# I Just Saw "A Knight's Tale" -Was The Movie Panned? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098 "2012-05-16T14:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/41 "2012-05-19T01:45:31Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > But didn’t one of the women in the Arthurian tales do exactly that to her lover? Not as far as I can remember. Even if this was taken from legend, it would be an unfortunate place for this movie to decide to value period accuracy above all else. > [@](#): > > And for the record, I thought she was jerkish too. (maybe _The knight and the cart_?) In _The Knight of the Cart_ Guinevere does behave unreasonably, but not in the same way as Jocelyn. She gets upset that Lancelot even briefly hesitated to do something that would have been considered disgraceful (ride in the sort of cart used for transporting prisoners) while on his way to rescue her from Maleagant. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/42 "2012-05-19T03:12:57Z")
Guinevere in _The Knight of the Cart_ absolutely _does_ do exactly the same thing: > [@Chretien de Troyes](#): > > The queen summoned a clever, pretty girl to her and whispered, “Damsel, you must take a message, quickly and without wasting words. Hurry down from these stands and go at once to that knight bearing the red shield; tell him in secret that I bid him ‘do his worst’.” > … > The moment he heard her, Lancelot said that he would gladly do so, as one who wishes only to please the queen. Then he set out against a knight as fast as his horse would carry him, but when he should have struck him, he missed. From this moment until dark he did the worst he could, because it was the queen’s pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/43 "2012-05-19T03:45:38Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Guinevere in _The Knight of the Cart_ absolutely _does_ do exactly the same thing: You’re both right, I had completely forgotten that part. Although looking at the story now, I wouldn’t say it’s _exactly_ the same thing. It is very close, but Guinevere first tells Lancelot to do his worst, then tells him to do his best. She does not, at least in the translation I’m looking at, tell him to _win_, although of course Lancelot’s best is in fact good enough to make him clearly the greatest fighter at the tournament. Anyway, like I said before, the behavior of the love interest was not the place for this movie to suddenly decide to be totally faithful to a period literary work. I’m not sure that even medieval readers were meant to find Guinevere’s behavior sympathetic, and having Jocelyn behave much the same way just made her seem horrible and unlikable to a lot of modern viewers – especially compared to Kate. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/44 "2012-05-19T08:04:37Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I liked the gimmick, but I know a couple of people who were unimpressed. It was just breezy fun, with a nice juicy role for Paul Bettany to ham it up. > > I agree that the handmaiden and the blacksmith were both better than the princess. Yeah, the princess (who was never actually called one) was a terrible match. The one weak point of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/45 "2012-05-20T02:45:15Z")
Was she a princess? I just figured she was your (relatively typical) lady of relatively high social station. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/46 "2012-05-20T04:10:53Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Was she a princess? I just figured she was your (relatively typical) lady of relatively high social station. She certainly did not seem to be the daughter of a King/Queen, but I believe titles equivalent to “prince” and “princess” have been used more loosely in some languages like German to refer to the children of noblemen. So she could be a princess in that sense. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/47 "2012-05-20T04:45:09Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > She certainly did not seem to be the daughter of a King/Queen, but I believe titles equivalent to “prince” and “princess” have been used more loosely in some languages like German to refer to the children of noblemen. So she could be a princess in that sense. Well, she was originally to wed Prince Adamar D’ AssWipe, so she was of some ‘nobility’ - and I also believe that her decision to ignore that and go after William FakeRoyal was her ‘changing her stars’. But I still preferred the BlackSmith. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/48 "2012-05-20T06:50:44Z")
Adhemar was a Count. I thought it was a fun little movie. Screw realism - I get enough of that in life. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/49 "2012-05-20T13:34:05Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > Adhemar was a Count. Indeed, the only prince in the entire film was Edward the Black Prince, going incognito as Sir Thomas Colville. ---
**Author:** ![deadindays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@deadindays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deadindays)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/50 "2012-05-21T05:46:09Z")
Trivia: Ms. Sossamon used to play drums for the rock band Warpaint. If you watch their videos on YouTube, the bass player for the band reminds me a bit of Shannyn. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/51 "2012-05-21T08:48:55Z")
Well, I liked the lady, or, “the fox,” as William called her. “Yes, William, with the pigs.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/52 "2012-05-21T09:04:07Z")
We really liked the movie. Saw it when it played in Bangkok. I recall Ebert liking it okay, giving it three stars. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/53 "2012-05-21T14:33:12Z")
Meh. The Princess was young, and had certain expectations (unrealistic or not) of “True Love”. I didn’t feel her demands made her a bad person, but merely one not thinking clearly. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/54 "2012-05-21T15:04:59Z")
I wonder how attractive a knight like Ledger would really have been? Bad teeth, severe BO, etc.? People probably ceased to be very beautiful, once they hit 30 or so. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/55 "2012-05-21T15:57:01Z")
\ ***Large Man with Dead Body:** Who’s that then? \*\*The Dead Collector: \*\*I dunno, must be a king. **Large Man with Dead Body:** Why? **The Dead Collector:** He hasn’t got shit all over him. \* ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/56 "2012-05-22T01:47:34Z")
Shannyn Sossamon’s character was never referred to as a princess. Nor was she ever addressed as “Lady Jocelyn” so she most likely wasn’t the daughter of anyone particularly important, either. Was “Jocelyn” even used as a female name back in those times? I could have sworn it was a man’s name (and had a female version that was something like Joceleine) until fairly recently. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/57 "2012-05-24T01:17:26Z")
I saw it not long after it was released and enjoyed it. Not a masterpiece, but good fun. Paul Bettany is good in an early role, and Mark Addy, who played Ledger’s plump friend, recently played the king in _Game of Thrones_ on HBO. [http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2001\_A\_Knight\_s\_Tale/2001\_A\_Knights\_Tale\_213.jpg](http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2001_A_Knight_s_Tale/2001_A_Knights_Tale_213.jpg) [![](https://www.tvovermind.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Robert-Baratheon-game-of-thrones-17629743-1280-720.jpg) ](https://www.tvovermind.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Robert-Baratheon-game-of-thrones-17629743-1280-720.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098/58 "2012-05-25T02:38:16Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I saw it not long after it was released and enjoyed it. Not a masterpiece, but good fun. Paul Bettany is good in an early role, and Mark Addy, who played Ledger’s plump friend, recently played the king in _Game of Thrones_ on HBO. > > [http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2001\_A\_Knight\_s\_Tale/2001\_A\_Knights\_Tale\_213.jpg](http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2001_A_Knight_s_Tale/2001_A_Knights_Tale_213.jpg) > [http://www.tvovermind.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Robert-Baratheon-game-of-thrones-17629743-1280-720.jpg](http://www.tvovermind.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Robert-Baratheon-game-of-thrones-17629743-1280-720.jpg) AH! I knew he looked familiar! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-saw-a-knights-tale-was-the-movie-panned/622098.md?page=2)