Kevin Klawitter
Location: MN
“Charlemagne”
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: John Logan, based on the albums “Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross” and “Charlemagne: the Omens of Death”
Executive Producer: Harvey Weinstein, John Weinstein
Produced by: Martin Scorsese, Sir Christopher Lee, Juan Aneiros
Music by: Marco Sabiu, featuring Richie Faulkner and Hedras Ramos, Jr. on guitar
Director of Photography: Robert Richardson
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Production Designer: Dante Ferreti
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
Cast:
Narrator: Christina Lee
Charlemagne: Sir Christopher Lee
Pippin the Short: Colm Wilkinson
Pope Hadrian: Alan Rickman
Young Charlemagne: Vincent Riccardi
Roland: Johnny Depp
Hunald: Rob Zombie
Hildegard: Angela Lansbury
Tagline: Inspired by God. Marked by legend. Forged in metal.
Song List:
“King of the Franks” - Charlemagne, Pippin the Short
“The Siege of Lombardy” - Pope Adrian, Charlemagne
“The Bloody Verdict of Verden” - Charlemagne, Young Charlemagne
“The Age of Oneness Out of Diversity” - Charlemagne
“The Betrayal” - Narrator, Charlemagne
“The Devil’s Advocate” - Charlemagne, Roland, Hunald
“Let Legend Mark Me As the King” - Charlemagne, Young Charlemagne
“Starlight” - Charlemagne, Hildegard
“Judgment Day” - Charlemagne
Plot Summary:
The scene starts out in the Imperial Palace at Aachen (modern Germany) in the year 814, where the elderly King Charlemagne lies on his deathbed. Knowing that death is near him, he calls out to his advisor Einhard, and begins to narrate for him the tale of his life, hoping to clear from his conscience the difficult tasks he had to do as King in the name of the Franks and of God. As he speaks to Einhart, he begins reliving the days when he first ascended to the throne (in conflict with his brother Carloman), and has a vision of his father, Pippin the Short (Colm Wilkinson) inviting him to the afterlife (“King of the Franks”).
Looking back again into his past, Charlemagne recalls when Pope Adrian I (Alan Rickman) called upon him to take arms against King Desiderius of the Lombards, who has began to attack Frankish lands following Charlemagne’s refusal to marry his daughter in favor of his true love Hildegaard. Leading his armies on a grueling march through the Alps and culminating in a long siege of the fort of Pavia, King Desiderius eventually surrenders to Charlemagne’s forces, and his son escapes to Byzantium (“The Siege of Lombardy”).
Soon after, Charlemagne finds himself facing the actions of his younger self (Vincent Riccardi), remembering the steps he had to take to quell the attacks on his empire by the Saxon Pagans to the Northeast, at one point banning the practice of Pagan rituals altogether. When these Draconian measures cause another series of uprisings, Charlemagne decides to make an example of the Saxons, ordering a mass execution that culminated in the beheading of over 4000 Saxon men who had been discovered paganism after ostensibly converting to Christianity (“The Bloody Verdict of Verden”).
The horrific memories of the Massacre at Verden are painful to the older Charlemagne, creating what feels like a dark stain on his soul. Unable to shake the sight of the thousands of headless Saxon bodies lying on the blood-soaked ground, he ponders if the savagery of his actions have put him past the point of salvation. He tries to reassure himself that he was out to save people’s souls by bringing them to God, and though his actions might be extreme, they are all for the greater good (“The Age of Oneness Out of Diversity”).
He then recalls one of the final great campaigns of his reign, when he and his army marched into Iberia to conquer the Saracens, which they did viciously and with little opposition, before on their long march back through the Pyrenees, they are betrayed by the rebellious Gascons, who attack their flank (“The Betrayal”). Charlemagne sends his trusted soldier Roland (Johnny Depp) to Hunald (Rob Zombie), the leader of the Gascon rebellion to try and negotiate a peace, but the dark, fearsome Hunald proves less than amenable (“The Devil’s Advocate”) and launches another attack on Charlemagne’s rear guard, which is prevented by Roland and his Paladins, who die protecting Charlemagne’s retreat (“The Ultimate Sacrifice”), after which Charlemagne pledges to continue his reign and preserve his legacy, in spite of any opposition (“Let Legend Mark Me as the King”).
