History Film / AKnightsTale

* MulticoloredHair: If you look closely, you'll see that Kate's hair has dyed green tips. Jocelyn has the occasional highlights in her hair as well.

** However, when we later see William wearing the tent-turned-tunic, there isn't a toggle to be seen.

** During the Paris tournament, William starts losing on purpose because the LoveInterest told him to to prove that he loved her. This would have been a problem, except that none of the other competitors did particularly well, either, so after the LoveInterest relents William is able to win despite losing his first round of jousts.

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: William twice jousts against a Sir Thomas Colville. The first time Colville is injured on the second lance, and William agrees to have them both tilt and then not strike each other to maintain Colville's honor. The second time, William learns right before the bout that Colville is really [[KingIncognito Prince Edward incognito]], and before the others can withdraw for him William tilts at him. Edward is both impressed by William's willingness to face him as a WorthyOpponent, as well as grateful for the earlier honorable draw; and repays the kindness after William is revealed as a commoner by knighting him. Moreover, he fakes evidence that William is descended from an ImpoverishedPatrician and warns anyone that to question him is treason.

-->'''William:''' I'm Ulrich von Liechtenstein, from Gelderland, and these are my faithful squires, Delves, of Dogington, and Falhurst, of Crew.\\

The film plays like a combination sports movie and romantic comedy, except that the sport is [[TheTourney jousting]] and the setting is TheLateMiddleAges (specifically UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar). Our hero William is simple squire who, with the help of some lowborn buddies, attempts to make his mark by [[FakeAristocrat posing as a noble knight]], becoming Europe's finest jousting sensation and winning the heart of a fair maiden.

** Prince Edward justifies [[spoiler:knighting William by announcing that he's discovered Will is descended from nobility]], then basically dares anyone to call him on it: "[[AssPull This is my word]] [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem, and as such is beyond contestation.]]"

** Prince Edward justifies [[spoiler:knighting William by announcing that he's discovered Will is descended from nobility]], then basically dares anyone to call him on it: "[[AssPull This is my word]][[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem, and as such is beyond contestation.]]"

** Prince Edward justifies [[spoiler:knighting William by announcing that he's discovered Will is descended from nobility]], then basically dares anyone to call him on it: "[[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem This is my word, and as such is beyond contestation.]]"

* AchievementsInIgnorance: William never raises his head to prevent splinters from the lances penetrating his visor, since he has never received any proper training in jousting, and so does not know of these subtle techniques by other knights. It does, however, mean he keeps his eyes on his target at all times, and is implied as to be one of the key reasons why he's so effective.
** [[spoiler: William/Ulrich unknowingly scores major brownie points with Jocelyn when he is the only knight in the tournament at Rouen to not claim he would win the tournament for her.]]

** Roland is often the voice of reason and emotional centre of the group but he still has his moments of getting caught up in the other three men's antics. Example one, while Chaucer is teaching William how to dance, he joins to also say that Wat punches like a girl, then just sits back and watches the fight ensue. Example two, he pointedly ignores a group of French men trying to entice the whole group into an all-or-nothing bet on an upcoming tournament. It's not until one of the French men claim that the Pope himself is French that he relatiates by saying that Jesus is English and confirming the bet.

--->'''Adhemar:''' No style at all... but neither has an anvil.\\

* OopNorth: William's friend Roland is from Yorkshire- [[ActorSharedBackground just like his actor, Mark Addy]]- and Wat is from the Midlands. And to his credit, Creator/AlanTudyk does a pretty good accent.

* SheCleansUpNicely: As a male example, William cleans up twice; First in the scene after he trains with Wat and Roland, his long dreadlocks are gone, and he is clean shaven. Second, when he has his hair combed, and dresses up for the banquet.

* SigilSpam: There's a deleted scene where the trio discuss their coat of arms and decide on three [[ThePhoenix phoenixes]]. The phoenix can be seen emblazoned into various clothes and other items associated with them.

--->'''Chaucer:''' ''[keeping time with a staff on a tub]'' And one and two and three and four, ''[smacking William and Wat’s hands which are gripping too tightly]'' and your hands should be light like a birdie on the branch, and one, two, three and four, and Wat doesn’t lead, he follows like a girl.\\

* HammyHerald: Geoffrey for William.

** And in the first joust, William used the damage to his face plate to justify not showing his face -- even after the combat.

'''Chaucer:''' ''({{Beat}})''' I'm UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionheart. Pleased to meet you! No, wait a minute, I'm UsefulNotes/{{Charlemagne}}. No, I'm Saint John the Baptist!

--> '''William''': "No! I will not run! I am a knight!"

--> '''Frenchman''': And most importantly, because the Pope himself is French.\\
'''Roland''': ... Well the Pope may be French, but Jesus is English. You're on!

--> '''William:''' Let's dance, you and I.

--> '''Geoff:''' You could... I would tend to look above her breasts.\\

--->'''Wat''': It's called a ''lance'', helloooooo!

--> '''William''': It's just as well, they told me I was daft for even asking.\\
'''Kate''': Who?\\
'''William''': The other armourers.\\
'''Kate''': Did they say I couldn't do it because I'm a woman?\\
'''William''': No, they said you were great with horseshoes, but shite with armour. The fact that you were a woman wasn't even mentioned.

--> '''William''': I can’t. Love has given me wings, so I must fly. I can’t explain it. She makes me feel like a poet.\\
'''Roland''': You may feel like a poet... but you sound like an idiot. You don’t even know her name.\\
'''William''': Her name? Her name is Aphrodite. Calypso. Venus. Take your pick.

-->'''Adhemar''': Then he shows his weakness. [[VirtueIsWeakness That's all mercy is]].

