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Amazon.co.uk Review
Slowly emerging as one of Britain’s most interesting directors, Christopher Smith follows up his successes with Severance and Triangle by heading back to medieval England. Thus, in Black Death, we meet Sean Bean’s Ulric, a knight who, in conjunction with a monk by the name of Osmund, is off on a mission. That quest? To find a necromancer. However, as you might expect, things don’t go to plan at all.
While the setting may be a change for Smith, his skill behind the camera matures further with Black Death. He’s stretching a low budget here, but you’d be hard pushed to spot that for long periods of the film, as he evokes a dark, unpleasant period of history, and uses it as the basis for a very gritty film. Refusing to hide away from the violence and horrors of the time, it’s engrossing, but not for the faint of heart.
Smith’s cast serve him well, too, with Sean Bean reliable in the lead role. He’s joined by an ensemble that includes Black Book star Carice van Houten, Tim McInnerny and David Warner amongst others, and the ensemble pulls together terrifically well. The end result is a film that comfortably punches above its budgetary weight, and continues an interesting streak of films from its director.
And as you might hope, its qualities are accentuated by its high definition release. The picture quality here is quite excellent, making use of the period setting that Smith recreates. It doesn’t shirk with its active sound mix, either, proving that you don’t need to be a big budget blockbuster to make the most out of a Blu-ray release. Black Death, then, comes happily recommended. --Jon Foster
Special Features
While the setting may be a change for Smith, his skill behind the camera matures further with Black Death. He’s stretching a low budget here, but you’d be hard pushed to spot that for long periods of the film, as he evokes a dark, unpleasant period of history, and uses it as the basis for a very gritty film. Refusing to hide away from the violence and horrors of the time, it’s engrossing, but not for the faint of heart.
Smith’s cast serve him well, too, with Sean Bean reliable in the lead role. He’s joined by an ensemble that includes Black Book star Carice van Houten, Tim McInnerny and David Warner amongst others, and the ensemble pulls together terrifically well. The end result is a film that comfortably punches above its budgetary weight, and continues an interesting streak of films from its director.
And as you might hope, its qualities are accentuated by its high definition release. The picture quality here is quite excellent, making use of the period setting that Smith recreates. It doesn’t shirk with its active sound mix, either, proving that you don’t need to be a big budget blockbuster to make the most out of a Blu-ray release. Black Death, then, comes happily recommended. --Jon Foster
Special Features
- Commentary with Director Christopher Smith
- Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary)
- Behind the scenes footage
- Bringing Black Death to Life Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
- Photo Gallery
- Interviews with cast & crew (including Director Christopher Smith, Producer Jens Meurer, Producer Phil Robertson and Sean Bean)
Product Description
Sean Bean, Carice van Houten, Eddie Redmayne, David Warner, Kimberley NixonDirector: Christopher Smith
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
144 of 154 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Of course we have no real way of knowing what the fourteenth century was really like but in this film set in the time of the Black Death director Christopher Smith portrays a grim land stalked by plague and an evangelistic Christianity that is entirely believable. Eddie Redmayne plays Osmund; a novice monk, who has already been tempted by the sins of the flesh and is in love with a local girl called Avril whom he sends away into the forest to escape the plague. His own plague is the doubt that he is a good christian and just as he asks God for a sign so arrives the Bishop's envoy played by Sean Bean. Bean is perfectly cast as the soldier tasked by the bishop to investigate reports of a village in the marshes which has escaped the plague by turning away from God and worshipping a necromancer. Edmund is recruited as a guide and joins Bean's crew of mercenary soldiers on their mission. The English countyside is beautifully portrayed in muted colours throughout and the people are rough, unwashed and authentically portrayed. There is no stylised combat in this film, when violence breaks out it is realistic and brutal and very believable. Eventually the group reach the village which is a picture of order, cleanliness and health but hides a dark secret. Want to know more? Then watch it, this is a good medieval adventure and one of Sean Bean's best roles for a while.
116 of 127 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a low budget movie, yet it offers so much. To be honest I was expecting a poor film, regardless of Sean Bean's involvement. I'm glad I was wrong. What this movie does is show that you don't need to spend billions on effects etc . . . to put together a memorable story. The acting, from many actors I've never even heard of, was of a very high standard, and at times I could feel the tension and fear they experienced. This film wins the viewer over by being creepy and cruel, without shoving it in your face. The script holds its own and manages to convey a very powerfully eerie tome.
Where this movie excels, in my opinion, is in the tone it sets. There is something truly sinister and dark laced throughout the entirety of it all and, unlike many similar films, it actually works. No need for monsters or CGI phantoms. It just manages to draw out your fear through the masterful way it is put together.
My rating is not in comparison to masterpieces such as Lord of the Rings, but is based on what it actually is: a low budget fantasy-horror. A great one. If you like a good medieval-style horror, then I'm sure this is a film you'll enjoy. It doesn't boast loads of huge stars and massive effects, but it holds its own amongst many films I've seen recently that cost ten times the production costs.
Black Death is a film that will surprise and please . . . and chill to the core.
