A Knight’s Tale

A Knight’s Tale

The mise-en-scene throughout the movie, A Knight’s Tale, portrays a poor, young man trying to become a knight in a world where royalty and the title of a person is the only means of power. The main protagonist in this film is named William Thatcher. The clothing that he and his closest companions wear are ragged, shabby, and torn. The little to no money they possess is represented in this way. During the movie, it shows a class of people who also wear similar clothing, indicating they are also in poverty. The movie also portrays wealth on the opposite end of the spectrum. Richer clothes and finer details juxtapose William’s social class and he strives to join them, even to the point of pretending to be one of them. The time period and class distinction is given away to build up the setting.

Along with that, there are multiple shots of the protagonist and his friends sitting around with a sword beside them. This symbolizes the will to fight that is inside of William. In some of the scenes, the group of friends don’t acknowledge the swords, symbolizing the hesitation towards violence felt by the characters. The line of violence and fighting is drawn here. Even though the group of friends are strong-willed and eager to go after what they want, they will do it in a more virtuous way. That characteristic is carried out in the movie, and is a key factor in most of their decision making.

William Thatcher, a young adult, is pretending to be a knight by the name of Sir Ulrich von Lienchtenstein. As the title suggests, this story is quite literally his. We, the audience, are brought along on a journey that deals with his dream to become a Knight.  This new identity allows this man to be able to participate in tournaments that include jousting, sword play, and more. In one of these scenes, William learns that his opponent is none other than the Prince of Wales. While most competitors would turn away from fighting such royalty, William decides that the title of someone will not have an affect on him. This is a turning point in the movie and allows the other characters to have insight on the type of person he truly is.

In the beginning shot it shows both the two opponents moving towards each other on their horses. The camera position is demonstrating a slight low-angle shot that is focused more so on the prince. As these two approach each other the camera shifts up. This shows the change in both of their demeanor. Even though technically the prince is higher than William is in society, they believe each other to be equals and respect each other as such. The camera points to each men’s faces on an equal level showing us where their eyes are directed at, and that is each other.

While this is occurring, the camera gives sight of the civilians in the audience, who are watching the tournament. The clothing of these people show the cultural relevance of this time period. With the shields being displayed and the lack of technology, mixed in with the fact that there are knights, shows that this is set in the medieval times. This adds to the society William Thatcher is living in. Him, being just a peasant pretending to be a knight, gives emphasis of the extreme and dangerous circumstance he is in. This also represents who his character is; a humble being who continues to make selfless decisions as he follows his dreams. To most people, a knight is supposed to possess noble, chivalrous qualities. That is what brings the audience in and has them side with William. They want him to win and achieve his goals because he is the stereotypical knight. If anyone deserves this title, it’s the man who has all the standard qualities.

As the clip continues, the Prince of Wales asks for mercy and to show him honor as he is hurt and he cannot finish the jousting. The camera shot comes closer into the Prince’s face. His expression and emotions are shown this way. He looks in pain but also has a demanding tone to his voice. The frame is then shifted to William in the same close up shot. He appears to be shocked with his mouth wide open, but simply nods from being speechless because he is truly seeing the face of the prince. The mutual shot of these two people, once again, is representing the equality of these two.

Next, a man is shown waving a flag in a swift motion. The act is aggressive and quick with the flow of the flag moving in a single direction. An expectation is created for the viewers, they believe the next shot to be something of action. This is intentional. Any other knight wouldn’t have shown mercy because of the time period. Mercy means weakness, which no one wanted to be known for. Instead, the audience is deceived. The music changes to a noble-like tone and shows an overview of the two knights coming towards each other. The angle moves to a leveled view of the two knights raising their jousts in union. These shots have now changed from a superior lower shot of the prince to equal angles of these two men, solidifying a change in the social structure.

As the music continues, the camera cuts to three new people being introduced into this clip. The camera angle is low once again, demonstrating superiority and stature. Judging by the clothes of these three compared to the audience previously shown, it is obvious they are people of social importance. They are dressed in clean, expensive clothing that demonstrates medieval time. The view cuts to a wide shot of the back of the Prince as he rides away. He is receiving help to get off his horse. This suggests that he is hurt. To confirm the result of this joust, a view of a man placing a white flag is shown at a low-angle. This allows some sight of the audience to see their reactions and have them confirm to us that the game is over, and the Prince withdrew. Once again, the camera jumps to these three individuals but is now focusing on the center man’s face, Count Adhemer. He further hits the nail on the coffin that William has shown mercy. The clip ends with Adhemer saying that by him showing mercy he shows weakness. With that, insight is given to the audience of what William’s demise could be or maybe his greatest strength.

Sources Referenced

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