Britflix: Black Death

The Black Death was one of the traumatic events in world history. It was a pandemic that has been estimated to have killed between 75 million to 200 million people. This event serves as the backdrop for the Anglo-German horror film Black Death.

In 1348 the Black Death is sweeping across England. It has even reached a monastery where a young monk, Osmund (Eddie Redmayne), resides in. When an envoy for the bishop, Ulric (Sean Bean) arrives at the monastery Osmund volunteers to join his party. Their mission is to go to a village that has turned its back on Christ and been spared the horrors of The Pestilence.

In the early 2010s there were several smaller-scale historical films being released with the quality varying. There were films like Centurion, Ironclad, Season of the Witch, and Solomon Kane being released. Black Death stood out because it went towards the horror direction instead of going down the action or fantasy route. This made Black Death a much more interesting film.

Black Death played like a cross between Apocalypto and The Wicker Man: a seemingly strange mix but Black Death made it work. The first half of the film showed the journey Ulric, Osmund, and the band of warriors have to take and they see how society was breaking down. People had fallen into superstition and lawlessness. Women were accused of being witches and the flagellants were travelling the countryside whilst whipping themselves. One of the most haunting moments in the film was when the band reached an abandoned village. The stench of death filled the air. The first half was when Black Death was more like Apocalypto because both films gave audiences a sense of the wider crisis.

Black Death was a medieval apocalypse. It was a world where death was ever-presence, people were drawn to extremes and life was cheap. It was similar territory to other media like The Walking Dead, The Road, and Children of Men and it was given a historical twist.

The second half of Black Death was where it was like The Wicker Man. There was an eerie, uneasy feeling due to the band’s arrival at the village. It was calm and the residents, including the village matriarch, Langiva (Carice van Houten), were inviting. But Ulric and the band were on their guard because of all the chaos they had seen. Langiva was a villain who played a psychological game as she tormented Osmund, a man of God. It made Black Death a more effective horror film, especially the ending.

In an interview for Unrated Magazine, the director Christopher Smith revealed the original screenplay was more supernatural. He rewrote it to make the supernatural elements more ambiguous and played the ending more realistic. This was a wise move because it gave the horror more of an impact and showed Osmund’s fall into religious extremism.

Black Death did boast a great cast. Sean Bean was the biggest name actor at the time of production and when he was attached to the film, funding became a lot easier. Bean was playing a dark, brooding type of character who had a tragic backstory. Black Death gave audiences one of Bean’s most violent deaths. Whilst Bean was the big name, Redmayne was the star. The film was about his character and his journey from the safety of the monastery to his corruption.

Carice van Houten seemed like she was auctioning for her role in Game of Thrones. Langiva was a powerful woman who was distrusted by the band because of her powers, just like the Red Priestess in a certain fantasy show. Langiva, along with her main henchmen, Hob (Tim McInnerny) were menacing and creepy in their roles. McInnerny was surprising in the film because he’s known for his role in Blackadder. John Lynch gave a strong performance as Wolfstan, a member of Ulric’s band. Lynch was notable because of his gravelly voice and he acted a caring, fatherly figure to Osmund. He had the third biggest role in the film.

Black Death was an underrated gem of a horror film because of the dark and eerie atmosphere. It’s a worthy watch for fans of historical films and the horror genre.