Review of Black Death (2010) by Aaron T — 10 Feb 2015

A tremendous period thriller, BLACK DEATH - though occasionally difficult to take - works on both genre and thematic levels. It takes the framework of a "men on a mission" story, drops it into the medieval era, and fuses it with dark, horror-ish trappings.

It's a successful blend, both fulfilling the requirements of a thriller and also having subtextual heft; in addition to starkly capturing the fear and paranoia of the plague-ridden setting, the movie has some quite complex things to say about the nature of faith and theology, and it hits these notes without ever being on-the-nose or heavy handed.

The period detail is superb (courtesy of the grimy production and costume design), and the movie offers some stunning imagery (there are moments in fog-shrouded forests, rivers, and glades that are almost jaw-droppingly beautiful and atmospheric).

The violence hits hard with a gory intensity that might put off some people, and, indeed, the final half hour features some pretty rough stuff, but I found it all to be of a piece with the intentions of the story.

Eddie Redmayne does very fine work as the lead, creating a character whose earnest naivete never grates, and serves as a starting point for some fascinating character growth. Sean Bean - as dependable as ever - delivers the goods with an intensely righteous performance, and Carice van Houten makes a strong impression as a.

.. well, let's say calculating and chilling woman who comes to represent the heart of the movie's conflict. BLACK DEATH is a very compelling and effective genre-y thriller with a lot on its mind, and that's never a bad thing.