Historian Reviews Best Medieval Battle Scenes In Movies

Historian Reviews Best Medieval Battle Scenes In Movies
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In this video Matt Lewis, medieval historian and co-host of the Gone Medieval podcast reviews battle scenes in several well-known movies for historical accuracy.

First, Matt rates the course of events and weapons used during the siege of Orléans from ‘The Messenger’ (1999).

Next up, he reviews the disappointing lack of bridges in the Battle of Stirling Bridge as shown in ‘Braveheart’ (1995). The iconic passion project of Mel Gibson which features him as the Scottish knight, William Wallace.

The rivalry between Chinggis Khan and Jamukha in ‘Mongol’ (2007) is up next, where the Mongols are praised for both their archery and horse riding skills.

Lastly, the final scene of the fictional battle in ‘Robin Hood’ (2010) is reviewed, where Robin Longstride was memorably played by Russel Crowe.

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42 Comments

  1. That’s the one thing I hate about pretty much all movies, they always have people from non foreign countries speak the language of filmmakers and sometimes not even with an accent. Climax by Gaspar Noe is the only movie I can think of that does it properly, moving rather seamlessly between French and English because that’s how all the characters would speak being from France.

  2. According to the account of Henry the Minstrel, Wallace's favorite weapon was an iron/steel pole. Also, Wallace recruited a local wright to sabotage the bridge and had him hide on a board under the bridge waiting to pull the pin so it would collapse when the English were halfway across when he gave the signal via his horn.

  3. In re Braveheart, a local asked why the Battle of Stirling Bridge was filmed on an open plain, Gibson answered that "the bridge got in the way." "Aye," the local answered. "That's what the English found."

  4. History Hit, bump the gain on your mic for the guest a bit, please. The movie audio is good, but their mics are consistently a few db's lower.

  5. 9:45 Temujin’s men are shooting down his own cavalry in the ambush

    Right after talking of “Braveheart”
    Im having flashbacks of Longshanks ordering his men to shoot on the melee

  6. I was in an archery shop to pick up a new roll of toilet paper and the owner was showing his wife's new Nintendo ds, which had a top screen weight of about 100 pounds give or take 100 pounds. This was after the Nintendo switch had become popular and was what everyone was using. There were a few Huskies that tried snatching the Nintendo Ds but they failed. Must have thought it was a treat. Just then the wife pulls up in a hard top and asked if she could play Pokemon HeartGold. You could see the huskies smirk as the Nintendo Ds was handed to the lady (probably still thinking it's a snack). She opened it up and switched it on smoothly, played for a second and then turned it off gently. The look on the huskies faces as she handed it back and said, "We dem Bois." was PRICELESS! Later I found out she was the owner's wife and it was HER Nintendo Ds! Never found out why there were a few Huskies in the store though.

  7. What I loved in The Messenger is that they weren't shy about including Gilles de Rais and showing him fully there by the side of Joan of Arc, as the companion or hers and future Marechal de France that he was. He wasn't some cameo either, he was played by Vincent Cassel, a very big name in french cinema (and Monica Bellucci's husband at the time).

    Yes, that Gilles de Rais.

  8. The usefulness of maces and hammers is vastly overrated. A mace is not going to do much to a quality suit of plate, unless you strike at precisely the right angle and spot.

  9. Actually a sword is the ideal choice for fighting an opponent in armor. Not on horseback, but on foot, yes. It's the only weapon that can be thrust into gaps in the armor, until you're close enough for a dagger.

  10. You didn't see many landing craft from WW2 crashing on the beaches against Robin Hood either
    As for the bows & arrows on the clifftops by the time they'd reach the French, run out of puff

  11. Thumb draw for the Mongol archers, the swords are far too curved for the era (maybe a couple of centuries later they'd be OK), and a complete lack of mounted archery. I have seen references – though I'm dubious about them – to Mongol "vanguard" troops who were used for the first attacks and to draw enemies out of strong positions despite losses, but I don't think there's any reference to them being shot at by their own side while intermingled with enemies. At least not deliberately.

    The only time I've seen any suggestion of troops fighting an opposed landing was when the Normans were invading Sicily in the late 11th century. Count Roger's men were surprised while landing on a beach by a party of the locals and had to fight on the beach itself, but it seems much more of a coincidence than a D-Day style landing.

  12. I had to laugh so much at all those fake battles. In the fight of ghingis, the horses should be as small as the historian told us about the english warhorses. Mongolian horses are small, more like a welsh pony or iceland pony instead of a full horse.

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