The Message (or the one I got)

I left out a large portion of the movie in my synopsis, that being William’s past and his relationship to his father, John Thatcher (Christopher Cazenove). I wanted to save the relationship between them for the end because it is—upon re-watching—my favorite aspect.

We see a few flashbacks of William’s early life throughout his journey, and in them we are introduced to his love for knights and his father. As a boy William dreamt of becoming a knight; this however was considered impossible as he was a peasant with no nobility. It was like trying to change the stars.

His father reminded him however that one can change their own stars. That one has the ability to do anything. He gives William the chance to squire under Sir Hector, and allows his son to begin realizing his dreams.

Obviously the idea that I could be whatever I want felt pertinent to me as an eight year old as I came to understand that if I tried hard enough I could become a knight. Gradually I grew up and the message became less important and I never thought on it for quite some time.

Then I came back to A knight’s Tale at nineteen years old and I found myself feeling inspired again. Not because I discovered again my dream to be a knight, but because it affirms my more updated views of the world.

I’ve read some Sartre and Camus recently and basic principles of their philosophical ideas can be traced to the simple idea that man’s freedom lies with man. That being that we are our own masters, we are the ones who decide who we are, not fate, chance or destiny. I like that because it means greatness lies only within ones-self

It’s scary and reassuring believing that your the one in charge of you. It gives me hope that one day I can make movies but reminds me I’m the one who has to make it happen. Just like William: no one made the decision to joust for him, he made that himself. He decided to take seize the opportunity he had. He did.

I could be looking too deep at a mediocre film and attempting to project my existential beliefs onto it, but it doesn’t feel like too far of a stretch. William comes to terms with his subjectivity and defines himself as a knight. He changed his starts.