Overcome with emotion after reflecting upon the many violent and fearsome campaigns he lead as King, Charlemagne retreats into the arms of his loving wife Hildegard (Angela Lansbury), whom has been by his side throughout much of his rule, bearing him nine children, many of which were born following one of his victorious military campaigns, signaling new life in the region. Staying together as the life slowly ebbs from Charlemagne’s body, he and Hildegard look forward to a future where the nations of Francia and what will later be known as the Holy Roman Empire will live in peace and prosperity, and Charlemagne’s actions will be seen as starting a new era in history (“Starlight”)
But as Charlemagne dies, he can’t help but wonder… what if there is no God or afterlife? What do his accomplishments in their name mean then? (“Judgment Day”).
Awards Campaign:
If one were to try to identify the passions that have driven legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese throughout his life, they would probably be reduced to three things: Catholic guilt, classic film, and rock music. Not until now, however, has he found a project that combines the three into a single cohesive and passionate whole. “Charlemagne” is an epic unlike any other, combining filmic elements inspired by classic historical epics with intense metal and symphonic music and a story portraying one of the great icons of the Catholic church, and the immense level of guilt he feels over the deeds he has done in the Church’s name. What we end up seeing is neither a feature-length music video nor a traditional movie musical adapted from the metal albums. Instead, we see a mythic and vivid portrayal of history flavored by and told through metal music, which may come across as jarring to some, but indeed serves largely as a modern variation on the same sort of verse epic as the 11th-century poem “The Song of Roland”, which depicted many of the same events.
Martin Scorsese brings Charlemagne to vivid, exciting life with the energy, violence, and emotional heft he has become famous for. Scorsese is the natural director for this material, having previously covered the musical (New York, New York) and operatic portrayals of history (Gangs of New York), he now brings them together in a metal-flavored retelling of the life of Charles the Great. Robert Richardson’s photography, filled with reds and oranges, fits perfectly with the production design by Dante Ferreti and costumes by Sandy Powell to create not a historical recreation of the late 1st Century, but instead a sort of elevated history, harder-edged and more violent, fitting in perfectly with the metal music composed and arranged by Marco Sabiu and Richie Faulkner. You sometimes feel as if you’re watching a metal album cover come to life.
In adapting Charlemagne to the screen, writer John Logan drew from both the 2011 symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross and its 2013 heavy metal follow up/rework Charlemagne: the Omens of Death. Rather than always choosing one of the albums or to alternate them, Logan and Scorsese use the contrast between the two styles of music to illustrate the emotional and violent extremes as the story progresses. Sometimes, they use the more classical-styled symphonic metal for the quieter, more introspective scenes, while using heavy metal for the sequences distinguished by violence and anger… sometimes even switching from one style to another within songs, resulting in an engaging and cinematic musical experience of uncommon power.
And towering over all of this is the lead performance by Sir Christopher Lee. Himself a direct descendant of Charlemagne, Lee fits into the role like a glove, bringing his powerful operatic bass voice onto the screen for the first time since his role in The Return of Captain Invincible. Sometimes relating the story directly, and at other times (through a variety of visual effects and editing tricky by Scorsese) serving as a sort of on-screen narrator, Lee stays with us throughout the film, giving the nonlinear narrative a strong basis as the King tries to come to terms with the sins he committed in the name of God. Strong and charismatic, but at the same time vulnerable and human, Charlemagne is perhaps the juiciest part Sir Christopher Lee has ever encountered… he just happened to have to wait until he was 91 years old to get it.
The supporting cast assembled by Scorsese is equally game. Reprising his role from the albums, Operatic Tenor Vincent Riccardi, in one of his first on-screen performances, brings immense strength and power to his role as the young Charlemagne who has to decide whether or not to go through with the massacre at Verden. His energy and anger perfectly match with the music and emotion of the moment, and he brings the same strength later to “Let Legend Mark Me as the King”, a metal-infused reprise of “The Age of Oneness Out of Diversity”, signaling Charlemagne’s devotion to preserving his legacy even in the midst of his worst defeat.
