Post by kaima on Aug 1, 2019 9:44:34 GMT -7
The new movie Redbad is far from history
Published: 08.08.2018 | Views: 9894 | 6 minutes of reading
108
A Dutch historical film about the legendary ruler of the Fries from the beginning of the 8th century came to the cinemas. The filmmakers took up the subject of the conflict between early Christianity and traditional paganism, perhaps not knowing that their work speaks more about the current misconceptions than the past.
Redbad (about 679-719) is an almost unknown figure from the time when antiquity ended, but had not yet begun to begin with the Middle Ages, when Christianity still did not dominate the whole of Europe. His personality got into legendary texts, eventually penetrated into folklore and Dutch national history. In some texts it is referred to as rex, so it is now believed that the Friesians in the 7th and 8th centuries called the central monarch king. His position, however, corresponded more to the tribal chief. What is more interesting - and what filmmakers have caught on - is the fact that Redbad (Radpod, Rathpod) is mentioned by contemporary writers in connection with the process of Christianizing the Friesians. And especially because he resisted her.
Film age of darkness
But Redbad not only rejected the new faith, but above all the claim of the Frankish rulers to the territory of the Friesians. Their territory (also called Frisia ) lay in the territory of today's northern Holland and north-western Germany, the centers of power were Dorestad (Levefanum) and Utrecht (Traiectum), whose origins date back to Roman times. While some “barbarian” communities (gentes) adopted the Christian religion relatively quickly, other populations, living mainly on the edge of the former Roman Empire, for centuries maintained a traditional, pre-Christian religious and social order. Redbad in period sources acts as a supporter of the old order, resisting the influence and expansive interests of the Frankish butler - Pipin II. from Herstal and later his son Karol Martel.
At first glance, it is a very grateful motive for filmmaking; countless historical films have a premise of the story just in a similar conflict: a weaker and free-loving community versus strong, expansive and tyrannical conquerors. However, it is a detriment of the genre itself that the effort to shoot epic and spectacular images from ancient times has, at least since the Brave Heart and Gladiator, largely devoid of effect. Hollywood filmmakers have somehow lost their interest and especially the sense of historical stuff. The focus of the historical epic has shifted to Europe and the field of serial production. Especially Vikings (Vikings, Viking / The Vikings, The Last Kingdom) have been on the course for a long time. Despite the persistent fascination with the barbarians and the Middle Ages, more experienced directors no longer see great potential in portraying medieval conflicts or dynastic disputes. Redbad is a prime example of why.
Historic Redbad
Without any napkins, it should be emphasized that the film really failed. In terms of form and content, the viewer has the opportunity to see a remarkably inconsistent and naively schematic story, featuring unconvincing actors, a dozen scenario, and a surprisingly reactive director. At some moments it sounds comical when, for example, gunmen are drowning in the water to their knees, or when enemies almost stab themselves on the heroes' weapons in battle scenes.This might be expected, as director Roel Reiné himself is known for his "B" work (King Scorpion 3, Death Rally 2 and 3), all the more unsettling of the untapped potential of the historical substance. We know only a little about Redbad from the sources, so it could be interesting what kind of interpretation of the “Dark Ages” the creators will offer. We know that he ruled after King Aldgisle (around 678), who is the first documented ruler of the Frizs to appear in hagiographers. He was followed by Redbad, who is generally considered his son, but he did not necessarily have to be.
The plot of the film lies in Redbad's path to the ruler's power and in his conflict with Karol Martel. Since the 7th century, the Franks were claiming the claim to the territory of the Friesians, and around 689/9 Pipin conquered Dorestad as well as Utrecht. ” As part of the internal struggles in Merovéskom Redbad joined Neustrii and in. 719 defeated the army of Austrasie, led by Karol. The battle is known as the only armed clash in which Martel lost.
But the better-known legend of Redbad's baptism is notorious. According to the biography of Bishop Wulfram, Redbad was already one foot in the baptismal water when he asked if he would meet his ancestors in heaven. The bishop replied that as unbaptized they had to dwell in hell, what Redbad should have called for it to be in hell with people he knew than in heaven with strangers. The filmmakers also worked on the story, but the historicity of the film did not help much. So what does the film look like in the early Middle Ages look like?
Independent barbarians against cruel Christians
The beginning is quite promising. As spectators, we come to the more or less authentically portrayed Dorestad of the early 8th century, tribal chiefs negotiate at the assembly, emphasizing the clan affiliation and the phenomenon of the so-called tribal freedom, ie the equal status of free community members. The depiction of pre-Christian customs and ritual acts (human sacrifices to avert evil crops) is not overly contradicted by current knowledge, perhaps because the interpretation of "pagan religion" is in many ways ambiguous.
