Kirpianuscus
it could be defined in different ways. as historical movie, as example of romanticism in hard - idyllic period, as adventure of a kind of self made man, as return to the books of teenager age. in fact, it is more than a correct/good film about a character who becomes useful guide in the essence of Medieval life. because, without be a lesson, it is a precise - delicate pledge for values and gestures and responsibility. and this does it seductive. because it gives an universal story. because it is an admirable work. not only for the fans of genre. but for remind. what is real significant in each life.
SnoopyStyle
It's 1187 in the Holy Lands. Arn Magnusson is known as the honorable Al Ghouti to the Muslims. He rescues Saladin from bandits on his way to Egypt. Saladin is in debt to him. In flashbacks, Arn is the son of Magnus Folkesson (Michael Nyqvist) and defeats his foe in a duel. He falls for Cecilia. Her sister tries to bed him. It turns into a scandal and he's excommunicated. A pregnant Cecilia is forced into a nunnery and Arn is sent on the Crusade.The story flow is disrupted with the constant back and forth. It's not that necessary to keep going back to Cecilia. There is also a disjointed feel. Joakim Nätterqvist is a rather bland leading man. He's a nice Viking-like look but lacks a bigger charisma. This is probably something for the fans of the books but it doesn't hold up as a cinematic movie.
Tobias Henriksen
It seems to me that very few who reviewed this movie has actually read any of the books. That's alright, it only means that you were less disappointed than me. I personally hold Jan Guiliou as my favorite writer, an because the Arn series was the first of his books i ever reed, it has been a standard i compare his work with. The book series is the most amazing books i've ever reed. The characters and plot really sticks out as interesting for someone who are more interested in history than the common man. This is why i had great expectations for the movie, and was overly filled with joy when i heard they were making it.I'm sure my review has hinted that i wasn't satisfied with what i saw, and this is correct. I'm not going to complain about the actors and locations, which in some choices wasn't remotely comparable to the books, what i however want to complain about is the extreme liberty the director has taken in changing so much of the original plot, that i couldn't recognize the original book i loved so much.First off, Who makes 2 movies out of 3 books ?, they couldn't possibly have thought that was a good idea. The first movie is "The road to Jerusalem" and 15 minutes of "The knights templar" i felt empty and disappointed when i left the movie theater that evening.Another thing is that the films are just a love story. Guiliou's original books was a story of life in Sweden during the middle ages, where the love story between Arn and Cecilia was the red thread that combined the books. In the movie this is the main plot, the secondary plot, and the rest of the story is left for scraps.My recommendation is that instead of watching the movie, you read the books. They are more entertaining, and you won't feel that you just wasted part of you're life.
Duncan Bayne
Arn is a two-hour movie that could be summed up as "terrible things happen to Arn and Cecillia for no apparent reason, then he dies and she mourns."The hero and heroine do everything right almost to the point of being saccharine; he is the devoted Knight, she the pining lost love. Both are dedicated, strong, heroic characters - and both suffer terribly despite their heroic qualities.Perhaps this is how life often is; but by choosing to glorify it, the author spits in the face of his audience. Two hours of thinking "well, you know, eventually their strength of character will be rewarded" only to find out I was wrong.According to Rand, art "is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgments". I wonder what sort of artist enjoys torturing his characters for no apparent reason? Apparently the sort of artist who enjoys torturing his customers as well.
AD