Where this movie excels, in my opinion, is in the tone it sets. There is something truly sinister and dark laced throughout the entirety of it all and, unlike many similar films, it actually works. No need for monsters or CGI phantoms. It just manages to draw out your fear through the masterful way it is put together.
My rating is not in comparison to masterpieces such as Lord of the Rings, but is based on what it actually is: a low budget fantasy-horror. A great one. If you like a good medieval-style horror, then I'm sure this is a film you'll enjoy. It doesn't boast loads of huge stars and massive effects, but it holds its own amongst many films I've seen recently that cost ten times the production costs.
Black Death is a film that will surprise and please . . . and chill to the core.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I find myself falling into the 4-star rating along with the [current] majority. As I enjoy Sean Bean movies, most of the time, I had reasonably high expectations of this one as he is a rather gruff Englishman portraying a knight, Ulric, in difficult and dark times as far as English history goes.
Whilst the story does not seem to follow any particular true history apart from the fact there was a plague in the 14th century, it does have a good gritty feel to it. The camera work is nice, and the locations were very suitable. The fighting scenes were quite bloody, and more grisly than I had expected, though given the nature of the movie fits in well rather than standing out as too gory.
I find it unusual that only Sean Bean is named as a leading actor. For me the story centered strongly on Eddie Redmayne as Osmund the young monk, who played his role very well throughout, rather than Ulric. Sean Bean did not disappoint, however, and the fate of his character came somewhat as a surprise. I was surprised to see Ian McInnerny (from various "Blackadder" roles) in this movie, although it took me a moment to realise who he was, as he's gotten more bulky in the last 20 years.
I agree with other reviews that the movies ends with an anti-climax - somewhat disappointing and leaves the watcher wanting when the movies actually ends, but does not ruin the whole movie by falling flat. There also seemed to be a build-up, when we first meet Sean Bean's mercenaries, of some form of iron maiden style device that can split a man in two, but its use is never implemented as anything more a cage. To me it was like waiting for a trap from a Saw movie to go off, and it never happens.
Worth watching, if you like movies set in medieval times. Expect no magic or witchcraft in this, it's not a fantasy movie.
Whilst the story does not seem to follow any particular true history apart from the fact there was a plague in the 14th century, it does have a good gritty feel to it. The camera work is nice, and the locations were very suitable. The fighting scenes were quite bloody, and more grisly than I had expected, though given the nature of the movie fits in well rather than standing out as too gory.
I find it unusual that only Sean Bean is named as a leading actor. For me the story centered strongly on Eddie Redmayne as Osmund the young monk, who played his role very well throughout, rather than Ulric. Sean Bean did not disappoint, however, and the fate of his character came somewhat as a surprise. I was surprised to see Ian McInnerny (from various "Blackadder" roles) in this movie, although it took me a moment to realise who he was, as he's gotten more bulky in the last 20 years.
I agree with other reviews that the movies ends with an anti-climax - somewhat disappointing and leaves the watcher wanting when the movies actually ends, but does not ruin the whole movie by falling flat. There also seemed to be a build-up, when we first meet Sean Bean's mercenaries, of some form of iron maiden style device that can split a man in two, but its use is never implemented as anything more a cage. To me it was like waiting for a trap from a Saw movie to go off, and it never happens.
Worth watching, if you like movies set in medieval times. Expect no magic or witchcraft in this, it's not a fantasy movie.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Entertaining
A good beer and pretzels film ! Don't look for too much historical accuracy and an artistic message , if you do you are missing the point of the film ! Read more
Published 20 days ago by Ms. D. A. D. Hanson
A great film!
Black Death is a great film. It was gritty, realistic and I loved the music. Sean Bean's good as was the entire cast. Read more
Published 22 days ago by alex
Good medieval thriller.
This morbid, but great little slow-grinding Gothic period action horror is something like the "Witchfinder General" meets "The Wicker Man". Read more
Published 29 days ago by Puzzle box
"..GREAT DIRECTOR.. GREAT FILM.."
For me director Christopher Smith can do no wrong, this is the 4th main feature he has made after the brilliant Creep, Severance and Triangle. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Drury
not great
The film was ok, not great and had no relation to the black death. Only paid peanuts for it, certainly would have been disappointed if had paid £5+
Published 2 months ago by Jimbo
Starts well but loses impetus.
There's a 30 minute run of scenes in the first half of this film where you think you're in 'Name of the Rose' territory. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. White
Subtitles for hard of hearing= YES
I thought/hoped the film was going to be more historical than hysterical!. It was hard to maintain interest in the story line which was why I noticed the white transit van in the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lizlass
Never watched it
Never actually seen this film but it looks amazing. The acting is probably brilliant and the story is probably really good. Read more
Published 4 months ago by words with wonder
Good but puts Pagans in a bad light
I watched this last night and it was quite an interesting story. The only thing that spoiled it was that the people in the village were portrayed as evil. Read more
Published 4 months ago by L. Topp
A Twisted,Gory Little Gem
I was given Black Death on DVD as a Christmas present and I was very impressed by this film.
The cast is absolutely brilliant and on top form, every performance is solid from... Read more
The cast is absolutely brilliant and on top form, every performance is solid from... Read more
Published 4 months ago by D. Mccaffrey
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