Short Attention Span Review: Black Death (2010)

Short Attention Span Review: Black Death (2010)

A friend recommended Black Death to me upon its release, describing it as a dark action film with some horror elements.  I didn't jump on it immediately (obviously), but when it crossed my radar this weekend, I decided to check it out.  After all, Sean Bean is a personal fave, and I dig dark action films with some horror elements.  What did I think?  Well, it's like this: Black Death is not a bad movie at all, but I don't know that I can recommend it.  And, if I did so, I would bill it as a dark drama with a couple of brief action scenes and just a smidge of horror to help this very bitter medicine go down.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, but that's not how my pal pitched the movie, and it doesn't seem to mesh with the film's marketing or packaging either.  To be fair, anyone looking for a decidedly grim and deliberate exploration of faith in times of crisis and resolve in the face of certain death may just hail this morbid saga as a masterpiece.  The script is knowledgable, the direction is solid, and the cast is thoroughly committed to delving deep into misery and despair on a grand scale.  I can't really take anything away from the craftsmanship and the artistry on display in Black Death.  It is a striking tale, and it is well told.  However, anyone hoping for excitement or anything that even remotely resembles a good time at the movies should steer clear.  This is a bleak odyssey that combines filmmaking prowess with a potent desire to drown hope in a festering sea of sickness and death.
  
Final Grade: B

It's a depressing picture about the plague, and we've got Sean Bean in the lead role.  What do you think his chances of survival are?