Rob Zombie as the semi-historical figure of Hunald (taking elements of the real Hunald as well as the figures Ganleon and Duke Lupo) is a great example of another risky casting choice by Scorsese that pays off big time. On the albums, Hunalds lines are almost all recited in a metal-styled scream voice, and bringing in the charismatic Zombie to play the part onscreen both ensures a great voice to sing the part and a charismatic and spooky presence to give the character, who becomes not just the leader of a rebellion against Charlemagne, but a near-demonic figure… almost a harbinger of retribution to Charlemagne for the extreme measures he took spreading the word of God.
Angela Lansbury also gives a strong performance in a small role as Charlemagne’s wife Hildegard, who loves and supports him through the emotional turmoil he faces leading up to his death, and she proves herself more than equal to Lee in the singing department. Also strong in small roles are Colm Wilkinson as Charlemagne’s father Pippin, who sows the seeds of leadership in the Frankish King’s mind, and Johnny Depp as the heroic Roland who sacrifices himself and his troops to save Charlemagne from the forces of Hunald.
Taking the tricky route of navigating the Christian faith while often portraying its advocates at their most violent, Charlemagne paints a portrait of what drives a man to kill in the name of salvation. The King sees God not as a loving or forgiving figure, but a ruthless figure who demands fear and obedience. Though the film proper ends on a positive note with the beautiful duet “Starlight”, illustrating the future of the Holy Roman Empire, the question of whether or not Charlemagne is forgiven is wisely left up to the viewer through the inclusion of the dark coda “Judgment Day” partway through the closing credits.
Bringing history, music, and film together like no other movie before it, Charlemagne is a filmgoing experience unlike any other. Many musicals aim to get you to leave humming one of the showtunes on display during the production. This one, through the powerful performances, strong music, and vivid events portrayed on the screen, will leave you speechless.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director - Martin Scorsese
Best Adapted Screenplay - John Logan
Best Actor - Sir Christopher Lee
Best Supporting Actor - Vincent Riccardi
Best Supporting Actor - Rob Zombie
Best Supporting Actress - Angela Lansbury
Best Crew
Location: MN
“Charlemagne”
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: John Logan, based on the albums “Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross” and “Charlemagne: the Omens of Death”
Executive Producer: Harvey Weinstein, John Weinstein
Produced by: Martin Scorsese, Sir Christopher Lee, Juan Aneiros
Music by: Marco Sabiu, featuring Richie Faulkner and Hedras Ramos, Jr. on guitar
Director of Photography: Robert Richardson
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Production Designer: Dante Ferreti
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
Cast:
Narrator: Christina Lee
Charlemagne: Sir Christopher Lee
Pippin the Short: Colm Wilkinson
Pope Hadrian: Alan Rickman
Young Charlemagne: Vincent Riccardi
Roland: Johnny Depp
Hunald: Rob Zombie
Hildegard: Angela Lansbury
Tagline: Inspired by God. Marked by legend. Forged in metal.
Song List:
“King of the Franks” - Charlemagne, Pippin the Short
“The Siege of Lombardy” - Pope Adrian, Charlemagne
“The Bloody Verdict of Verden” - Charlemagne, Young Charlemagne
“The Age of Oneness Out of Diversity” - Charlemagne
“The Betrayal” - Narrator, Charlemagne
“The Devil’s Advocate” - Charlemagne, Roland, Hunald
“Let Legend Mark Me As the King” - Charlemagne, Young Charlemagne
“Starlight” - Charlemagne, Hildegard
“Judgment Day” - Charlemagne
Plot Summary:
The scene starts out in the Imperial Palace at Aachen (modern Germany) in the year 814, where the elderly King Charlemagne lies on his deathbed. Knowing that death is near him, he calls out to his advisor Einhard, and begins to narrate for him the tale of his life, hoping to clear from his conscience the difficult tasks he had to do as King in the name of the Franks and of God. As he speaks to Einhart, he begins reliving the days when he first ascended to the throne (in conflict with his brother Carloman), and has a vision of his father, Pippin the Short (Colm Wilkinson) inviting him to the afterlife (“King of the Franks”).
