyn).

The only thing that I maybe not even disliked about the movie, but what didn't feel it right to me, is how the medieval times were "modernized". Music made by Queen and Thin Lizzy, dresses made more for the red carpet than court and general people interaction, while understandable from the moviemaking point of view fill me with fear that some of the viewers would take them seriously and think that this is how medieval times really looked like. But I guess it's a small price to pay for enjoyable experience. :-)

The movie has a great cast, even though it was composed of mostly little known actors at the time the movie was made. I think that by now whole world knows Heath Ledger and his tragic story, Alan Tudyk (Wat) appeared in two TV series ("Firefly" and "Dollhouse") as well as a number of big movies (he "played" Sonny in "I Robot"), Rufus Sewell (Count Adhemar) we later saw in "Illusionist" and "Tristan and Isolde", Paul Bettany starred in "Wimbledon" and finally Mark Addy, who was recently cast as Robert Baratheon in HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones.

Knights in shining armor, beautiful ladies, tale of honor, friendship and love, all that plus incredible humor make for a great combination. Knight's Tale is a quality entertainment if you're looking for a light, fun movie. Fantasy Fan recommends! (and if you're still not convinced, watch the video on making Knight's Tale on Amazon.


Finally, few of my favorite Knight's Tale quotes:

How did the nobles become noble in the first place? They took it! At a tip of the sword!

What a pair we make, hmm? Both trying to hide who we are. Both unable to do so. Your men love you. If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough. But you also tilt when you should withdraw. And that is knightly too.

My lords, my ladies, and everybody else here not sitting on a cushion! Today... today, you find yourselves equals. For you are all equally blessed. For I have the pride, the privilege, nay, the pleasure of introducing to you to a knight, sired by knights. A knight who can trace his lineage back beyond Charlemagne. I first met him atop a mountain near Jerusalem, praying to God, asking his forgiveness for the Saracen blood spilt by his sword. Next, he amazed me still further in Italy when he saved a fatherless beauty from the would-be ravishing of her dreadful Turkish uncle. In Greece he spent a year in silence just to better understand the sound of a whisper. And so without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you, the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein!

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