SFX for this film go back to golden era Classic Hollywood i.e. Why is that? Because there is no CGI in this film.
In fact this film's art direction is perhaps superior to "Kingdom of Heaven". Such authenticity helps offset some of the notable lack of energy in the drama. Unlike another film I reviewed, "1066", the armor in this film looks like armor of the period as with the rest of the costumes. And the costumes look to be of the period. Those who trudge the desert are covered in dust, dirt, and caked mud via perspiration. The other plus in regards to this film are the costumes. In the wastes of Jerusalem all is hot, parched, and full of death. The north is rich when love is in bloom, but cold when violence reigns. The landscape is barren, harsh, and most of all for the audience, real. We're taken to medieval Europe and Outremar. This in turn allows the background itself to become a character. There's little in the way of over dramatizing the characters, which obviously holds back a more emotional film. But perhaps that's as it should be, because it seems a bit more real. There's little to criticize about this film, other than the drama itself never really hits a high point. So it is with "Arn the Templar" in regards to "Kingdom of Heaven", only unlike my old boss's film "Arn the Templar" got off ground, and flourished into an impressive medieval Nordic epic.
Without going into too much detail he lost control of the project, and the film that eventually came out of his efforts was "Braveheart", only "Braveheart" was the market competitor that was designed to compete with my manager's film, which never got made. But the film's history reminds me of a personal anecdote regarding one of my former managers early in my film career, and his effort to get a medieval epic off the ground in the late 80s regarding Robert the Bruce. But the one thing that really stands out for me is that it's just a good movie. I thought of comparing it to "Kingdom of Heaven", the film trend in Hollywood, and a bunch of other things. I'm sorry I can't think of a better title for my comments.
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