Looking back again into his past, Charlemagne recalls when Pope Adrian I (Alan Rickman) called upon him to take arms against King Desiderius of the Lombards, who has began to attack Frankish lands following Charlemagne’s refusal to marry his daughter in favor of his true love Hildegaard. Leading his armies on a grueling march through the Alps and culminating in a long siege of the fort of Pavia, King Desiderius eventually surrenders to Charlemagne’s forces, and his son escapes to Byzantium (“The Siege of Lombardy”).
Soon after, Charlemagne finds himself facing the actions of his younger self (Vincent Riccardi), remembering the steps he had to take to quell the attacks on his empire by the Saxon Pagans to the Northeast, at one point banning the practice of Pagan rituals altogether. When these Draconian measures cause another series of uprisings, Charlemagne decides to make an example of the Saxons, ordering a mass execution that culminated in the beheading of over 4000 Saxon men who had been discovered paganism after ostensibly converting to Christianity (“The Bloody Verdict of Verden”).
The horrific memories of the Massacre at Verden are painful to the older Charlemagne, creating what feels like a dark stain on his soul. Unable to shake the sight of the thousands of headless Saxon bodies lying on the blood-soaked ground, he ponders if the savagery of his actions have put him past the point of salvation. He tries to reassure himself that he was out to save people’s souls by bringing them to God, and though his actions might be extreme, they are all for the greater good (“The Age of Oneness Out of Diversity”).
He then recalls one of the final great campaigns of his reign, when he and his army marched into Iberia to conquer the Saracens, which they did viciously and with little opposition, before on their long march back through the Pyrenees, they are betrayed by the rebellious Gascons, who attack their flank (“The Betrayal”). Charlemagne sends his trusted soldier Roland (Johnny Depp) to Hunald (Rob Zombie), the leader of the Gascon rebellion to try and negotiate a peace, but the dark, fearsome Hunald proves less than amenable (“The Devil’s Advocate”) and launches another attack on Charlemagne’s rear guard, which is prevented by Roland and his Paladins, who die protecting Charlemagne’s retreat (“The Ultimate Sacrifice”), after which Charlemagne pledges to continue his reign and preserve his legacy, in spite of any opposition (“Let Legend Mark Me as the King”).
Overcome with emotion after reflecting upon the many violent and fearsome campaigns he lead as King, Charlemagne retreats into the arms of his loving wife Hildegard (Angela Lansbury), whom has been by his side throughout much of his rule, bearing him nine children, many of which were born following one of his victorious military campaigns, signaling new life in the region. Staying together as the life slowly ebbs from Charlemagne’s body, he and Hildegard look forward to a future where the nations of Francia and what will later be known as the Holy Roman Empire will live in peace and prosperity, and Charlemagne’s actions will be seen as starting a new era in history (“Starlight”)
But as Charlemagne dies, he can’t help but wonder… what if there is no God or afterlife? What do his accomplishments in their name mean then? (“Judgment Day”).
Awards Campaign:
If one were to try to identify the passions that have driven legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese throughout his life, they would probably be reduced to three things: Catholic guilt, classic film, and rock music. Not until now, however, has he found a project that combines the three into a single cohesive and passionate whole. “Charlemagne” is an epic unlike any other, combining filmic elements inspired by classic historical epics with intense metal and symphonic music and a story portraying one of the great icons of the Catholic church, and the immense level of guilt he feels over the deeds he has done in the Church’s name. What we end up seeing is neither a feature-length music video nor a traditional movie musical adapted from the metal albums. Instead, we see a mythic and vivid portrayal of history flavored by and told through metal music, which may come across as jarring to some, but indeed serves largely as a modern variation on the same sort of verse epic as the 11th-century poem “The Song of Roland”, which depicted many of the same events.
Martin Scorsese brings Charlemagne to vivid, exciting life with the energy, violence, and emotional heft he has become famous for. Scorsese is the natural director for this material, having previously covered the musical (New York, New York) and operatic portrayals of history (Gangs of New York), he now brings them together in a metal-flavored retelling of the life of Charles the Great. Robert Richardson’s photography, filled with reds and oranges, fits perfectly with the production design by Dante Ferreti and costumes by Sandy Powell to create not a historical recreation of the late 1st Century, but instead a sort of elevated history, harder-edged and more violent, fitting in perfectly with the metal music composed and arranged by Marco Sabiu and Richie Faulkner. You sometimes feel as if you’re watching a metal album cover come to life.