--> '''Chaucer:''' And one and two and three and four, you can hit me all day 'cause you punch like a what?\\

---> '''Chaucer:''' ''[keeping time with a staff on a tub]'' And one and two and three and four, ''[smacking William and Wat’s hands which are gripping too tightly]'' and your hands should be light like a birdie on the branch, and one, two, three and four, and Wat doesn’t lead, he follows like a girl.\\

-->'''Wat''': That's your name. Sir William Thatcher. Your father heard that.

--> '''Watt:''' You have been weighed...\\

--> '''Chaucer''': My lords... my ladies... (''Chaucer bows then turns to the audience'') ... and everybody else here ''not sitting on a cushion''!

---> '''Chaucer''': SIR ULLLLLLLLLLLLLRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICH VON LICHENSTEIN! ({{Beat}}, to wild applause) ''God'' I'm good!

--> '''Roland:''' What are you doing?\\

-->'''Roland''': ''(exasperated)'' God love you, William--\\
'''Will''': I know, I know, "no one else will."\\

'''Roland''': God love you, William. . . so do I.

--->'''Kate''': Did they say I couldn't do it [[StayInTheKitchen because I'm a woman]]?\\
'''Will''': No, they said you're great with horseshoes but shite with armor. The fact that you're a woman wasn't even mentioned.

--->'''Adhemar''': No style at all... but neither has an anvil.\\

'''William''': He hits like a hammer.

--> '''Frenchman''': And, most importantly, because the Pope, himself, is French!\\
'''Roland''': ... Well the Pope may be French, but Jesus is English. You're on!

--> '''Roland:''' Are you a woman or a blacksmith?\\

--> '''William:''' Where will we live? In my hovel, with the pigs inside during the winter so they won't freeze?\\

** Chaucer just strolls into the film stark [[NakedFirstImpression naked]], completely okay with that. It's something of a RunningGag for him to have gambled his clothes away.

** Adhemar also does this several other times before the ball. [[spoiler:His public insulting of William/Ulrich elicts pained sympathy from Jocelyn towards Wiliam/Ulrich, and later on, when William refuses to finish off an injured Colville, Adhemar claims mercy is nothing but weakness, drawing further silent disapproval from Jocelyn and indirectly making William/Ulrich look like a better person.]]

* HypocriticalHumor: In the church, the priest says that Jocelyn should pray that her beauty fade swiftly, as she's SoBeautifulItsACurse, and offers up his ring for her to kiss. Her calling it lovely makes him quickly move on to other matters.

* BadassLongcoat: Chaucer and Prince Edward love wearing these.

** Chaucer just strolls into the film stark naked, completely okay with that. It's something of a RunningGag for him to have gambled his clothes away.

* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: Chaucer says he'll write a story about the events in the film, an allusion to ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''.

** Later played seriously when William's friends stand by his side against the mob after his true identity has been revealed and he's being pilloried.

* ComeToGawk: People do this to those in the pillory.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: {{Played straight}}, then subverted.[[spoiler: William is stripped of everything, put into the pillory, and humiliated for daring to rise above being a peasant squire. Then the Prince knights him anyway]].

* ShamingTheMob: Subverted in the theatrical cut; Chaucer, having previously demonstrated his ability to work a crowd, tries to shame the mob that gathers around William when he's in the pillory. He gets as far as three words in before the mob silences him with a volley of rotten vegetables. However, in the extended cut of the film, Chaucer succeeds in ShamingTheMob into chastened silence [[spoiler:before Prince Edward steps in. This scene was cut to beef up Prince Edward's role. ]]

* NotSoAboveItAll: During the joust at the beginning of the film, there's a shot of a lord and two ladies looking rather dismissive of the commons loud (and anachronistic) singing. The next shot of them, however, shows the ladies clapping along and the lord actually joining in with the singing, perhaps caught up in the spirit of the thing.

'''Roland:''' You waited you whole life for Sir Ector to shite himself to death?

* NotSoDifferent:

** At one point, Watt insults a Frenchman by calling him "Quasimodo." Not only was ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' published 500 years after the movie takes place, but it takes place a solid century after the movie is set. Without that reference, calling someone Quasimodo as an insult doesn't make sense.

* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: [[spoiler:Edward, the Black Prince, pulls one of these while William is in the pillory, even going so far as to personally knight William himself just to allow him to compete. He basically declares that William has royal blood and then dares anybody to contradict the Crown Prince of England.]]
* SelfProclaimedKnight: There are two. One is the classic struggling underdog, William Thatcher, the peasant who's masquerading as the knight Ulrich Von Lichtenstein, and the other is [[spoiler: Sir Thomas Colville - otherwise known as Edward, the Black Prince, jousting in disguise.]]

''A Knight's Tale'' is a 2001 GenreBusting medieval sports romantic comedy film written and directed by Creator/BrianHelgeland. It stars Creator/HeathLedger, Creator/RufusSewell, and Creator/ShannynSossamon, with a supporting cast including Creator/AlanTudyk, Creator/MarkAddy, Creator/JamesPurefoy and Creator/PaulBettany as the author Creator/GeoffreyChaucer.

** Earlier, they note that he has rudimentary style, nonexistent technique, but he's fearless. Adhemar goes on to explain to Jocelyn that while the visor of a knight's helmet is small, splinters can penetrate, and most knight's raise their heads at the last second, losing sight of their target but protecting their eyes. "Ulrich" doesn't (chances are that William doesn't know to do so). Jocelyn is impressed, [[AchievementsInIgnorance because he keeps his eyes on the target]].

** During the third tournament, William starts losing on purpose because the LoveInterest told him to to prove that he loved her. This would have been a problem, except that none of the other competitors did particularly well, either, so after the LoveInterest relents William is able to win despite losing his first round of jousts.