This article was originally a thread on social media, which is why it is formatted with lots of images and short responses.
The text is about the image below that paragraph.
Review of a film where they did everything wrong… according to how many modern film/tv makers seem to think these days!
So yes, they actually did everything right…
Warning, this thread will spoil the whole story, watch the video first.
The trailer:
You can watch the full film here, it was made on a shoestring budget, the writer, producer and director Tim Gerbert is only 22 years old and I think he did an amazing job, go check it out, support film makers like Tim:
And now my review;
Doing a film/tv show in a modern language in stead of a historical one makes sense and is something I generally don’t mind, but doing it anyway does make a production more awesome, it’s pretty brave and yes sounds wonderful:
The film is about a mother and son, the setting looks wonderful, the furniture, clothing, props, etc. are fine, I don’t see much wrong with it.
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t wish they had a bit more colour and a bit less light, but look, no blue filter like we see in so many big budget Hollywood movies these days, that grey blueish look that makes everything look depressing, dark and colourless, we don’t have that here;
Mum gave the kid a toy and I love that 3 flame oil lamp in the back!
Mums are great.
I speak/understand German fluently but am struggling with medieval German.
Do I care?
Do I mind?
Nein.
If you have trouble with subtitles, try watching anyway, trust me;
Gorgeous bed;
Very nice shot, yes medieval houses were often dark, even during the day, windows rarely had glass so you had to choose between light & cold or dark & warm;
Mum is sick, the kid has to look after himself, making a fire isn’t easy, the film shows us the use of flint and a striker.
I’ve tried it, it’s tricky.
Mind you a kid his age should have known how to do it, result of soft parenting? 😉 He tries, fails, tries again, succeeds!
The lad grows up in front of our eyes, doing his but also his mother’s chores, cooking, chopping wood and looking after his mum, but she’s not getting better, she’s getting worse. He has to do something.
I’m already fully invested in the story;
Once more our kid overcomes fear and challenges, he runs through the woods to the town, it’s scary, he wants to give up but doesn’t and keeps going.
A simple story but an timeless one that grabs you.
Or maybe it’s just me because I’m an old sentimental fool who misses her mum;
He reaches the town, bumps into some guards.
The camera is at the kid’s height, making it easier for us viewers to identify with his situation. This film maker did a smart thing, in stead of a costume designer he just got some first class re-enactors involved who brought their own kit, which means that how they look is more authentic and accurate than you see in many big budget films with their own costume department:
Look at that, a medieval street but there’s not a layer of filth, nobody throwing faeces from windows and no torches everywhere.
Yeah its dark, deal with it, nights are dark. Excellent:
Bathhouse!
I cheered.
Yes dear viewer, medieval people bathed, shocking, I know.
And yes, I’m obsessed with medieval hygiene, I know;
ut the scene is not there just to tell us medieval people bathed, the people running the bathhouses were also often the ones with medical knowledge, this is where the physician, barber/surgeon works, he’s pulling a tooth in the next room.
Our kid needs to speak to him;
The physician needs payment, the kid has no money so he offers his toy, a spinning top.
The man just nods. Yeah, that did it for me, I cried:
It’s bad news, we know that, the physician knows that, mum probably knows it but our kid doesn’t, not yet.
The doctor is grumpy and impatient, but we know he’s a good man because he accepted the toy as payment.
We know he’ll do his best;
Can’t believe how easy it was for this story to get me on board, I don’t understand half of what is being said, we know very little about the main characters, but I so badly just want his mum to get better.
Take note Hollywood;
Our kid has a nightmare (scary & emotional, I won’t spoil it) and then discovers he dropped the physicians potion.
But it doesn’t matter, it’s too late anyway. Mum is gone;
And yes, this is pretty much what losing your mum feels like;
The lad leaves home, a new life ahead.
That’s it, that’s the story, simple, sad, but it works;
Well I’m very impressed.
With very little money this 22 year old made a short film that looks better and more authentic than a lot of the big budget drivel we get to see these days.
No filth everywhere, there are colours, historical accuracy, no blue filter, no portraying the middle ages as somehow extra violent, disgusting or awful.
And they did this with little experience and even less budget.
Check out this interview with him in English here:
I hope you go and watch the film, subscribe, etc. all that good stuff, support the project, this young filmmaker and so on.
And maybe in a few years we finally get a realistic medieval big budget film!
If you enjoyed this review, check out this list of other reviews I wrote:
Fake History Hunter 