The aim is to revisit, reinvent and revitalise the Medieval story. Hollywood's recent treatment of this era has led to series of light-hearted stories and spoofs. Examples include Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the Martin Lawrence 'comedy' Black Knight and the teen date flick A Knight's Tale. In fact this rich period of history had the Crusades, the Plague, the first Poll Tax Riots and every decade included at least one war. 

The current catalogue of historical films, kicked off by Gladiator and followed up King Arthur, Troy and the two Alexander the Greats, do feature a more accurate and dramatic take on the past, but all could be labelled with the old fashioned term of 'swashbucklers'. Recent television productions (such as Henry VIII) tended to focus on the biography of individuals. But the key factor is that all of these stories focus on the powerful elite - the rulers, the court, the wars. And while history may indeed by recorded by Kings it is in fact written by their subjects. The Kiss of Judas is Mean Streets rather than The Untouchables, it is The Mission rather than 1492, it is The Beguiled rather than Gettysburg, Saving Private Ryan rather than The Longest Day.

The period backdrop is also used to look at the issue of corporate greed in the modern capitalist world. The power of large corporations over governments and then over the people is represented in the film by the power of the Barons over the church, king and subjects. The message of the film is clear; infighting, division and disunity allow others to take control. Only if we stand shoulder-to-shoulder can we overthrow those that would seek to control us unfairly or without remit.

Despite its unusual and slightly experimental setting this film is aimed at the mainstream audience in the same way that Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven was. Like most great films it seeks to deliver its message and its themes through an entertaining and riveting story and the narrative contains moments of tension, humour and action.

This is a film that seeks to be a popular British film, set in Britain and capitalising on what our country offers. What is seeks to avoid is being a film that is only popular in Britain, hence the universal themes of redemption and violence - story elements that are popular across the world. Examples include the works of Scorsese, Takeshi Kitano and Sergio Leone.

Sometimes in the UK we are guilty of seeing the benefits of what other countries can offer to cinema before our own. The Mission looked at the lush dense jungle, John Ford looked at the vast plains, Lawrence of Arabia WAS the desert. But what of England? What narrative do we see here? If we look out across the windswept downs, the gorse covered hills, the muddy fields - if we look through the sleet, the hail, the snow - if we look at the lonely tree bent over by relentless gales, the rotting autumn leaves, the stagnant water. What do we find there? What stories are etched on the landscape?