Film: Black Death

Black Death (Dir: Christopher Smith, 2010, UK, 102 min)

Screened at the 2010 Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Toronto, Canada.

The trailer for this one gave the impression of The Wicker Man set against the backdrop of Monty Python and the Holy Grail¹ — which isn't wholly inaccurate in a broad sense, though don't expect any postmodern, self-aware irony here. This is an old-fashioned dramatic quest, and, given the setting, is pretty grim.² With the bubonic plague stalking the land, Ulric, a renowned witch-hunter (Sean Bean) and his mercenary band are dispatched to investigate a distant village where, it is claimed, no one has suffered from the black death. Suspecting only ungodly witchery could ward off plague, Ulric enlists Osmund — a novice monk unsure of his vocation due to his continued dalliances of the flesh — as his guide through the local swamps and forests.

Cue a joyless travelogue through a believably spooky and depopulated ravaged landscape, where we begin to delve a bit deeper into the motivations of Ulric and his band. When they eventually reache the village — a peaceful, matriarchal oasis ruled by Langiva (Carice van Houten) — young Osmund is forced to choose between competing faiths and desires.

Although it is undoubtedly a bit of a tough slog, this film looks very good throughout, filled with spooky forests and menacing countryside. The grainy look hearkens back to films from the 70's, though that is countermanded by a very contemporary shaky-cam style, with sudden shifts to veering hand-held shots at moments of tension. These feel like they were lifted from an early NYPD Blue episode and don't serve the tone of the film entirely well, especially when they ratchet up to fully juddering bursts of erratic camera movement. That, plus a flash-forward coda that feels less satisfying than the open-ended resolution that the movie could have closed on, are only minor blemishes on an otherwise decent film that maintains its momentum throughout. A talented ensemble cast and engrossing atmosphere can go quite a long way.

Preceded by: the fifteen-minute The Other Side (Dir: Robin Veret), part of the series of all-Canadian shorts running before features at the fest. First World War-set mini-drama about a trench commander obsessed with a sniper on the enemy lines. With the production value of a decent 80's tele-novel, this failed to excite and lacked the touch of the uncanny that would make it feel fully at home at this festival.

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¹ Especially during a scene in the trailer with some villagers attempting a witch-burning, I had to suppress a desire to shout, "she turned me into a newt!"

² Do, however, keep an eye out for Tim McInnerny, best known as Blackadder's Percy, who brings a bit of flouncy brio to his small part.