Browse Hierarchy HST6119: Medieval Worlds on Film

This module will introduce you to the wide range of films (and some games) situated in medieval settings. We will study works created in Europe, the US, Asia, and Africa, and in a variety of genres. We will train you to analyse these materials and to treat them as historical evidence. We will ask questions like: Why is the medieval past chosen by so many leading filmmakers as a setting for their works? What links are implied between values and practices then and now? What cinematic techniques enhance the engagement with the medieval past? The module offers an opportunity for global comparison between societies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as they use the perceived 'medieval' to discuss central issues like identity, war, nation, race, gender, and religion. It will help you to develop key analytical skills, as well as confidence in discussing the global role of history, and of film.