It's time to storm the castle! Ironclad, a new British/American film, is set to be unleashed sometime in 2010, and it documents the catapults, fire, and outright savagery that occurred during the grueling siege of Rochester Castle in 1215. Both a trailer and a clip are embedded below for your review.
The film is set during the time of the King John and the signing of the Magna Carta. Rebels against the crown of King John had secured Rochester Castle and were definitely not of a mindset to give it up; and thus started a long and grueling campaign, led personally by King John, to get the castle back. His siege employed the use of catapults and other means in order to strike down the stone walls and towers protecting the castle, including an effort to dig underneath its structure to cause it to cave in on itself.
This last effort included a pretty savage move on John's part, as he sent this writ to his suppliers - "Send to us with all speed by day and night, forty of the fattest pigs of the sort least good for eating so that we may bring fire beneath the castle." And this is what they did; the pigs were slaughtered, their grease and fat slathered over the wood planks in the underground mine the King's men had dug under the castle, and then they set it all aflame. Nasty business! Exactly how this true historical occurrence will play out in the film must be left to be seen, but I definitely expect Ironclad to include a particularly big big bacon fire.
Ironclad does not yet have an official release date, but is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in the remaining time left in 2010. Jonathan English directs, and the cast includes Jason Flemyng, Paul Giamatti, Kate Mara, Brian Cox, James Purefoy, and Mackenzie Crook. A note on Mara; originally, the role was held by Megan Fox. Given Fox's extremely wooden acting in films such as Jonah Hex and Transformers, I have be thankful for her departure. A gritty look at medieval warfare requires real acting that goes beyond the ability to seductively pout.
The clips and trailers below give a great feel for the movie, and it appears as if we have a true medieval treat ahead of us. I just love films like this - they really put a sparkle in my d20. Check out the clip and trailer and let us know what you think with a comment below!
It's time to storm the castle! Ironclad, a new British/American film, is set to be unleashed sometime in 2010, and it documents the catapults, fire, and outright savagery that occurred during the grueling siege of Rochester Castle in 1215. Both a trailer and a clip are embedded below for your review.
