# An accurate movie set in the Middle Ages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136 "2005-06-21T00:04:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/41 "2005-06-21T20:31:12Z")
> [@Orual](#): > > _Girl with a Pearl Earring_ looks pretty accurate. People do have objections to its characterization of Johannes Vermeer and his wife though. Vermeer is a tad removed from the Middle Ages. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/42 "2005-06-21T20:35:16Z")
I’m probably going to get laughed out of the thread for this, but the commentary on _A Knight’s Tale_ claims that it’s shockingly accurate as far as costuming, armor, rules of jousting, etc. are concerned. Apparently, even the dance (the first part) to _Golden Years_ is an actual recorded dance. While Princess Blandness’ costumes were some bizarre fabrics, the cut of them can be found in prints and pictures, although admitedly they’re the _haute couture_ of the day - not every Bertha, Mary and Sally would have worn them. Whoda thunk it? ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/43 "2005-06-21T20:43:05Z")
> [@The Sausage Creature](#): > > Vermeer is a tad removed from the Middle Ages. Not any more so than _The Mission_, or _Black Robe_, mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/44 "2005-06-21T20:55:58Z")
[http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087432/](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087432/) \*Hrafninn flygur \* (1984) [Alt: _Korpen flyger,_ When the Raven Flies] Released in the US under the godawful title “Revenge of the Barbarians”. The plot is basically Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars, but it’s set in Viking-era Iceland. I’m not an expert on the era, but it looked “archeologically correct” to me. > **[Pathfinder (1987) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093668/)** > > Pathfinder: Directed by Nils Gaup. With Mikkel Gaup, Ingvald Guttorm, Nils Utsi, Henrik H. Buljo. A Warband intent on slaughter terrorizes northern Scandinavian villages in 1000 AD. _Ofelas_Released in the US under the title “Pathfinder” Based on Lapp mythology. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/45 "2005-06-21T21:07:35Z")
> [@Cheez\_Whia](#): > > FWIW, I had a history professor tell the class that there was one historically accurate moment in the film. Apparently, Longshanks actually _did_ throw his son’s lover to his death from a window. Well Edward II’s lover (the effemine prince) was killed, but not by Edward I. [Cite.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/britain/mid_p_gaveston.shtml) Edward II was later killed in a very unpleasent way: Red hot fire poker up the rear. BTW, Wm Wallace was executed about a year before Longshanks died. Whatever, its a fun movie. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/46 "2005-06-21T21:12:48Z")
The movies **Elizabeth** and **Shakespeare in Love** came out the same year and both featured Joseph Fiennes as the male lead. The former was a biography of the queen and is one of the worst movies (from the historical accuracy perspective) ever released about English history (the director freely admitted in interviews that he did not even know who Elizabeth I was until signed to do the movie) and the latter is a satire and comedy with no pretenses to historical accuracy, but I’d show it to a history class without a second thought for its very realistic depiction of Elizabethan theater (where female characters were portrayed by men and boys, plays were conducted in the open air during the daytime, dogs ran amok through the streets, etc.). I’d strongly recommend **Shakespeare in Love** which, since it won Oscars, any video store should have. If your store or public library has the Glenda Jackson miniseries **Elizabeth R** , however, I’d go with that one. And another vote for **Martin Guerre**. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/47 "2005-06-21T21:24:06Z")
> [@Orual](#): > > Not any more so than _The Mission_, or _Black Robe_, mentioned above. :smack: _spanks Sunfish as well_ Bad anachronists! BAD! ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/48 "2005-06-21T21:30:56Z")
Regarding _La Passion Béatrice_: > [@clairobscur](#): > > I thought about this one too, but I assumed it was too obscure a french movie to be worth mentionning on an american board. I rented the video in San Francisco in 1990 or 1991 from a neighborhood video store (i.e. not one that specialized in foreign films, but had a small shelf of them). One thing I’ve just thought of, however; since Julie Delpy was only 17 when she made it, and she appears full-frontal nude, perhaps it is considered child pornography these days? According to the IMDB, it opened in the US when she was 17 years and 2 months old. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/49 "2005-06-21T21:32:58Z")