The Friesian filmmakers wear remarkably discharged and stylized leather jackets, while spectacular and spectacular, but little contemporary. The wooden church they built on the orders of the Franks looks more like a Protestant building from the time of colonization of America than a timeless medieval shrine. Material culture in the film, however, must be taken with great reserve, but this is the case with almost every historical film on the Middle Ages. This is most evident when the Franks come on the scene. They use armor like fantasy movies, high-medieval swords, halberds and almond shields, and ride horses with witches as a Crusade. At times, the costumes, militaria and digital reconstruction of the city of Reims look like a computer game or some kind of alternative history, but not from the 8th century.
The designers chose a clear and contrasting division of barbarians on one side and Christian Franks on the other. Such a dichotomy, however ahistoric, serves the main message of the story - Christianity was spread by fire and sword while the Gentiles stubbornly resisted oppression."Christianization" takes place in the film literally with a sword under his throat when, in one scene, a Frankish gunman forces Friza exactly in such a way as to receive baptism. The image of forced baptism takes on bizarre proportions. The missionary and first bishop of Utrecht Willibrord, his biographer Bonifác (also featured in the film) called the "Apostle of the Fries", was supposed to destroy pagan shrines and idols, according to his work. This is entirely consistent with the historical descriptions of other missionaries, but at least strange, when the film Willibrord kills a man to force the conversion of landlords, or gradually sinking neophytes in the water until they give up the old gods and receive Christ.
Although the process of Christianization could and often was violent (the case of the violent conversion of the Saxons under Charles the Great, or the monk Alcuin to the Bavarian clergy not to spread the gospel by force and against the will of the population). Christianity was first adopted by the power elites in the early Middle Ages, its “acceptance” being mainly in their interest. Baptism, the construction of churches and the practice of faith and Christian law did not automatically exclude the survival of the traditional "popular faith" . Religious syncretism did not even avoid "Germanic paganism" and early Catholicism. The situation is partly described by the term rudis christianitas - crude, and therefore firmly unregulated Christianity. From the Nordic cultural environment, wherewe can also include the Fries , we know the news of worshiping Jesus alongside other gods.
Fictional Redbad
The main problem of the film, apart from the apparent inferiority, therefore historically lies in portraying early-medieval communities as antagonistic and contrasting groups who either lived freely according to established customs and ideas, or, conversely, used the Catholic faith to promote their own "world order". A real basis can be found in both delimited poles, but emphasizing contrast and clear dividing lines rather distorts historical reality.
This is understandable in terms of telling a movie story, but there are images that can rise above black and white and inhale characters more than one dimension. In the new Reiné film, Christians appear in the form of despotic nihilists (Pipin II), obscurants (Willibrord), weaklings (Boniface) or even children killing pathological psychopaths ( Karol Martel ). The conflict between heroes and villains in the film takes on a remarkably exaggerated dimension, enriched and accentuated by the cultural struggle between totalitarian Christian faith and collectivist and naturalistic paganism.
And where is Redbad's place in the story? The Frisian ruler took the form of a kind of enlightened skeptical warrior. Christianity, without understanding, condemns by its very nature something foreign and degrades its father's faith rebelliously into superstition. More than anything else, it is represented by the main contemporary viewer. He refers to human sacrifices as "barbaric habits" (sic!) And faith in the Christian God will be seen as a power tool. As the right pragmatist, he understands that religion should serve only to achieve my own goals (or social balance) and choose the traditional belief of ancestors. Today's unwavering nods will be acknowledged, but it is a pity that filmmakers testify to modern simplistic ideas through a film about people from the early Middle Ages.
Redbad
Director: Roel Reiné
Screenplay: Alex van Galen
Produced by Klaas de Jong , Katleen Goossens
Music: Trevor Morris
Camera: Roel Reiné
Starring Gijs Naber, Jonathan Banks, Søren Malling, Lisa Smit, Renee Soutendijk, Derek de Lint, Huub Stapel, Loes Haverkort, Egbert Jan Weeber, Pieter Embrechts, Tina Haahr Planitzer
Rating HistoryWeb.sk: 4/10 (MH).
Mgr. Matej Harvát studied history at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. Since 2017 he has been an internal doctoral candidate at the Department of the Oldest History of the Institute of History of SAS. It deals with the early Middle Ages in the Central European area, paying particular attention to the social structure of the Slavs in the central Danube region and the problem of transformation.
