I rarely watch adventure films but I watched this one because I wanted to watch Heath Ledger when I saw his performance in Brokeback Mountain. He is good at playing different types of roles in different types of films. In some films you may not even be able to recognize his faces while you are enjoying his performance. But I always recognize him since he is a kind of my type with his being cool.
It's a film to teach children to be knightly, to be brave, to be courageous; it's a film to encourage people that to change their "stars" is possible.
It's a 14th-century adventure epic with a 20th-century contemporary twist. It inspiringly incorporated of classic 1970s rock tunes and created an anachronistic bridge between "then and now". It inventively applied "We will rock you" soundtrack to the opening sequence of this 21st century Chaucerian tale. Middle Ages peasants are stamping their feet and clapping in the bleachers of a match of their most extreme sport jousting.
William, as a peasant squire, is more knightly than a noble. He shows mercy and kindness by withdrawing when his rival is hurt; still he rode and it's not in him to withdraw when he knew that Prince Edward was in disguise in order to be able to compete while others withdrew when recognized Edward; he doesn't run and put himself to the hazard when a dozen royal guards will put him in stocks; the story reached its climax when William was hurt, when he was wearing no armor because he couldn't breathe when he wore the armor, when he asked his best friend to lash the lance to his arm because he could barely grip the lance and still he finished and unhorsed his rival. What a courage!
There is a scene very simple yet touching whenever I watch it. It's when William was back to his home 12 years later and met his blind father. Christopher's performance is so great in this short dialogue:
Does he live?
Aye he does. He is very well. He wanted you to know that he changed his stars after all.
And has he followed his feet? Has he found his way home at last?
Yes father.
The love letter can also be a good sample for lovers:
It is strange to think I have not seen you in a month.
I have seen the new moon, but not you.
I have seen sunsets and sunrises, but nothing of your beautiful face.
The pieces of my broken heart can pass through the eye of a needle.
I miss you like the sun misses the flower in the depths of winter.
Instead of beauty to direct its light to the heart hardens like the frozen world your absence has sent me to.
It gets me through the day and especially the night.
The hope that after you leave my sight.
It will not be the last time I look upon you.
This film is therefore very entertaining and enjoyable, but the amazing part of it is the introducing of the writer Chaucer. It's what makes this film outstanding. Paul Bettany's performance is spontaneous from his first speech "we walk in the garden of his turbulence" when William won a sword match, to introducing William to "everybody else here not sitting on a cushion" aiming at "today you find yourselves equal for you are all equally blessed" and his tale about William being the seeker of serenity, protector of Italian virginity and the enforcer of our lord God, and to the final speech introducing William as "one of your own, born a stone's throw from this very stadium". All these marvelous speeches help get people's attention and win people's heart for William.
The film then outruns all other adventure ones.
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