Among the films that restore ancient wars, the movie "The King of France" is definitely on the list. As a historical film, its existence on the one hand spreads relevant historical knowledge, on the other hand, it also allows us to re-examine other deep meanings under that period of history in the process of watching the film.
The so-called initiation of war has never been without reason. Or intrigue, or for power and profit, always blocking everything for what to seize. Therefore, the meaning of war has a deeper understanding in "The King of France". Learning to understand movies is a lesson we have to learn.
This set of films can be regarded as a continuation of the historical development after "The Heroic Nature of Mel Gibson". The story is set in the defeat of Scotland and its fall into the possession of Inglen. Under Inglen's control, the Scottish nobility lost their right to the throne, and Scotland was ruled by a governor appointed by Inglen. The exiled Scottish national hero William. Wallace was later executed by King Edward I of England, inspiring the Scottish will to rebel again.
The protagonist of this film is the Scottish nobleman Robert. Bruce, the storyline is basically faithful to real history, which is not the same as "Mel Gibson's Heroic Nature", and the story is relatively plain. However, there are 3 key points in the film's depiction of this history that are really worth talking about.
Taking the real history as a reference, we will analyze the three key points in "The King of France".
The first point I want to make is Robert's identity.
In order for the Scots to rebel against Inglen's rule, they must first have their own king. Robert, after becoming the only nobleman to qualify for the Scottish succession, was crowned King Robert I by the local bishop. After the coronation, Robert I said to his people:
"The crown I wear represents my responsibility to serve the people of Scotland. My title is King of scots, not king of the land, but king of the people. ”
This was an epoch-making idea at the time. In medieval Europe, feudal lords regarded land and people as private property, they fought with each other, and the wars they launched were for selfish interests, and they did not care about the lives of the people at the bottom. As for the people at the bottom of feudal society, they are not concerned about who is the ruler, and for them, if they change rulers, their lives will not necessarily change at all. Therefore, the Scots, who were forced to breathe by Inglen at that time, gave birth to the community very early in this medieval era.
Robert I knew this, so he repeatedly stressed that he was not the king of the Scottish lands, that Scotland was not his private property, that he was only a representative of the Scots. In the chaotic world, he completely understood that only by forming a community of destiny with himself and the people could he unite and defeat Inglen.
This idea is very similar to the significance of Napoleon's coronation as "Emperor of the French" after the French Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The second point I want to talk about is chivalry.
In medieval Europe, one of the most chivalrous pieces of history is the story of King Richard I of England and the Muslim leader Saladin. Although they are hostile, they are upright in the war, know heroes and heroes, and admire each other very much. But in The Fugitive King, we find that this chivalry is often absent in most wars.
In order to quickly fight the Scottish resistance, Valens reprimanded Robert I for not having any fighting on the Sabbath, and it was only after this day that he had a one-on-one duel with him. However, it attacked the unsuspecting Scottish barracks that night, resulting in the near total annihilation of the Scottish army and civilians, and Robert I was forced to flee with dozens of people.
During his escape, Robert I learned that his brother had been murdered and his wife and daughter had been captured alive. Finally, he realized that in a chaotic world, all basic values were useless, and then said that his companions around him said:
"Forget the chivalry, now we adopt the wolf method of warfare."
Instead of attacking Inglen's army and strongholds head-on, they infiltrated and assassinated Inglenn soldiers and burned them down. This kind of thinking is like the Japanese samurai Seiyahito, in order to defeat the Mongols and regain his homeland, and finally had to choose to abandon the spirit of Bushido. "In a troubled world, universal values are not useful" is also coincidentally demonstrated in "The Fugitive King".
Finally, why do Scots succeed?
The Fugitive King does not mention the beginning and end of the entire war of the Scots, and the film ends after the Scots have won the decisive Battle of Norton Hill. The filming of the war was also very close to the style of fighting in the early Middle Ages, which was basically a group of rabble-rousers with no military training fighting each other. In fact, the Scots did turn the tide after this victory, and finally King Edward II of England recognized Scotland's independence.
In fact, the success of the Scots lies in the availability of time and place:
First, the geographical advantage was that the English fought the Scots on a battlefield they were not familiar with.
Then, the Scottish nobility was finally willing to unite to cooperate with Robert I.
But the most important thing is the time of day, that is, King Edward I of England, known as the "Hammer of scots", died of illness on the way to the expedition, and he was succeeded by the weak and incompetent Edward II.
If we continue to look at the history that follows, we will find that the Independence of Scotland created by Robert I did not last long, and Robert I died shortly after the end of the war. Edward II then died of infighting, and his son Edward III inherited his grandfather's heroism (and his son Edward the Black Prince) and waged war against Scotland. At that time, Scotland's resistance was also very tragic, but it just happened to break out of the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and England was inseparable, which made Scotland successfully independent again.
Interestingly, Scotland has long been threatened and suppressed by Inglen, but by the 17th century, the Scottish royal family had entered Inglen. And it brought about a dramatic change in the history of Inglen.