Season of the Witch
I can't think of the name Season of the Witch without thinking of the 60s song :). However, that's not what this movie is about. Rather, it's about Nicholas Cage and Ron Perlman as crusaders in the Middle Ages who develop a conscience. They desert, strive to escape the church's clutches, and are drawn right back in again.
I'll note that I view this movie not as an "entertainment vehicle" but as a portrayal of medieval times, since I write medieval novels. In that sense Season of the Witch does quite well.
The movie is set in the 1300s - deep in the days of the Black Plague. Medieval people had no idea why this plague had come, or if it would ever end. The plague wiped out massive amounts of people. Entire villages. Entire regions. From a medieval person's point of view, this pestilence would soon destroy all of mankind. Their only way of coping with this was to assume they'd done something to displease God and if they could just figure it out, they might be saved.
This was a very real situation that went on. The Black Plague was quite horrific. It wasn't just that people were dying - they were dying in gruesome ways. There was no way to stop it. It was a time of despair.
Bleibruck - Cage's character - is also fairly realistic. Sure, he and his pal might not have been such "superheroes" at combat, as the movie presents them. However, there was a lot of slaughter during the Crusades, and there were certainly men who thrived and succeeded in that arena. There were also men who finally balked at the mindless killing of women and children.
The movie received some fairly bad reviews. Certainly the redeeming-a-soldier theme is a bit cliche, and it's handled a bit roughly. The two men revel in battle and destruction for years and years, and then *poof* they change their mind. It might have been better to show that mindset creeping in. Also, I suppose the movie overall is an odd mix of realism and supernatural.
But that being said, I think they did a stellar job with the costumes and portrayal of medieval times, which is my primary interest. The Black Plague times were gritty and nasty. People decayed alive. The long-nosed "black plague mask" the doctors wore were authentic. The idea was that the mask would keep the doctors somewhat safe from the plague. The fear and hysteria of the times was real. The sense that towns were crumbling in on themselves, that people had no idea of where to turn, all of it is authentic.
So, with so many other medieval movies presenting a shiny, polished view on this time period, I think Season of the Witch did its job well. I've seen this movie several times now and each time I'm impressed with the clothing and atmosphere that is provided.
And, as a bonus, you get a glimpse of The Hound from Game of Thrones in the opening scene :).
I'll give it 4/5 stars for transporting us into another time, one we're glad not to be in any more.
Buy Season of the Witch from Amazon.com
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