Ironclad (2011) on Netflix
R20112h 1mActionAdventureHistory
In 1215 King John repudiates Magna Carta and hires Danish mercenaries to crush the barons. William d'Aubigny and the Templar Thomas Marshal hold Rochester Castle to bar the way to London.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb6.1/1045,653 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes42%
Trailer
Plot summary
The barons of England force King John to seal Magna Carta in 1215, a charter that guarantees rights for free men. He regrets it within months and assembles a mercenary army of pagan Danes under the warlord Tiberius to restore his rule. Archbishop Langton, who wrote the charter, learns the Pope has sided with the king and that he is to be excommunicated. He and Baron William d'Aubigny, a wool merchant and former soldier, agree that John must be stopped at Rochester Castle, which commands southern England and the road to London. The castle belongs to Baron Reginald de Cornhill, whose wife Isabel regrets their arranged marriage. D'Aubigny gathers a small band, among them the Templar knight Thomas Marshal and his squire Guy, to take Rochester and hold it for the rebellion.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Ironclad (2011)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Megan Fox was originally attached to Ironclad when it was pitched to investors at Cannes in 2008, but she left and was replaced by Kate Mara; a 2009 credit crunch then forced the entire supporting cast to be recast, sparing only James Purefoy and Paul Giamatti.
- Producer Andrew Curtis described Ironclad's financing as "more complex than a London Underground map," and the film ended up crediting 18 separate executive producers.
- Ironclad was the largest independent production ever filmed in Wales and ranked among the largest independent films shot anywhere in Britain in 2009.
SPOILER
The film takes real liberties with history: baron William d'Aubigny was never actually an ennobled wool merchant nor tortured and killed at the siege, and the French army that arrives to save the day in the film did not actually reach England until roughly six months after the real siege had ended.- Although the film casts the Knights Templar as leading rebels against King John, historically the order had a cordial relationship with him and was actually among his financial backers, funding his wars.