In adapting Charlemagne to the screen, writer John Logan drew from both the 2011 symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross and its 2013 heavy metal follow up/rework Charlemagne: the Omens of Death. Rather than always choosing one of the albums or to alternate them, Logan and Scorsese use the contrast between the two styles of music to illustrate the emotional and violent extremes as the story progresses. Sometimes, they use the more classical-styled symphonic metal for the quieter, more introspective scenes, while using heavy metal for the sequences distinguished by violence and anger… sometimes even switching from one style to another within songs, resulting in an engaging and cinematic musical experience of uncommon power.
And towering over all of this is the lead performance by Sir Christopher Lee. Himself a direct descendant of Charlemagne, Lee fits into the role like a glove, bringing his powerful operatic bass voice onto the screen for the first time since his role in The Return of Captain Invincible. Sometimes relating the story directly, and at other times (through a variety of visual effects and editing tricky by Scorsese) serving as a sort of on-screen narrator, Lee stays with us throughout the film, giving the nonlinear narrative a strong basis as the King tries to come to terms with the sins he committed in the name of God. Strong and charismatic, but at the same time vulnerable and human, Charlemagne is perhaps the juiciest part Sir Christopher Lee has ever encountered… he just happened to have to wait until he was 91 years old to get it.
The supporting cast assembled by Scorsese is equally game. Reprising his role from the albums, Operatic Tenor Vincent Riccardi, in one of his first on-screen performances, brings immense strength and power to his role as the young Charlemagne who has to decide whether or not to go through with the massacre at Verden. His energy and anger perfectly match with the music and emotion of the moment, and he brings the same strength later to “Let Legend Mark Me as the King”, a metal-infused reprise of “The Age of Oneness Out of Diversity”, signaling Charlemagne’s devotion to preserving his legacy even in the midst of his worst defeat.
Rob Zombie as the semi-historical figure of Hunald (taking elements of the real Hunald as well as the figures Ganleon and Duke Lupo) is a great example of another risky casting choice by Scorsese that pays off big time. On the albums, Hunalds lines are almost all recited in a metal-styled scream voice, and bringing in the charismatic Zombie to play the part onscreen both ensures a great voice to sing the part and a charismatic and spooky presence to give the character, who becomes not just the leader of a rebellion against Charlemagne, but a near-demonic figure… almost a harbinger of retribution to Charlemagne for the extreme measures he took spreading the word of God.
Angela Lansbury also gives a strong performance in a small role as Charlemagne’s wife Hildegard, who loves and supports him through the emotional turmoil he faces leading up to his death, and she proves herself more than equal to Lee in the singing department. Also strong in small roles are Colm Wilkinson as Charlemagne’s father Pippin, who sows the seeds of leadership in the Frankish King’s mind, and Johnny Depp as the heroic Roland who sacrifices himself and his troops to save Charlemagne from the forces of Hunald.
Taking the tricky route of navigating the Christian faith while often portraying its advocates at their most violent, Charlemagne paints a portrait of what drives a man to kill in the name of salvation. The King sees God not as a loving or forgiving figure, but a ruthless figure who demands fear and obedience. Though the film proper ends on a positive note with the beautiful duet “Starlight”, illustrating the future of the Holy Roman Empire, the question of whether or not Charlemagne is forgiven is wisely left up to the viewer through the inclusion of the dark coda “Judgment Day” partway through the closing credits.
Bringing history, music, and film together like no other movie before it, Charlemagne is a filmgoing experience unlike any other. Many musicals aim to get you to leave humming one of the showtunes on display during the production. This one, through the powerful performances, strong music, and vivid events portrayed on the screen, will leave you speechless.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director - Martin Scorsese
Best Adapted Screenplay - John Logan
Best Actor - Sir Christopher Lee
Best Supporting Actor - Vincent Riccardi
Best Supporting Actor - Rob Zombie
Best Supporting Actress - Angela Lansbury
Best Crew