Black Death (film)

Black Death is a 2010 movie from Christopher Smith (director of Creep, Severance and Triangle), starring Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne and Carice van Houten.

In 1348 the Bubonic Plague sweeps through England. Frightened, many people blame witches or their own sins. Osmund, a novice in a monastery volunteers to guide knight Ulric and his men to a village, which the plague has not reached at all and is therefore suspect. What the knights do not know is that Osmund volunteered to have a chance to see his girl.

One of the primary themes of the film is total uncertainty with how one interacts with the world. The whispers in the woods may be demons, it may be highwaymen. The village witch may be in league with Satan, she may just know how to brew poisons. The town may be warded, it may just be isolated. The plague may target the unrighteous first, everyone may be damned together.

Black Death contains examples of:
": I am Death. Vengeance is mine."
 * A Father to His Men: Wolfstan
 * The Atoner:.
 * Awesome but Impractical: The saw-toothed short sword wielded by Mold would get stuck in someone's ribcage; not what you'd want to happen during a melee. However, short, similarly notched daggers called sword-breakers were present during the period, usually as a main-gauche in place of a parrying dagger. The notches are meant to catch an opponent's blade in order to follow up with the main weapon.
 * The Black Death obviously.
 * Burn the Witch
 * Blood From the Mouth: The symptom indicating that . Subverted in that, he
 * Came Back Wrong:
 * Celibate Hero: Averted. Even though Osmund is a monk, he secretly has a lover.
 * Chekhov's Gun: The cage.
 * Christianity Is Catholic: Justified in that this is fourteenth century England.
 * Crapsack World: If the plague doesn't get you the bandits or the witch-burners will.
 * Cruel and Unusual Death: Perhaps not so unusual for the period, but  is horrific.
 * Very unusual. Such punishment or its equivalent was reserved only for  mainly because it was considered extremely cruel.
 * Daydream Surprise: When praying, Osmund.
 * Despair Event Horizon:.
 * Downer Ending: Good God, yes.
 * The Dung Ages: A believable version of this trope. The village is suspiciously idyllic, but during most of the other scenes you can practically feel the dirt under your fingernails.
 * The Dragon: Hob is this to Langiva.
 * Face Death With Dignity:.
 * Genre Busting: A horror-action-period piece drama.
 * Grey and Gray Morality: The movie goes out of its way to show cruelty on both sides.
 * The Heretic: A whole village filled with them.
 * The High Queen: Langiva is this to her people.
 * Holier Than Thou
 * Human Sacrifice: Not played entirely straight, as.
 * Idiot Ball:.
 * Justified in that they.
 * Karma Houdini:
 * Kill Em All:
 * Knight Templar: Ulric.
 * Lady Land
 * Mercy Kill:  gives one to  . Characters also discuss the use of misericorde at the battlefield.
 * Mission From God: Ulric.
 * No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: A woman who tried to protect her village with a blessing got accused of being a witch.
 * Doubles as.
 * Nothing Is Scarier:
 * Only in It For The Money: Word for word quote from the Squire.
 * Ragtag Band of Misfits: Ulric's retinue consists of two war veterans, mute soldier, crazed murderer, professional executioner and a mercenary.
 * The Ophelia:.
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge:.
 * See You in Hell
 * Shell Shocked Veteran: Wolfstan appears to be heavily shaken by the events he witnessed at Crécy.
 * Shoot the Dog: Ulric  Also serves as his Establishing Character Moment.
 * Shoot the Shaggy Dog:
 * But wait! It gets even better!.
 * Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Far on the cynical side.
 * Sliding Scale of Shiny Versus Gritty: Way, way, way on the side of gritty. In fact, when the company eventually reach the the village after days trudging through mud and grime, it is alienating in its cleanliness and serenity.
 * The Speechless: Ivo had his tongue taken out by the French while a prisoner.
 * Start of Darkness:
 * Taking You With Me:.
 * Taking You With Me:.


 * Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Averted - Ulric tosses his blade at, but it just clatters uselessly on the ground.
 * Title Drop: Averted. Though the movie is set during the Black Death, it is never named as such in any dialogue, usually referred to instead as "the pestilence." This is true to history, as the plague was not given its popular name until much later.
 * Torches and Pitchforks: The first village they encounter.
 * Town With a Dark Secret: Somewhere between this and Uncanny Village, anyway.
 * Utopia Justifies the Means