Heraldry in the Movies Presentation on 22 September
The fall season was launched with a presentation on Heraldry in the Movies at the
temporary headquarters of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society on 22
September 2009. The speaker was John Shannon, chairman of the G&B’s Committee on
heraldry and president of the College of Arms Foundation.
As stated the potential area to cover is huge. Mr. Shannon started out to explaining that
the talk would be about heraldry in some – not all – movies; and would include a
television program, The Tudors. All were chosen because they have heraldry, although
some deploy it much more than others. All are enjoyable, regardless of the quantity of
heraldry on view or how well it is utilized.
Following a very brief summary of the origin and purpose of heraldry, Mr. Shannon
described its use in films and television shows. Based on his survey, it can be said that
heraldry is used to create a sense of period (typically medieval); it is never a plot device.
Heraldry is also used as decoration or to lend credibility to the story. Of the films
selected those with best heraldry take place in the Middle Ages, the time when it
flourished, although it is interesting to note how different directors make use of it.
The selected films/shows were:
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1950)
The Mouse That Roared (1969)
Lady Jane (1986)
Henry V (1989)
The Tudors (First Season – 2007)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Timeline (2003)
A Knight’s Tale (2001)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Each was discussed and given a score from 1 to 10.
Kind Hearts and Coronets is a classic British comedy starring Alec Guinness (in noine
roles), Dennis Price and Joan Greenwood. It was directed by Robert Hamer. The period
is the late Victorian/Edwardian era – not the best period for heraldry but there are a title
(a dukedom) and a castle so there must be a coat of arms somewhere. And indeed there
is, but they are glimpsed only fleetingly. They are a just one of the elements that create
the sense of place necessary to the movie. It is not bad heraldry and it looks appropriate;
but it is not brilliant or cleverly used.
Score: 2 out of 10.
The armed forces of the GrandDuchy of Fenwick in 1969 look
more medieval than modern.
The Mouse That Roared is another British classic, starring Peter Sellers (playing three
roles). It was directed by Jack Arnold. The story centers on an imaginary European (yet
English-speaking) grand-duchy that declares war on the United States. Heraldry is used
to denote quaintness: the grand-duchy has the look and style of a Ruritanian principality
circa 1890 and the grand-ducal soldiers wear medieval outfits.
Score: 2 out of 10
Mysterious arms behind Queen
(Bloody) Mary where one
would expect to see the English
royal arms.
Lady Jane is a different kind of film, not a comedy but a historical drama set in Tudor
England and involving key political players of the time. Directed by Trevor Nunn, the
film stars Helena Bonham-Carter and Cary Elwes. As becomes the stature of the cast and
director, the film has a rich look and the costumes are splendid but, although there is
some heraldry to behold, it is not much; and there are a couple of strange errors, such as a
mysterious tapestry bearing an undecipherable coat of arms in Queen (Bloody) Mary’s
rooms. Whatever it is, it is not the English royal arms. Lady Jane is exciting and tragic
but, from the heraldic viewpoint, it is disappointing but still slightly better than the first
two movies.
Score: 3 out of 10.
The brothers of King Henry Y
at the battle of Agincourt: all
bear their own differenced
version of the royal arms of
England.
By contrast, Henry V, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, has got it all.
Shakespeare’s language, great performances, superb cast (Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi,
etc.), and it is set in the Middle Ages (1415, to be precise) so there must be a lot of good
heraldry. The art director did a good job here: not only does one see the properly
differenced arms of the King’s brothers (see photo: the Dukes of Clarence, Bedford and
Gloucester), there are also authentic shields of contemporary warriors like Sir Thomas
Erpingham, De Vere Earl of Oxford, FitzHugh and De Bardolf. The King, of course,
wears the royal arms. The French arms are also well done, as is the armory overall.
Score: 7 out of 10
Henry’s neck is exposed
because the helmet is not
attached to his armor; his shield
is not authentic and does not
bear his own arms; the banner
in the background is mysterious.
The Tudors is a popular television series starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sam Neill and
Jeremy Northam. The period is the early part of the reign of Henry VIII and before his
divorce from Katherine of Aragon. The show rests on the exciting performances rather
than the settings and costumes and one has the sense that the art director had a limited
budget which obliged him or her to make do with odd bits and pieces. There is a
stunning heraldic error: King Henry’s bargemen are clearly shown wearing tabards with
the arms of the Kings of Spain! (See photo below.) In the very exciting jousting scenes,
the king’s helmet does not attach to his body armor (see photo above – and notice the
random heraldry in that one still). Indeed it is hard to see how it could anyway: they are
not made for each either. Nonetheless, this is highly enjoyable entertainment.
The King’s bargemen are
shown here wearing tabards
bearing different versions of the
arms of Spain (Castile and Leon
in the foreground).
Score: 3 out of 10
A painterly Ridley Scott tableau
in Kingdom of Heaven,
festooned with flags, banners
and standards and a huge cross
to accentuate movement and
also adorn a shot.
