Directed By Petr Jakl

Starring – Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine

The Plot – The story of fifteenth century Czech icon and warlord Jan Zizka (Foster), who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire.

Rated R for strong and grisly violent content throughout, and some nudity

Medieval: Exclusive Red Band Trailer (2022) Ben Foster, Michael Caine – YouTube

POSITIVES

For everything that this film lacks in constructing a compelling narrative, it more than makes up for with some of the most intense and gruesome action sequences that the imagination can conjure. This is most importantly as a result of the remarkable schemes in cinematography from Jesper Toffner, who not only imbeds a weathered, greying color correction to the atmospherically moody presentation, but also injects on-the-ground camera compositions to wholeheartedly immerse us into the elements of urgency and danger that constantly appraise the stakes in every situation. In addition to this, the crispness of the movie’s sound design orchestrates a slicing symphony of scintillating stings that cohesively amplify the intensity in developments, and when paired with Phillip Klein’s orchestral accompaniments, marries the environmental elements with off-screen influence impeccably, serving easily as the highlight of the film’s prominence that almost single-handedly is fighting off all opposing forces. Why it’s not quite alone and isolated is also from the detailed believability of the movie’s production design, with set designs and wardrobe playing a pivotal role in conveying the believability of the 1400 A.D time frame. What I appreciate is that the color of the trends lacks a boldness in their appeal, further adding to the greying consistency of the movie’s color coordination, all the while further articulating the grittiness of the geographic setting that capably sets the precedent long before the lashings or limbs start to fly. Finally, the work from the ensemble is also gratifying in a majority of circumstances, with the trio of Foster, Lowe, and Matthew Goode making the most of their coveted opportunities. Foster brings out the fearlessness and resiliency of Zizka, in turn taking a toll towards physicality that matches his typical commitment to craft, and when paired with Lowe emits an earnestness in chemistry between them that articulates the cause that both of them are willing to die for. However, it’s Goode who kept my eyes glued to the screen at all times, reveling once more in another villainous turn that not only afforded him an endless supply of scenery to capably chew on, but also an upper-class selfishness that led to more than a few audacious deliveries within him.

NEGATIVES

From the opening moments of the film where Michael Caine narrates a visual text that we are seeing on-screen, that should be all you need to understand that this film is a bumbling mess. Whether in the perils of the storytelling, which completely waste away a compelling character study, or the editing that convolutes the integrity and essence of what should be some truly easy moments to document, one thing is certain: “Medieval” gets in over its head with a story that practically should write itself, especially with the magnitude of the aforementioned intensity in set pieces at its disposal. For the framing device, we learn nothing about Zizka, which in turn is a tragic disappointment considering his biography conveys one of the most respected army generals of all times, on any continent. Instead, the film spends more time with Lowe’s Katherine, in turn wasting away the possibilities that Foster has to grow into the character, but also limiting us to the moments of downtime in his storied life that very little has been documented about. As for the editing, it’s a little too choppy for my tastes during the action sequences, especially when the use of some silly practical effects unintentionally garners laughs for student film levels of gore and brutality. Because the editing feels so spontaneous and lacking consistency for speed, it leaves moments of unflinching depiction that stand as a result of pasting a conflict together with too many tight-knit angles, in turn glaring a humbling transparency that visually speaks volumes of the cheap surroundings in the worst kind of way. From there, the dialogue doesn’t help matters, feeling as intentional and repetitive as power point exposition can possibly conjure, leaving little room for establishment in the pacing that often overwhelms it. The problem isn’t necessarily heavy-handedness, but rather derivative structure, highlighting the who, the what, the why, and the where repeatedly in ways that abruptly and forcefully keep information from establishing itself in the minds of its audience, all the while leading to an engagement that never even remotely escapes the boredom that is solidified in such a monotonously meandering biopic. Finally, though the ending does effectively articulate the tragic disposition of Zizka and Katherine’s developing relationship, its closing moments summarize everything problematic for this opportunity. The on-screen text tells us more than shows us, hinting to a legacy for Zizka that was rarely depicted in conflict, then all the more confusing with where the film chooses to fade to black. Its closing moments are spent setting up a forth coming battle that should’ve easily been included in the film, but instead corresponds to the aforementioned on-screen text that all but elicited a groan to cap off my engagement.

OVERALL
“Medieval” isn’t the compelling biopic for war general Jan Zizka that we want or even deserve. It’s a sluggishly stumbling story that is further complicated by a strange framing device and painfully sloppy editing schemes that maximize all of the movie’s production weaknesses, but in ways we will thankfully forget about hours after witnessing it.

My Grade: 5/10 or D-