A Knight’s Tale (by Will Hines)

Today’s review is guest-written by actor/comedian/2001 film aficionado Will Hines.

I didn’t expect A Knight’s Tale, the 2001 this-has-to-be-for-teenage-girls-only-right? movie starring Heath Ledger and Paul Bettany, to be funny. But it was. I saw it on a plane in December of 2001, and I expected it to be lots of slow-motion shots of Heath Ledger doing dreamy things like being in love and maybe punching while sweating. I expected the story to be predictable and all the characters to speak in obvious first-thought dialogue (“That knight’s plan is so crazy it.. just.. might.. work”). I expected it to be like a Disney Channel movie but with like two swears.

But A Knight’s Tale is much closer to a simpler, less-pretentious Shakespeare in Love than She’s All That. Although the story is predictable (you know The Knight? He wins), the characters are smarter and more cynical than you’d expect, the jokes are great, the sad moments are sad,  and overall there is an impressive sense of fun. I kept wanting to shake strangers on the plane: are you watching this? This is good!

The story: Heath Ledger is a squire named William Thatcher who serves a knight who dies during a joust. Impersonating his master, Ledger wins the match and then tries to keep fooling everyone that he is the late knight. He befriends Geoffery Chaucer (Paul Bettany), who becomes his hype man. And he romances Shannyn Sossamon (presumably because they are the two best looking humans in the movie).

What stands out the most of this movie is its willful use of anachronisms: the crowd chants “He Will Rock You!” a la Queen when Thatcher takes the field. At a dance, the 14th century band is somehow playing “Golden Years” by David Bowie. Thatcher’s blacksmith friend forges new armor, and arbitrarily puts a Nike swoosh across the chest plate. When Chaucher introduces our hero at matches, he does so with the same cadence as the “Are you ready to rumble?” dude, which was not such a dated reference when this movie came out.

Too gimmicky? The writer/director Brian Helgeland noted in an interview around this time that MOST medieval movies have anachronisms — just less noticeable ones. You’ll see King Arthur dancing to Mozart, or Robin Hood bathing himself more than once a year or whatever. So he picked ones that made his movie more fun. Hey, I’m on board Helgeland! David Bowie IS more fun than Mozart!

The second theme of the movie is the use of Chaucer. The title of the film is the title of the very first Canterbury Tale, and there are a fair number of Canterbury Tale in-jokes throughout. You see Chaucher become irritated by someone, only to confirm their occupation “What are you, a Summoner? I’ll remember that” — referring to what I assume is “A Summoner’s Tale. “

Like Shakespeare In Love (I swear that I have also seen movies aimed at men), A Knight’s Tale makes great use of showing highbrow characters in lowbrow situations. Chaucher is a compulsive liar and gambler (he instantly gambles away all of his money and clothes whenever he is left alone). The princes and noblemen are conversational and naturalistic.

And that Heath Ledger guy? Good actor! He carries the film through several dramatic turns. I predict this guy makes a good movie or two.

I tried raving about this film to friends after my vacation, and was met with the same suspicious glances askance when I talk too much about The Smiths or Kate Bush. But trust me: this is a short, funny smart movie.