Black Death

 

Black Death, from British director Christopher Smith (Triangle, Severance) is a bleak historical drama set during the 13th Century. As the bubonic plague sweeps across the medieval villages of England, Ulrich (Sean Bean) and his men seek to uncover a demonic necromancer rumoured to live in a Godless village untouched by the disease. He takes Osmond (Eddie Redmayne), a young monk, as his guide. Death is endemic throughout, protracted through fevered, blood-spattering gore. Switching from dramatic fight scenes to visions of grief, the film is at once an historical thriller and a horror. Whilst it is difficult to reconcile the patriarchal archaism of the film with a modern viewpoint Smith does create a dichotomy between the vengeful Christians and the Godless pagans they seek to destroy, with both theologies portrayed as deeply flawed, abject and lacking morality. Tense but grim, Black Death is as dark as the plague and as joyless as the period in which it is set.