Kingdom of Heaven is set in 1184. It stars Orlando Bloom, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson,
Edward Norton and Ghassan Massoud. The director is Ridley Scott. The action takes
place in the Holy Land, where Christian knights have established a kingdom in
Jerusalem. However, they are divided into rival factions. In the end, all is lost. But
along the way there are some magnificent battle scenes between Christians and Muslims,
and some great scenery. Ridley Scott is a painterly director and many shots are like a
tableau. To him banners and standards are elements with which to punctuate a visual
composition as well as underscore activity and movement (see photo above). However,
the only emblems one sees on the shields (with only a couple of exceptions) are crosses
of different sizes and colors. There are no hereditary family charges, but that is not
incorrect (or a sign of laziness on the art director’s part) since the film is set at the very
dawn of heraldry. There were almost no family arms except for monarchs. Kingdom of
Heaven is a good example is heraldry used to create a sense of history as well as beautiful
imagery.
Score: 7 out of 10
Timeline, directed by Richard Donner, stars Paul Walker, Billy Connolly, Lambert
Wilson, and Michael Sheen. The period is the present and 1357 thanks to a time
machine. Of interest is that Clive Cheesman, Rouge Dragon, was the heraldic consultant
for the film and designed all the shields. In his own words:
There is a film called Timeline, based on a book of the same name by Michael Crichton. I
designed the heraldry for the film. The most interesting part of the process was the legal and
contractual, with my solicitor negotiating with a film rights and clearance attorney in Hollywood
(his company was called 'Now Clear This'). Also quite fun was having all the set and costume
designers here at the College for a meeting in my office (they were all British and from
Shepperton studios). I designed a couple of pages of good heraldry that did not belong to
anyone and licensed them to use it for the film, while undertaking that as long as they did not
make any alterations to the designs they would not be infringing anyone else's subsisting heraldic
rights. The license was specifically for the film and related activities (though I think they were to
come back to me for re-use in any electronic games) and was expressly stated in the contract not
to be a grant of arms, and not to estop the kings of arms from ever granting these designs as
arms in the future. They paid me the princely sum of $3325 and to my disappointment there was
no invitation for me and my wife to the premiere. In fact despite having Billy Connolly in it the
film seems to have sunk without trace in the cinema, though it is now a staple of bank-holiday
TV here in the UK. I have only been able to sit through it once and to my amusement, despite
the terms of the contract, they did in fact alter the heraldry quite a bit.
Not having seen Mr. Cheesman’s original designs, I cannot judge how changed they
were. However, the heraldry in the film is correct for the time: simple, bold and clear. It
is a help to be able to readily distinguish the English, whose arms and costumes are
predominantly red and yellow, from the French, whose colors for both are blue and
white. Timeline was filmed in Canada, which meant that a village and an imposing
fortified castle had to be constructed.
The DVD contained a bonus feature on the making of this film, which included a short
segment on the weapons and heraldry. In the still below is an array of shields made for
the production.
Score: 9 out of 10
Just one of many scenes
showing tournaments in A
Knight’s Tale. Heraldry is
deployed lavishly.
Starring Heath ledger, Paul Bettany (as Chaucer!) and Rufus Sewell, A Knight’s Tale is
a visual feast for heraldists. This time the period is the reign of Edward III (1312-1377).
Although he is not to be seen here, his son – the Black prince – is, along with lords,
knights, tournaments and a young man seeking to rise in the world by competing in
tournaments against his betters. The director is Paul Helgeland, who clearly sees the
visual potential of heraldry. It looks correct for the period and he deploys it abundantly
on costumes, armory and sets. In A Knight’s Tale heralds are shown doing their thing:
judging jousts, certifying the combatants’ credentials (or nobility) and reciting their
accomplishments. The jousting is thrilling and gives the viewer a strong sense of what it
was like to charge on horseback against an opponent. The plot takes huge liberties.
Score: 9 out of 10
An aerial view of the façade of
the College of Arms in Queen
Victoria Street, EC4. The white
Rolls-Royce and other poshlooking vehicles parked in the
courtyard are an amusing
imputation of heraldic
affluence.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, directed by Peter R. Hunt and starring George
Lazenby as James Bond, Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas, is the only film in this group in
which heraldry is a plot device. Our hero assumes the guise of a senior herald, called
Sable Basilisk, in order to penetrate the lair of a villainous scientist. Thus Bond must
visit the College of Arms in London (the inerior scene is a film set), and the viewers are
shown the Bond family arms (below). OHMSS is notable for being the only time
Lazenby played Bond, who gets married and becomes a widower all in the same movie.
Nevertheless the College setting, the Bond arms are correct and heraldry is given a
starring role.
The interior of the College of
Arms was reconstructed (and
modified) on a set at Pinewood
Studios in England.
James Bond is shown his family
coat of arms by Sable Basilisk
at the College of Arms.
Score: 10 out of 10.
A reception followed the presentation.