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Author
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Topic: Movie script
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Bill Duncan
Member
Member # 448
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posted 03-13-2003 11:37 PM
    
Hello every one new fellow here with a hope and prayer for help.
I posted this at SFI as well but would love feed back from yall since this site is about getting thing's right for the time.
Hey everyone.
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Well I need some advise on my project.
I am writing a script and need a little with a couple of things, first the script will be called “Seven Knights” It will be the European version of the Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, it will be based in northern Italy near the German border.
The reason for the location is the fact that Italy was a main stay of free companions because of the battles between the warring house’s of Italy.
The men will be different types of men at arms that were seen in the 15th century.
Point I need to make is that while not all are going to be true knights there actions make them knight’s .Gabriel: Leader of the seven with a past that he is haunted by, for those that are history nut’s this will give you an idea1430, May 23 - At Compiègne; assault on Margay. Alan Rickman is who I think would be grand for this role Christian: Second in command upbeat about life and very much a man you would want on your side in a battle.
For this one Adrian Paul would be great. Give him a chance to have some fun with a role. The “Duke”: A true noble but broke as hell and a good brother in arms to Gabriel. For this Tim Currey. Charles: Young knight that is finding his feet, has done the tournament thing but never been in actual battle. Jason London (Jason and the Argonauts) would do well in this role. Henri: This is the Toshiro Mifune character. A lot of fun in the movie, Vincent Cassel (Brother hood of the wolf , The Messenger.) would be grand for this role. Argyle: The Ultimate man at arms he is the best with any weapon there is polearm, sword, whatever you want. Ray Parks (X men and Phantom menace.)
would be the best for this in my mind. The last member of this band will be one of two the following men (One of the thing’s I need help with.) Lars: An early form of a Landsesknechts. He carries a true two hander and a pole-arm and has it in his mind that they are going to be well paid for their service despite Gab and Cris’s best efforts to tell him other wise.
For this one Dolph Lundgren would be a fine choice. Caden: Welsh bowman who has a knack for getting him self in trouble as well as being a fine shot, he and Gabriel have a history and that play’s well in the script. Rhys Ifans (Spike from Notting Hill.) was my first thought for this one. Now on to the question’s I have, would any one want to see this?
Is there any way to use real style fighting in a film and not the clash-bang crud we see in so many film’s ?
So there it is what do yall think?
Duncan
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Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged
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chef de chambre
Admin & Advocatus Diaboli
Member # 4
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posted 03-15-2003 09:06 AM
Hi Bill,Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Were I you, I would go for the Bowman rather than the Landesknecht, since the one obviously existed in the early 15th cntury, whereas 'landesknecht' soldiers were not organized until the llate 1470's at the absolute earliest - Maximilian did the first orginization of same in 1478, inspired by the Swiss method of warfare and it's ultimate success against the Burgundians in 1476-77. Otherwise, the lot of us (and on other boards, pretty much any reenactor or medieval military enthusiast) will sit around watching the movie, and say "Man - why did that landesknecht show up? There late 15th century at earliest").  you know how people like that are sitting watching a historical movie. -------------------- Bob R.
Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged
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Alan F
Member
Member # 386
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posted 03-16-2003 02:10 PM
I've tried to refrainfrom commenting about this, but I'm afraid I can't hold back any more.
Bill, if you want this script to have a sense of reality, make the central characters native to the country that it's taking place in. This gives it more of a sense of reality - what would a Scotsman, A Welshman and a noble be doing in each other's company? In the 15th Century, the Welsh tended to be working for the English (ie, Agincourt). This had been the case since the 13th century. IN any case, why would either a Scotsman or a Welshman be away from their native countries? The only reason would be trade, war or pilgrimage. The first two would be at because of Feudal duty, and they wouldn't be allowed the freedom to roam, unless they were nobles, and even then, all they would be interested in would be trade. If, on the other hand, they were on pilgrimage, they would be unarmed, and unlikely to enter into violence.
Next, why set a film in Scotland? And why 'The Evil English Lord'? As Loachaber is some 400 miles from the borders, and Stirling some 200 miles, wouldn't someone have noticed a small english army trying to get past? And even if they had, the wouldn't have survived long - Scottish armies of this period are very good at fighting....
For anyone who is interested in making a film set in the past, please consider this: What you are doing is talking about the National pride of a country. Here in Scotland, we are still furious over the travesty that was Braveheart. Even the propaganda of Edward I and II never portrayed the scottish people that badly. If you wish to write a book or script set in the past, then I have no problem, but if it looks likely to be a pastiche of another country's history, then I have a problem.
Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged
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Caliburnus
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Member # 11
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posted 03-16-2003 06:04 PM
A couple of points,
Firstly, I love the idea. The characters seem well thought out and the "casting" is great!I agree that setting it in Italy would be easiest, mainly because the country didn't "exist" in the broadest sense of the world, and the many warring city states make for just this kind of conflict.
In addition groups such as Sir John Hawkwood and the White company were renowned for recruiting people of all nationalities and histories making the mix of people more realistic.One of the problems I think you might have is with the language, and specifically the curses you mentioned! In this period (to the best f my knowledge) curses tended to be of the religious nature, such as "by Christ’s bones!" In the period this would have provoked similar feelings of shock and revulsion as err... can't say this here but the F and C words do today.
The unfortunate side effect of this that rather than makiing the charecters seem angry when they curse, it will make them sound "Quaint!" Just my 2c! -------------------- For God, King and Lancaster
Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged
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Caliburnus
Member
Member # 11
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posted 03-17-2003 05:06 AM
Mary Gentle wrote an excellent book called "Ash: a secret History" which is an alternate history of 15th century burgundy. It is fantaticly written, and from various descriptions the author has worn full armour or has been in close discussion with those of us that have. A very good read, and written in alternating chapters, firstly a fictional scholars modern translation of a medieval story bout Ash, and secondly the authors correspondences with his publisher. In this he makes the point that he choose to use modern phraseology and sentence structure to convey the IDEA rather than the exact words. Hence the lead character saying F and C a lot!I really recommend you grab a copy of the book (and that goes to you lurkers as well) it has some great battle sequences, but gets rather sci-fi at the end! Sorry bit off topic! -------------------- For God, King and Lancaster
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