Few figures have captured Hollywood’s and the public’s imagination as completely as have medieval heroes. Cast as chivalric knight, warrior princess, "alpha male in tights," or an amalgamation; and as likely to appear in Hong Kong action flicks and spaghetti westerns as films set in the Middle Ages; the medieval hero on film serves many purposes.
This collection of essays about the medieval hero on film, contributed by scholars from a variety of disciplines, draws upon a wide range of films and medieval texts. The essays are grouped into five sections, each with an introduction by the editors: an exploration of historic authenticity; heroic children and the lessons they convey to young viewers; medieval female heroes; the place of the hero’s weapon in pop culture; and teaching the medieval movie in the classroom. Thirty-two film stills illustrate the work, and each essay includes notes, a filmography, and a bibliography. There is a foreword by Jonathan Rosenbaum, and an index is included.