Published: 08.08.2018 | Views: 9894 | 6 minutes of reading
108
A Dutch historical film about the legendary ruler of the Fries from the beginning of the 8th century came to the cinemas. The filmmakers took up the subject of the conflict between early Christianity and traditional paganism, perhaps not knowing that their work speaks more about the current misconceptions than the past.
Redbad (about 679-719) is an almost unknown figure from the time when antiquity ended, but had not yet begun to begin with the Middle Ages, when Christianity still did not dominate the whole of Europe. His personality got into legendary texts, eventually penetrated into folklore and Dutch national history. In some texts it is referred to as rex, so it is now believed that the Friesians in the 7th and 8th centuries called the central monarch king. His position, however, corresponded more to the tribal chief. What is more interesting - and what filmmakers have caught on - is the fact that Redbad (Radpod, Rathpod) is mentioned by contemporary writers in connection with the process of Christianizing the Friesians. And especially because he resisted her.
Film age of darkness
But Redbad not only rejected the new faith, but above all the claim of the Frankish rulers to the territory of the Friesians. Their territory (also called Frisia ) lay in the territory of today's northern Holland and north-western Germany, the centers of power were Dorestad (Levefanum) and Utrecht (Traiectum), whose origins date back to Roman times. While some “barbarian” communities (gentes) adopted the Christian religion relatively quickly, other populations, living mainly on the edge of the former Roman Empire, for centuries maintained a traditional, pre-Christian religious and social order. Redbad in period sources acts as a supporter of the old order, resisting the influence and expansive interests of the Frankish butler - Pipin II. from Herstal and later his son Karol Martel.
At first glance, it is a very grateful motive for filmmaking; countless historical films have a premise of the story just in a similar conflict: a weaker and free-loving community versus strong, expansive and tyrannical conquerors. However, it is a detriment of the genre itself that the effort to shoot epic and spectacular images from ancient times has, at least since the Brave Heart and Gladiator, largely devoid of effect. Hollywood filmmakers have somehow lost their interest and especially the sense of historical stuff. The focus of the historical epic has shifted to Europe and the field of serial production. Especially Vikings (Vikings, Viking / The Vikings, The Last Kingdom) have been on the course for a long time. Despite the persistent fascination with the barbarians and the Middle Ages, more experienced directors no longer see great potential in portraying medieval conflicts or dynastic disputes. Redbad is a prime example of why.
Historic Redbad
Without any napkins, it should be emphasized that the film really failed. In terms of form and content, the viewer has the opportunity to see a remarkably inconsistent and naively schematic story, featuring unconvincing actors, a dozen scenario, and a surprisingly reactive director. At some moments it sounds comical when, for example, gunmen are drowning in the water to their knees, or when enemies almost stab themselves on the heroes' weapons in battle scenes.This might be expected, as director Roel Reiné himself is known for his "B" work (King Scorpion 3, Death Rally 2 and 3), all the more unsettling of the untapped potential of the historical substance. We know only a little about Redbad from the sources, so it could be interesting what kind of interpretation of the “Dark Ages” the creators will offer. We know that he ruled after King Aldgisle (around 678), who is the first documented ruler of the Frizs to appear in hagiographers. He was followed by Redbad, who is generally considered his son, but he did not necessarily have to be.
The plot of the film lies in Redbad's path to the ruler's power and in his conflict with Karol Martel. Since the 7th century, the Franks were claiming the claim to the territory of the Friesians, and around 689/9 Pipin conquered Dorestad as well as Utrecht. ” As part of the internal struggles in Merovéskom Redbad joined Neustrii and in. 719 defeated the army of Austrasie, led by Karol. The battle is known as the only armed clash in which Martel lost.
But the better-known legend of Redbad's baptism is notorious. According to the biography of Bishop Wulfram, Redbad was already one foot in the baptismal water when he asked if he would meet his ancestors in heaven. The bishop replied that as unbaptized they had to dwell in hell, what Redbad should have called for it to be in hell with people he knew than in heaven with strangers. The filmmakers also worked on the story, but the historicity of the film did not help much. So what does the film look like in the early Middle Ages look like?
Independent barbarians against cruel Christians
The beginning is quite promising. As spectators, we come to the more or less authentically portrayed Dorestad of the early 8th century, tribal chiefs negotiate at the assembly, emphasizing the clan affiliation and the phenomenon of the so-called tribal freedom, ie the equal status of free community members. The depiction of pre-Christian customs and ritual acts (human sacrifices to avert evil crops) is not overly contradicted by current knowledge, perhaps because the interpretation of "pagan religion" is in many ways ambiguous.
