Movie Description
In the Middle Ages, before television or professional sports, there is only one form of competition to separate the men from the boys: jousting tournaments. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), a poor and humble squire, has always dreamed of proving himself worthy as a knight. When he gets a lucky chance--seeing an opportunity to disguise himself in the identity of a knight--William decides to maintain the illusion for as long as possible. He is aided by his friends Wat, Roland, and Geoffrey Chaucer--a writer with a knack for forging official papers. Under his new title, Sir Ulrich of Liechtenstein, William wins tournaments and receives monetary awards. However, the only way for William to prove himself as truly noble is to beat out all of his enemies, including the arrogant and undefeated Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell), in a series of jousts. Once he does so, William will reveal his his true identity. Writer-director Brian Helgeland creates a unique blend of rousing adventure, comedy, and modern sensibility in A KNIGHT'S TALE, giving a contemporary make-over to the medieval genre with a soundtrack that includes hit songs from Queen, David Bowie, Sly & The Family Stone, and Thin Lizzy.
| Credits | | Cast: | Alan Tudyk, Christopher Cazenove, Laura Fraser |
Editorial Reviews
"...It's dazzling....And fun..."
Rolling Stone - p.92 - Peter Travers (05/24/2001)
"...A KNIGHT'S TALE delights in comparisons to present-day sport....[Bettany] is especially delightful..."
Box Office - p.55 - Shlomo Schwartzberg (06/01/2001)
"...[Bettany's] silver-tongued exaggerations of the jousting jock's brave deeds and mighty stature before each match are great fun..."
USA Today - p.9E - Susan Wloszczyna (05/11/2001)
"...Sometimes great fun....Heath Ledger does handsome and sincere well..."
Sight and Sound - p.48-9 - Kim Newman (09/01/2001)
"...The easy charm of Ledger and the chemistry with his buddies make the training scenes a treat..."
Total Film - p.92 - Cam Winstanley (09/01/2001)
"...There are many fearsome jousting matches in the movie....The movie has an innocence and charm that grow on you....A KNIGHT'S TALE is whimsical, silly and romantic..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (05/11/2001)
"...An impressive ensemble; there aren’t many movies in which the actors use their voices so well, making each line reading memorable..."
New York Times - Elvis Mitchell (05/11/2001)
"...An impressive ensemble; there aren't many movies in which the actors use their voices so well, making each line reading memorable..."
New York Times - p.E16 (05/11/2001)
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