Frank Reading

I didn't expect a historical documentary. Where the story took liberties, I felt like it was for the sake of storytelling. The slightly unorthodox style of cinematography and editing felt compelling and refreshing and focused on the characters rather than excessive exposition. The chemistry between actors was natural. I enjoyed Pine's stoic and pragmatic Robert, and the support characters felt like fleshed out agents of the story. The humanity shown by tender love between family, loyalty between brothers, the treachery of politics and war, and the brutality of English reprisals upon the rebellious populace, were a poignant source of meaning and substance to the story portrayed therein. I particularly loved the depiction of practical problems such as logistics, taxation and recruitment. While a bit 'scaled down' feeling at times, it felt like the tasks the characters were required to carry out were always on a human level and never required absurd superhuman feats. The swordplay was excellent for the genre, and while it was simplified to fit the narrative role it played, I felt like there was clear evidence that the characters had been trained with their weapons, fought convincingly and appropriately to their situation. The friendly duel near the start felt like friendly sparring without intent to injure; the use of tactics in subsequent ambushes and battles was extremely satisfying. Seeing guerilla warfare depicted without excess and in cohesive terms, as well as the climactic battle with a balance between clarity and chaos, between epic story beats and simple moments of everyday people caught in the crossfire - it was deeply gratifying. The story felt well rounded, not overly ambitious, and all in all, a well made and worthwhile film that achieved what it set out to do.