Rainey Dawn
I love this style of horror film: slowly building suspense, subtle horror and a great story with lots of great atmosphere. Black Death is a medieval adventure horror that has very bleak aura with a very good story. I really love the medieval eye-candy (costumes and sets), cinematography, and just everything about the film! That is saying a lot because I am not into most modern day horror films but this film is one of rare gems in modern day horror movies. It's outstanding.All of the actors are superior! I have to say that Sean Bean is Boromir err Ulrich I mean. He's fantastic in these types of roles. Eddie Redmayne is fantastic in his role as Osmund the monk and John Lynch as Wolfstan is just as good! Just everyone in this film has done an outstanding job - very convincing performances.This is a hidden gem in a sea of modern day muck movies. I highly enjoyed this film and would love watch it over and over again.9/10
SnoopyStyle
It's 1348 England. The plague has descended on the lands. Novice monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) volunteers to lead a group of knights led by Ulric (Sean Bean) on a quest to find a rumored sanctuary village in the marsh. Osmund is conflicted about his love for a village girl. After a long disturbing journey, they find the isolated village protected by herbalist Langiva (Carice van Houten).This is the muddy dark middle ages in a semi-realistic fashion. It's ugly and filled with superstition. Redmayne and Bean are compelling leads. The dark brooding pace does take its toll. It's not really an exciting romp. The village has a slightly eery feel. This is an anti-supernatural horror.
Lexi Wolfe
Really really wanted to like this movie, and assumed I would. It has all the elements to make it an awesome movie to my taste - Sean Bean in medieval garb, looking and being a bad-ass (though he at no point says the word 'Bastard - a real let-down!); a little bit of the mysteries and God vs. Pagan religion argument as seen from the Middle Ages' experience; and a nice healthy dollop of blood, gore and excruciatingly painful death.However, the story itself plunged so quickly in at the deep end, and the characters we were swiftly introduced to were given so little time for real depth, that I found it very hard to find my empathy for them. Eddie Redmayne's character came across as whiny, where I'm sure I should be feeling greatly sorry for him. Sean Bean's Ulric was a little too ruthless, and the other soldiers in their troupe weren't that knowable, so by the time we get to the village, I really don't feel I have a side. In fact, to see Lord Percy - sorry - Tim McInnerny turn up, I almost felt like I should be on his.Overall, it was a nice watch. I liked the story, but it all took place so fast, I wanted more time to get to know the knights under Ulric, and the person I felt most sorry for was Averill.I wasn't sure I quite liked the ruthlessness of the pagans either - sure, it's a Kill or Be Killed situation overall, but still, the amount of times I've seen bloodthirsty, bedevilled, brainwashed pagans (speaking as a modern pagan myself) is beginning to wear more than a little thin.I'm also pretty sure that Carice Van Houten got cast as Melisandre on these merits.The story arc is good, just too short. The script has a nice, authentic flavour to it, with some nice little twists, and the acting is consistent and engaging throughout - but without a real feeling for who to root for and exactly why, I'm not this film's biggest fan, I regret to say.
Notorius2
This film is another underrated masterpiece of medieval times. The story and it's characters are full of depths and all the actors live up to their part. Especially the two protagonists with Sean Bean in a role nobody else could play.Despite the horror the darkness and the grimm atmosphere this is a must see movie that keeps every kind of audience satisfied to the end. And until that end the plot cleverly keeps the audience constantly trying to guess if there is something supernatural around or if its all man's work.Puts a perfect mix of true medieval hard characters who laugh at the face of death against godly men, stirred in a plague striken country with a dose of different religions beliefs. Black Death is a film that never disappoints.
AD
