My Dad and I have always been very interested in the medieval period. As such we are constantly looking for good medieval tv shows. After the end of Game of Thrones, I figured we wouldn’t find another good medieval tv show, and I had to reside myself to watch B-rated shows like knightfall. Thankfully  however I saw an analysis of the historical accuracy of the last kingdom one day, and decided to check out the show. It turned out to be surprisingly good, and for anyone going through Game of Thrones withdrawal, it’s perfect.

The Last Kingdom takes place during the danish invasion of England during the 9th century. In this time period England wasn’t unified, and instead was divided into various kingdoms. The show centers around Wessex, also known as the last kingdom, since it’s the only one to not yet to fall to the Danes.

This show isn’t terribly accurate with its portrayal of certain historical aspects. Danes are shown to be dirty savages, when in reality they were some of the cleanest people in the era. The armor is shown to be weird gimp-like studded leather, when in reality it was mostly mail and lamellar. The battles however, although they aren’t portrayed properly at times, all did happen, and most of the characters are real.

The show follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg, also known as Uhtred Ragnarson. He was born a Saxon lord, but was kidnapped as a child and raised by the Danes. Because of this, he’s treated as a foreigner by both saxons and Danes, and this makes him a very interesting character. The other main character of the show is Alfred the Great. Unlike Uhtred, Alfred was actually a real person; he was the English King who against incredible odds managed to beat the Danes. Both are very well cast, and both actors do incredible jobs portraying their respective characters. In fact, the overall acting and screenwriting in this show is pretty good all around, and episodes are very tightly written and clear.

Overall, the last kingdom is pretty fantastic. It’s got compelling stories, well written characters, and excellent combat. If you’re looking for a good medieval show to keep up with after Game of thrones, this is it.

 

About 2 weeks ago I went into the city with my Dad and his historian-playwright friend to watch Come and See. They had both already seen it, but it was my first time watching it. After leaving the theater I came to the conclusion that Come and See is quite possibly the most horrifying war movie I have ever seen.

 

Come and See came out in 1985, and it is about a Belarus teenager who joins the local resistance when nazis occupy his country. What’s fascinating about this movie is that although there isn’t a large amount of combat by war movie standards, the combat that is shown is incredibly realistic. Tracer bullets behave correctly unlike in so many other war movies, and I later found out that this was because they used live ammunition whenever the could while making the movie.

 

Come and See is also very unique among war movies in the way that it portrays the horrors of war. The audience experiences the events happening through the main character, and the transformation of his appearance and demeanor from the start of the movie to the end is shocking.

 

The film is very psychedelic, and reminds me of another war movie called Cross of Iron, in that both movies’ main characters are out of touch with reality, and often the audience cannot tell what is real and what is imagined. This may turn off some viewers who aren’t comfortable with strange elements like this, but if psychedelic sequences are the main thing that disturb you when watching Come and See, then I don’t believe we watched the same movie.

 

Come me and See has some of the most uncomfortable and brutal scenes ever featured in a movie. This film does not shy away from any aspect of war, and it does not pull punches. It’s for this reason that if you’re squeamish or easily disturbed, this movie is absolutely not for you. For people who can tolerate seeing this brutal imagery however, Come and See is an incredible work of art, and worth watching.