The Medieval Filmscape

This book is an attempt at defining the genre of medieval film by describing its features and analyzing its effects and their significance, there being few works presently available that work toward such definition. There are three parts: the introduction enters the medieval film world, describing its typical features and showing how they create a convincing sense of its time; three short chapters discuss authenticity, simplicity and spectacle—the roots of film medievalism; and six longer chapters comment on individual films. Works are discussed that extend the reach of the genre, such as Dreyer’s La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc with its emotional range, or Bergman’s Seventh Seal, which creates a universal symbolism. The author describes what goes into a medieval film and how it affects its audience, while offering suggestions about why its themes are meaningful to us.

William F. Woods is the M.V. Hughes Professor of English at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. He lives in Wichita.

William F. Woods

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 24 photos, filmography, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4651-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1341-3
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Introduction—Our Lady of Pain: The Subgenre of Medieval Film 3

PART I
One: Authenticity 23
Two: Simplicity 35
Three: Spectacle 46

PART II
Four: The Advocate 59
Five: Northern Light 76
Bergman, The Seventh Seal 76
Dreyer, La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc 85
Six: French Arthuriana 94
Rohmer, Perceval le gallois 94
Bresson, Lancelot du Lac 104
Seven: The Name of the Rose 116
Eight: The Return of Martin Guerre 135
Nine: Kingdom of Heaven 155

Epilogue 175
Filmography 179
Chapter Notes 181
Bibliography 194
Index 199