From its energy-filled action to its heartwarming story of a medieval commoner who embarks on a quest to attain knighthood and glory, the classic adventure-comedy A Knight’s Tale still has its charm 25 years on and still remains a classic feel-good film for all the ages.
Brian Helgeland’s 2001 action-comedy gem is set in the medieval 1300s era in England, where it centres around William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), a peasant squire who wishes to make his name of a higher nobility by competing in jousting tournaments. By becoming a jouster, he falsely poses under the alias of Ulrich Von Lichtenstein where he shocks knights with his skills, all while trying to catch the attention of Lady Jocelyn.
Medieval with a modern twist
The film is well-appreciated for its unique but brilliant mix of contemporary aspects into its historical setting, where it masterfully integrates modern 20th century pop culture elements in a one-of-a-kind manner through modern beats, costumes and social attitudes.
The movie gifts audiences with its wholesome plot about an underdog who is determined to break though the social barriers while protecting his loyalty and charm and remaining true to himself, and is topped with a generous blend of comedic elements and one-liners through its wide group of characters.
Not only do these elements make A Knight’s Tale one of the most heartwarming classics in movie history (in my opinion), but the film is made up of a wonderfully talented ensemble cast. As the late Heath Ledger captures hearts as the knight in shining armour throughout, there are a number of brilliant performances by the rest of the cast. The film’s one-of-a-kind humour is delivered by Paul Bettany, Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk and Rufus Sewell who all make the film’s iconic quotability, and Laura Fraser gives a delightful performance as the tough but adorable Scottish blacksmith.
The movie features a range of memorable scenes and lines which will definitely stick with you after watching. For me, the iconic dance scene with modern and stylish choreography to David Bowie’s hit ‘Golden Years’ at the ball remains one of the best in cinema.
There are so many elements of this masterpiece which not only make it an ultimate comfort movie for me, but that make A Knight’s Tale one of my all time favourites.
25th anniversary screenings
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, many cinemas across the UK are showing remastered showings of the film in 4K from mid-February.
There are many screenings on from the 20th February at the Vue cinema in Stirling, with other screenings showing at participating cinemas across Scotland.
More information on other upcoming screenings can be found on the websites for Vue, Cineworld, and Edinburgh’s Cameo Picturehouse here.
Featured image credit: Netflix