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.
Let’s check out ‘Outlaw King‘!
You can see the trailer here:
I love knowing which year it is, makes looking up errors much easier 😉
Not bad, candles are only there because they’re needed and there are some colours!
What’s with the mullet?
Chris needs a better barber.
The chap on the right looks much nicer.
Also look, there are colours!!
And although I think there is a blue filter, it’s very mild, it doesn’t drown out all the colours.
When the sword is drawn we hear the Hollywood SWOOOOSH sound.
Generally drawing a sword doesn’t make much noise at all, which makes sense, you don’t always want everyone to know you’re drawing your weapon, but I get this error, because the sound is too sexy not to use:
The clothes are quite good, lots of long clothing, often in movies they go for the shorter tunics, show the men’s legs, sometimes even trousers, I guess to make them more manly or something?
So bravo for that.
You can see everything is a bit muted though, I think they used a filter to make it appear less sunny, give it authentic Scottish weather 😉
Also the man on the left is the wonderful Tony Curran, a great Scottish actor and handsome devil.
You may know him from that time when he played Vincent van Gogh in the best ever Dr. Who scene that always makes me cry.
I would have given him the main role, but of course Los Angeles boy Pine gets Netflix more bums on seats:
Gasp.
This made me happy.
Yes, siege & battle but look, it’s also fun, they’re putting on a show, there are fancy ladies, a stage, people drinking.
We can see the dirty filter a little bit but still plenty of colour.
Let’s go do damage!
Greek fire in 14th century Scottish sieges?
Maybe, I don’t know, but golly goodness it’s awesome.
It is unfair that I do not have a trebuchet:
That is some nice embroidery on your tunic grumpy boy.
How often do we see rich people in medieval films/tv shows actually look rich?
So often they’re also wearing boring drab clothing, but not here, another well done:
A feast, in a tent this time, ladies & posh folk having a party in a siege encampment, excellent, not how most movies would have depicted it.
Also yes, lots of candles but this is the King’s party, he can afford it:
Yes, lots of mud, but this is a siege encampment, lots of people, lots of horses, no roads, Scottish weather, so it’s perfectly fine:
Also my compliments for the general liveliness of the scenes, I mean there’s lots going on, the people in the background don’t just stand there, they don’t just follow simple instructions like walk from there to there, or stand here and pretend to talk, no, they’re properly acting, doing stuff, it’s busy, folks are not there just to make the main actor look good:
This feels a bit later than 1302 but maybe I’m wrong.
Either way, at least this castle doesn’t look cold and bare, look, painted walls, colour, fire, comfort!
But… are those torches?
Not sure.
Mmmmh they could be oil lamps.
Not to keen on the muted colours of the clothing here.
Remember, these are all fancy boys, rich lads, toffs, chaps who can afford a pretty little red number:
I LOVE these carriages/carts.
If I had more money than I should have I’d have a whole bunch of ’em made and then get a small army of re-enactors and just travel around Scotland like this.
If you have more money than you should, make this happen and invite me.
Please:
Smart.
Our hero has an adorable daughter and here shows his soft side, he’s helping her with her shoes.
Showing a man being a good dad is a very smart way to make a character in a film pretty much instantly sympathetic.
And look, more nice clothing and colours:
That thatched roof is VERY new, almost as if it was just recently made by the art department 😉
Peasants all look a little bit drab but still, a few colours here and there, no reason to complain.
Good:
Brilliant, the new lady is also nice to the child and… SHE LIKES THE DOG.
So now we as a viewer love her.
That’s how it works.
Be nice to kids, be nice to dogs and you shall be loved by all. 😉
Smart story telling tricks here:
What an impressive shot.
Say what you like but someone in the costume/art department has been shouting that medieval people loved colours and there’s plenty of it.
And that fabric looks superb.
So many films get this all wrong:
Party time!!
I’ve been to medieval themed parties, goodness they’re great.
This one time I was chatting with a knight who was completely naked while sitting on a wheel of cheese and, well never mind, we had a lot to drink.
Anyway, medieval parties are fun:
Time for the married couple to retire to their bed chamber and… oh look at that wonderful chandelier!
I love it, I need it.
I wonder if its based on a proper medieval real one, it wouldn’t surprise me:
Hanky panky time:
That’s not a typical Hollywood torch, I reckon it’s an oil light or supposed to be.
Which is again another well done for the set designer.
We don’t want torches, they’re silly.
Here’s why; https://fakehistoryhunter.net/2019/09/10/medieval-myths-bingo/#torchesallovertheplace
Splendid, he doesn’t force himself onto her, he goes away.
Which makes us viewers, well most of us I hope, like him more.
And it will make her like him more as well.
But… until the marriage has been consummated it can still be annulled and she can run off with the stable boy:
This made me laugh out loud, literally:
Look, the clothes have proper lining and the soles are not made of rubber, something you often see in medieval films because these leather ones have no grip and can be a bit dangerous.
Most shoes in the film probably have nice rubber soles, for health & safety, which means they got authentic leather sole ones for scenes where the bottom of the shoes could be seen, which is very professional, another compliment for the costume department:
I’ve seen this before in films and think it’s a bit peculiar.
The lady wandering about the commoners and her hair isn’t even covered.
She’s fancy, important, powerful, JUST got married to the lord and here she is with her hair flapping about the place like she works in a tavern:
The lady and her ladies don’t look very attractive to our modern eyes, shapeless dresses, not much decoration, I do appreciate that.
Hollywood is often tempted to sex it all up a bit:
This is a bit silly.
I mean if they come to get men for the army it would have made more sense to just let the lord deal with it and not just start grabbing boys.
