Jan Zizka was one of the great military commanders that history has ever known. He defeated the armoured knights of the Holy Roman Empire with a handful of peasants armed with flails and pitchforks. His armoured wagons (or "wagonburgs") laid the foundations for what we now call "the tank". He was a legend, freeing the Czech people from the tyrannical popery of Rome. However, he was also a deeply complex individual- the original "amazing grace" story. Hacking out a living as a highwayman/mercenary, Zizka's eyes were opened by the gospel of Jan Hus, who taught him how to "fight the good fight of faith" before he was tragically martyred. Today, he is perceived as an enduring symbol of Czech nationalism (I nation of which I am fortunate enough to be a member) and his passionate devotion God is overlooked. MEDIEVAL does nothing to mend this one-sided view, with its gratuitous violence, poor dialogue and derivative plot. Zizka become just another gruff-voiced tough guy, unwisely blending his Russel Crowe antics with half-hearted attempts at religious motivation. Director Petr Jakl chose to make a film about Zizka's youth and that's perfectly fine, but Zizka only came to the Lord when he was an old man and had already made most of his mistakes. Forcing the Christian message into this picture feels... awkward. Showing a young man who did terrible things to survive until he was shown a better way ("amazing grace that saved a wretch like me") would've surely made a far more powerful and profound story. Instead, Foster (who, though a fine actor, is woefully miscast and woefully misused, trying to deliver a Braveheart performance when kitted out with a Ninja Turtles script) ends up stumbling his way through a GOT version of the Robin Hood myth. This was supposed to be the most expensive film that Czech has ever made but the battle scenes felt surprisingly cheap and disappointingly small-scale, especially considering the fact that during his youth, Zizka allegedly took part (and lost his eye in) the Battle of Grunwald- one of the biggest and bloodiest battles in medieval history. Seeing his mighty wagonburgs and hearing choruses of "Ye Who are Warriors of God" (the Hussite battle hymn that struck terror into the hearts of Emperor Sigismund's mercenary crusaders) were pleasant diversions from this hackneyed, melodramatic mess.
The story of Jan Zizka is a story of faith moving mountains and of a wolf becoming a sheep. As this movie's dedication reads, it is also story about people fighting for their freedom. So, it is sad to see such an inspiring story go the way of the straight-to-DVD release but who knows? With a more native cast (Ondrej Vetchy, one of our most beloved actors makes an appearance amounting to that of a cameo... when I think he could've been and should've been the best Zizka) and a new director (I'm thinking... Mel Gibson, perhaps?), the legend of Jan Zizka may make a glorious return to the screen someday. For now, I just hope Jakl doesn't try to defile his legacy any further.
The story of Jan Zizka is a story of faith moving mountains and of a wolf becoming a sheep. As this movie's dedication reads, it is also story about people fighting for their freedom. So, it is sad to see such an inspiring story go the way of the straight-to-DVD release but who knows? With a more native cast (Ondrej Vetchy, one of our most beloved actors makes an appearance amounting to that of a cameo... when I think he could've been and should've been the best Zizka) and a new director (I'm thinking... Mel Gibson, perhaps?), the legend of Jan Zizka may make a glorious return to the screen someday. For now, I just hope Jakl doesn't try to defile his legacy any further.