Iron clad trailer

[Sir Edward]

Oh also, I think they showed the wrong side of the keep collapse. I believe in the film they showed a collapse of the inner-most corner of the keep, with the front door.

Historically it was the opposite corner, nestled back against the curtain wall. The tower in the curtain wall behind the keep was badly damaged, and that corner of the keep with it's turret as well. Both were rebuilt as round towers afterward to better deflect incoming artillery, if I've been reading correctly.

[Sir William]

LOL @ that

Gotta love dramatic license...those changes make no sense to me unless the set designers screwed up.

[Sir Edward]

In the case of which corner fell, I think they changed it on purpose, since they wanted to take the story into the courtyard. The captives who had their hands and feet chopped off weren't captured as they lay injured in the courtyard, historically. Instead, they were folks who were sent out of the castle by the rebels, to reduce the need for food. And then some had hands and feet cut off by King John (boy, he was a right bastard, wasn't he?).

[Sir William]

Yes he was...it also tells me I need to bone up on my history - wouldn't the Marshal have been there?  Were we to draw some correlation between the one in the movie with the Marshal we know and love?  I digress...by naming him Thomas I knew he was not of that brood...still, I thought William would've made an appearance, at least in protest of John's actions if nothing else.

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, I'm not sure where William Marshal was during that siege. He remained loyal to his kings, including John. But he was also one of the few who could stand up to John during his tirades.

There was an incident where John was blaming everyone around him for things not going his way (a frequent occurrence with John), and laid a bunch of blame right at William's feet in open court. Sir William threw his gauntlet down right on the spot. When no one stepped up to champion the king, John backed down. Talk about a ballsy move. But it was well understood that a knight had the right to protect his reputation by combat.

[Sir Brian]

Sir William threw his gauntlet down right on the spot. When no one stepped up to champion the king, John backed down. Talk about a ballsy move. But it was well understood that a knight had the right to protect his reputation by combat.

*sigh* given the cesspool of humanity I must contend with on a daily basis at my job I find myself yearning for those days!

[Sir William]

You and I both, Sir Brian.  Working in the Fed, I've witnessed all kind of injustices wreaked upon the workforce, and all hidden behind political speech; it almost evokes the Roman Senate only the knives used today are words, not steel.

[Sir Edward]

it almost evokes the Roman Senate only the knives used today are words, not steel.

Now I had an image of in my head of the senate standing in a circle around Caesar, shouting "Ni! Ni!"

[Sir William]

That's what they do NOW...only the insults and threats are veiled in polite speech and delivered in a calm manner.  Usually.  I've overheard dust-ups amongst senior management that had me wondering whether or not we're as civilized as we keep saying we are.

[Sir Edward]

Congress won't be civilized until someone can go in there and throw down a gauntlet, and resolve things by right of combat.

[Sir William]

HUZZAH!  I would LOVE for that to be brought back.  Because I'll tell you this- no one, and I mean NO ONE would be so quick to speak out of turn if they knew the potential consequence was a gauntlet being thrown down in challenge.

For my part, I'm not above a little bloodletting to get a valid point across...even if it is my own.  Not that I cut myself...don't want any misconceptions.  lol

[Sir Gerard de Rodes]

Rochester Castle was truly one of the most inpenetratable early Norman towers of it`s age. King Johns men had to tunnel through very hard rock, under the curtain wall, into the strong foundations of the tower, where it was closest to the curtain wall.
Here is a view of the tower after it has been re-built using the latest "round tower" technology.
http://www.englishheritageprints.com/image/rochester_castle_j860082_488483.jpg

As you can see, the curtain wall tower has also had to be re-built.

Here is a view of the deviding wall, Sir Ed mentions, that held out untill the very last throws of the siege;
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/17/8f/7d/within-the-castle-walls.jpg

G.

[Sir Patrick]

Saw the movie last night and loved it!  Best period flick I've seen in a while (Hollywood medling aside).  The only other thing I can say is:  I'm glad I'm not the Duke of Albany! 

[Sir William]

Think I'll give this another look over the weekend...I really enjoyed it but now it is time for me to put my detail glasses on.

[Sir James A]

I saw this last night, and enjoyed it. I don't know why, but I think the first half of the movie was better than the second. I also thought it a bit odd that Marshall only wore the templar surcoat for the first battle, and never again afterwards. I guess with the extreme potency of his sword, he could get away with it.