"One of the most brutally realistic and bloodthirsty depictions of medieval England that I've seen..."
One of the most brutally realistic and bloodthirsty depictions of medieval England that I've seen in a long time, Ironclad is a relentless, in your face historical action adventure that is as merciless with your eyes as King John was with his enemies.
After being forced to sign the Magna Carter to protect Englishmen from his unfair and cruel rule in 1215, King John wages a bloody war to take back his country and wreak revenge on the Baron's that forced his hand. Paul Giamatti is fantastic as the cruel King John, and his evil little face reminded me of a spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram, or in this instance, daggers.
Standing up against his evil procession of death throughout the land, is Baron Albany (Brian Cox), who plays a fantastically cheerful and optimistic character, almost Friar Tuckish, but with an axe and a lot of balls. Along with his band of ex cons and various hard men they march to Britain’s mighty fort which is Castle Rochester in Kent, praying for the arrival of the French Army to liberate them from King John's revengeful mission while they defend the castle and generally try and stay alive.
Helping the Baron is a disillusioned Templar Knight, Marshall, played by a brooding James Purefoy, who has taken a vow of silence as well as a very obvious vow of chastity as he tries to reject the advances of the Lady of the Castle, Lady Isabel, played by a wonderful Kate Mara, who's English accent and general sense of fearlessness is great to watch.
Unlike most Hollywood interpretations of the English medieval battlefield, Ironclad's cinematography takes us right into the action, with a hand held camera and first person perspective which ramps up the fear level to an excruciating degree. The sets and costumes felt disgustingly authentic, right down to the beautiful heroine's dirty fingernails and hands. You really get the true sense of desperation and poverty that most people lived with in the 13th century, and just how fickle and dangerous the monarchy could be, and how everyone was living under a sword that could fall on you and your family at any time.
Ironclad is a great story about a not very well known piece of history that reminds us just how hard people had to fight for their rights and their freedom. If this film is historically accurate then just how bravely The Baron and his men fought when they were so outnumbered is incredible, and gripping to watch.
My only complaint is that the film is quite slow in parts, and although it should be praised for it's authenticity and darkness, it was quite a dark and dismal film, and is definitely one for the boys, and not one for the faint hearted. However with most of the cast on top form, and some great comic relief throughout, Ironclad is sure to be a hit with fans of this genre.
Ironclad has more gore than is almost necessary, and depicts a very bleak and miserable England, making it clearer than ever why this period in time was called The Dark Ages.
IRONCLAD CHARGES INTO UK CINEMA'S ON THE 4TH OF MARCH 2011
Ironclad film page | Paul Giamatti Image Library | James Purefoy Image Library | Kate Mara Image library