Movie review: 1612

In early October, I posted the 1612 trailer on this blog, and uttered one line about it: "When and how can I see this movie in English?" - because I thought the story would make zero sense without fluency in Russian or Polish.

I caved. I could not hold out any longer. I watched it without any subtitles.

Well, my understanding of Russian ends at Nostrovia, but if you pay attention, you can still 'get' a great deal of this movie as it is both acted really well, and the context of the scenes make sense. It seems to have been passed through the "300" filter too, with the camera work and effects. And there's just buckets of blood. If you've never seen a mass of mounted winged hussar running down peasantry, you've not lived! Plus, it is a fine resource for costumes and armor.

There is a continual theme of the unicorn, which is critical to the story somehow. Pieces of horn seem to be used as talismans, and a softly lit white one with really ridiculously long hair keeps showing up throughout the movie. I was half expecting the movie to derail into fantasy-land; I almost had a "Legend" moment.

But let me tell you about the Cavalier! He is conspicuously absent in the trailer, though his clothing can be seen on the main character, who has assumed his identity. The first time you see him, The Cavalier is playing at dice on a boat that is being pulled along the shore by a group of haggard slaves. This portion of the movie, being in Spanish, was slightly easier to translate. It is here we learn he probably cheats at dice and has a reputation for killing.

Two words. Doublet envy.

In an effort not to spoil the plot, I will say that the Cavalier ends up teaching the main character swordplay. Using his sword to draw a glowing blue fencing circle on the ground was a nice touch.

And because of this movie, I want to make a flipbook of some of the old renaissance fencing manuals...now THAT seems like a great way to learn the Spanish Circle from a dead guy.

Confusing enough? Yeah, I really need to find someone both qualified and interested in translating this movie.

1612 Trailer

When and how can I see this movie in English?

Politics in History

Well, the mid-term elections are finally over and all I can say is that I'm relieved. All the mud slinging and name calling just bores me, and frankly, obscures the real issues. But, I am very glad to have contributed to the historical power switch in this country.

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a soapbox for my political views. I'd need to start a whole new blog for that...

But there are some fascinating things about voting and politics that have occurred in world history, which is really why I'm writing this entry.

Take Rome for instance, and you'll see that political advertising is not a 'modern' thing. Scribbled on a Pompeiian wall around 79 A.D. were the words "I ask you to elect Gaius Julius Polybius... he gets good bread." Now, that is a platform I can support!

Unlike primogeniture (when the title of King is passed through inheritance) there was another way of choosing the King, called an 'elective monarchy.' One of the most well of these is during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, when in 1573, Henri of Valois became the elected King. After serving for only four months, he left for France (where his brother had just died) and assumed that throne as Henry III.

Other historical examples of elective monarchy include Ireland, Anglo-Saxon England, Visigothic Spain and medieval Scandinavia.

In United States history, an attempt was made by Alexander Hamilton to convince the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that the President should be an elected monarch, with a life term unless he was impeached for bad behavior.

Can you imagine how different US history would be if Hamilton's idea were favored instead of the four year term? And it's really too bad none of our founding fathers wanted this country to have a Thing instead of our current judicial system.

And last but not least, there's the Politics of Dancing....



Huzzah for roller skates and mullets!! Now THAT is a good political slogan! Oh, pardon me. My 80's are showing again...