The Friesian filmmakers wear remarkably discharged and stylized leather jackets, while spectacular and spectacular, but little contemporary. The wooden church they built on the orders of the Franks looks more like a Protestant building from the time of colonization of America than a timeless medieval shrine. Material culture in the film, however, must be taken with great reserve, but this is the case with almost every historical film on the Middle Ages. This is most evident when the Franks come on the scene. They use armor like fantasy movies, high-medieval swords, halberds and almond shields, and ride horses with witches as a Crusade. At times, the costumes, militaria and digital reconstruction of the city of Reims look like a computer game or some kind of alternative history, but not from the 8th century.
The designers chose a clear and contrasting division of barbarians on one side and Christian Franks on the other. Such a dichotomy, however ahistoric, serves the main message of the story - Christianity was spread by fire and sword while the Gentiles stubbornly resisted oppression."Christianization" takes place in the film literally with a sword under his throat when, in one scene, a Frankish gunman forces Friza exactly in such a way as to receive baptism. The image of forced baptism takes on bizarre proportions. The missionary and first bishop of Utrecht Willibrord, his biographer Bonifác (also featured in the film) called the "Apostle of the Fries", was supposed to destroy pagan shrines and idols, according to his work. This is entirely consistent with the historical descriptions of other missionaries, but at least strange, when the film Willibrord kills a man to force the conversion of landlords, or gradually sinking neophytes in the water until they give up the old gods and receive Christ.
Although the process of Christianization could and often was violent (the case of the violent conversion of the Saxons under Charles the Great, or the monk Alcuin to the Bavarian clergy not to spread the gospel by force and against the will of the population). Christianity was first adopted by the power elites in the early Middle Ages, its “acceptance” being mainly in their interest. Baptism, the construction of churches and the practice of faith and Christian law did not automatically exclude the survival of the traditional "popular faith" . Religious syncretism did not even avoid "Germanic paganism" and early Catholicism. The situation is partly described by the term rudis christianitas - crude, and therefore firmly unregulated Christianity. From the Nordic cultural environment, wherewe can also include the Fries , we know the news of worshiping Jesus alongside other gods.
Fictional Redbad
The main problem of the film, apart from the apparent inferiority, therefore historically lies in portraying early-medieval communities as antagonistic and contrasting groups who either lived freely according to established customs and ideas, or, conversely, used the Catholic faith to promote their own "world order". A real basis can be found in both delimited poles, but emphasizing contrast and clear dividing lines rather distorts historical reality.
This is understandable in terms of telling a movie story, but there are images that can rise above black and white and inhale characters more than one dimension. In the new Reiné film, Christians appear in the form of despotic nihilists (Pipin II), obscurants (Willibrord), weaklings (Boniface) or even children killing pathological psychopaths ( Karol Martel ). The conflict between heroes and villains in the film takes on a remarkably exaggerated dimension, enriched and accentuated by the cultural struggle between totalitarian Christian faith and collectivist and naturalistic paganism.
And where is Redbad's place in the story? The Frisian ruler took the form of a kind of enlightened skeptical warrior. Christianity, without understanding, condemns by its very nature something foreign and degrades its father's faith rebelliously into superstition. More than anything else, it is represented by the main contemporary viewer. He refers to human sacrifices as "barbaric habits" (sic!) And faith in the Christian God will be seen as a power tool. As the right pragmatist, he understands that religion should serve only to achieve my own goals (or social balance) and choose the traditional belief of ancestors. Today's unwavering nods will be acknowledged, but it is a pity that filmmakers testify to modern simplistic ideas through a film about people from the early Middle Ages.
Redbad
Director: Roel Reiné
Screenplay: Alex van Galen
Produced by Klaas de Jong , Katleen Goossens
Music: Trevor Morris
Camera: Roel Reiné
Starring Gijs Naber, Jonathan Banks, Søren Malling, Lisa Smit, Renee Soutendijk, Derek de Lint, Huub Stapel, Loes Haverkort, Egbert Jan Weeber, Pieter Embrechts, Tina Haahr Planitzer
Rating HistoryWeb.sk: 4/10 (MH).
Mgr. Matej Harvát studied history at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. Since 2017 he has been an internal doctoral candidate at the Department of the Oldest History of the Institute of History of SAS. It deals with the early Middle Ages in the Central European area, paying particular attention to the social structure of the Slavs in the central Danube region and the problem of transformation.