(I meant to add at the end of the above post): … so she was probably only 16 when it was filmed (unless she is being creative about her date of birth on IMDB). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/50 "2005-06-21T22:06:27Z")
> [@Sevastopol](#): > > _The Navigator_ NZ film Great choice. I haven’t seen a lot of movies set in medieval times, but this one sure **looked** right, i.e., not romanticized. How about \*\*A Walk With Love and Death[b/]? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/51 "2005-06-21T22:17:55Z")
**Flesh & Blood** despite being a B movie with the Great B Movie Actor \*\*Rutger Hauer \*\* always struck me as having many elements of historical correctness. And of course, **LadyHawke** which has nothing of realism, but damn, it needs to be mentioned. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/52 "2005-06-21T23:02:26Z")
> [@Antonius Block](#): > > Regarding _La Passion Béatrice_: > I rented the video in San Francisco in 1990 or 1991 from a neighborhood video store (i.e. not one that specialized in foreign films, but had a small shelf of them). > > One thing I’ve just thought of, however; since Julie Delpy was only 17 when she made it, and she appears full-frontal nude, perhaps it is considered child pornography these days? According to the IMDB, it opened in the US when she was 17 years and 2 months old, so she was probably only 16 when it was filmed (unless she is being creative about her date of birth on IMDB). Thora Birch was underage (sixteen) when she went topless in _American Beauty_: > [@IMDb](#): > > [Thora] was actually only 16 years old at the time she was filmed nude for a scene in American Beauty (1999). She told TV talk show host Craig Kilborn when she appeared on his show in 2002 that her parents didn’t have a problem with her doing a nude scene, despite her being under age, and they encouraged her to go ahead and do it. They agreed that her character’s nude scene was so important to the development of her character, that they gave their approval. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/53 "2005-06-21T23:12:03Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > And of course, **LadyHawke** which has nothing of realism, but damn, it needs to be mentioned. 🆒 And I’m glad you did. 🙂 It’s fantasy, true, but don’t you think it looks right? Or is everybody too clean and pretty? (It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/54 "2005-06-22T02:16:27Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I’m probably going to get laughed out of the thread for this, but the commentary on _A Knight’s Tale_ claims that it’s shockingly accurate as far as costuming, armor, rules of jousting, etc. are concerned. Apparently, even the dance (the first part) to _Golden Years_ is an actual recorded dance. > > While Princess Blandness’ costumes were some bizarre fabrics, the cut of them can be found in prints and pictures, although admitedly they’re the _haute couture_ of the day - not every Bertha, Mary and Sally would have worn them. Ok, I have seen that film with SCA Clothing Laurels, and although they admit \*some \*of the costumes are fine, they laugh themselves sick over the “Princesses” garb. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/55 "2005-06-22T02:45:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Ok, I have seen that film with SCA Clothing Laurels, and although they admit \*some \*of the costumes are fine, they laugh themselves sick over the “Princesses” garb. Me too, until I realized I had my brain stuck on “English” mode a la Ren Faire. Apparently most of her garb is of Italian, Venetian and Northern European styles - none of which I know much about. However, as it’s not my area of expertise, I’m not willing to go to bat too strongly for it. Just reportin’ what the director claimed in the commentary: that aside from Queen and David Bowie, the movie’s actually quite authentic, historically speaking. But in another thread recently, some folks were linking me to sites with garb from other countries, and sure enough, some of it looks like Princess Blandness. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/56 "2005-06-22T04:36:38Z")
> [@Daithi Lacha](#): > > Not really a movie, and heck, I don’t even know if they’re available on VHS or DVD, but how about the Brother Cadfael mysteries? Does anyone else consider them to be accurate? Ooh, that would have been my nomination, but I have no idea how accurate historically they are. Can anyone recommend the books that I assume are behind the _Mystery_ shows? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136/57 "2005-06-22T12:05:39Z")
Franco Zefferelli’s **Romeo & Juliette** is a beautiful movie, and his version of **The Taming of the Shrew** , with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (ignore her dresses) is still one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-accurate-movie-set-in-the-middle-ages/309136.md?page=2)