And now the lady herself is stepping in when a peasant is slapped?
Well bravo to her, but still, a peculiar kerfuffle:
Straw on the floor here is a bit weird.
I guess they read about the rushes on floors and assumed it was just loosely thrown about.
Which I personally think is a misconception, a very common one, but still.
I’ve looked into this topic quite a few times and have come to the conclusion that in most cases, especially in castles and the houses of the wealthy the rushes would be woven into mats or heavily packed/stamped so you get a thick carpet sort of experience.
This is just messy:
Another superb actor, James Cosmo:
Another impressive scene.
But again random straw.
If you put straw on your floor it needs to be for a reason, so you either use lots so the floor is properly covered or you weave it into some sort of rug.
It has no function here:
Berwick, on the Scottish border.
Oh la la we’re going to visit a city:
Thank god we no longer have people selling fresh pies in the streets.
I would have died of overeating decades ago.
Love me a good pie:
Ah that’s going to upset a few folks, look, people with a different skin colour!
Shock horror!
But this place has a harbour, lots of trade, it’s likely that people from all over the known world could be found here, they’re also not portrayed as random people just wandering around the place, they’re clearly foreigners, travellers, so it’s not as unlikely as one might think:
Oh dear.
That’s a bit of William Wallace:
Nice.
There you are, big tough soldier, on a horse, wearing maille, beating peasants and then someone stabs your horse.
Game over:
Our lady is annoyed about being ignored and not part of the decision making progress.
This isn’t modern woke feminist claptrap, ladies back then were educated and often had possessions (even land) and power of their own, like lady Godiva 🙂
Gorgeous:
This place needs more painted walls and ceilings:
London!
Thank you CGI.
Some of those buildings look a bit later than early 14th century though:
He shouts “I am so sick of Scotland”.
WHAT?!
How dare he talk about the best place on earth like that.
Bring me my sword, we’re going to do some rebelling:
Ooooh pretty sleeves:
Ooooh weird sleeves:
Why are all these soldiers/knights in black?
Crowning a king.
But he still hasn’t bothered to get a hair cut or you know, bloody comb his bloody hair:
More delicious CGI.
But it looks a bit Tudor-y, more late medieval, not early 14th century but that’s just a general sort of first impression, maybe I’m wrong and it’s all perfectly researched and authentic:
The mail looks good, he’s also wearing padding underneath, as he should.
Perhaps a bit too big and needs some adjusting, but at least it’s not silver painted wool:
Fire arrows!
They do work, but they need special arrowheads, you can’t just attach some material to a normal arrow and let it loose, the fire will go out or the material will fall off in flight:
Looks so cool though:
It was quite smart to use them though because now we have lots of random light allowing us to see what’s happening in this battle that happens in the dark.
Did any of this really happen?
I have no idea.
I wouldn’t attack an army hold up in the woods at night.
Wait till dawn:
That’s got to smert:
I don’t think that fountain is 14th century:
Well that’s disgusting.
But yes, that sort of thing happened.
I bet he learned his lesson:
I’m not sure if this suit of armour is historically accurate, someone with more armour knowledge might be able to tell us, but it sure is pretty.
Look, they’re all cute little flowers:
Lots of very lovely singing:
The fight scenes aren’t spectacular or very exciting which is a bit of a problem when there’s quite a lot of them:
This is quite realistic, as weird as it sounds, people did sleep pretty much all over the place in castles.
Only a few had their own rooms, everybody else just placed a matt or straw bed wherever they could find a spot.
But again, the random sprinkling of straw is weird:
Aw man don’t burn the castle, think of us future people who want to visit it and in stead just get another ruin:
Doune Castle, you may know it from the much better film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’.
Most of what we see here was built in the late 14th century…
I think I remember those white arches!
Yep, this is Castle Anthrax 😉
Nice!
Although I think some of the tents would be more decorated:
Always good to remind the audience that not all soldiers were 30 something big burly men.
We need more children and teenagers fighting battles in films:
I will never stop loving the sight of a medieval army approaching.
And although it was just re-enactment and nothing like real life, seeing a sight like this with over 1000 people in authentic outfits march towards me has been an experience I’ll never forget:
Pre-battle speeches always have an effect on me, they make me want to fight.
Even the bad ones, even the ones not made on St. Crispin’s day:
Thanks CGI, I love you babes:
So any helmet experts out there want to point out the helmets that aren’t quite early 14th century?
Either way, at least folks are wearing helmets, even the main actors.
Most movies don’t dare that, they want us to be able to see the faces of the expensive actors:
Great shot.
And seeing something like this was terrifying, even when it’s fake, a re-enactment.
The sounds, the ground shaking, I’ll never forget it:
The last battle scene is impressive, mostly because of the numbers involved.
Goodness me:
Of course the two main characters end up facing each other on the battle field.
The brand new king somehow just stands there without his guards and of course they’re not wearing helmets so we can see their faces… this part of the film is a bit silly:
This man can act without saying a word:
Oh no, not the kid:
So conclusion, it’s a pretty decent film.
History wise also relatively historically accurate/authentic, especially for Hollywood standards.
There’s colour!
It’s a bit too long and I fear that the main thing that brings it all down is the casting.
Mr. Pine just doesn’t do it for me.
With a different main actor and perhaps not as long as it is (2 hours) this could have been a much better film.
Having said that, visually it’s been a feast and they clearly listened a lot better to the historical consultants than they usually do and that makes up for a lot:
f you like my reviews, check out this list of other films/tv shows/art/books/etc I’ve reviewed here;
