In medieval England, the bubonic plague has swept the nation and left the country in post-apocalyptic squalor. Amidst the death and fear, a young monk, Osmund (Redmayne), is hired to escort a band of knights in a search for a necromancer, whose mystical powers can supposedly bring the dead back to life. With the help of the fearsome knight Ulric (Bean), Osmund must travel deep into the nightmarish marshlands of England in order to bring about an end to the suffering, though the horrors that await them ensure that this will be no easy task.
Though Creep and Severance left a lot to be desired, Brit director Christopher Smith at least showed promise with his first couple of features, and last years intriguing Triangle suggested that the Bristol-born director had finally come into his own. Black Death is a strange and surprising departure for Smith, and while the film remains in the same genre category as his previous efforts, the medieval-set thriller lacks the smarts and style of his previous headache-inducing mind-bender. Indeed, it feels like a huge step backwards for Smith.
While boasting a few intelligent ideas about medieval politics, religion and faith, the dour mood and meandering pace turn Black Death into a bit of a bore. Lacking focus and occasionally playing out like a Monty Python sketch without any laughs, Smiths unimaginative and occasionally unpleasant film feels like a complete missed opportunity.
The Blu-rays visuals arent that spectacular either. Scenes taking place in darkness lack contrast and detail, and there is plenty of ugly grain to be found too. The daytime-set scenes are an improvement, revealing natural textures and colouring, though this is far from a flawless reference-disc. The audio isnt too bad, and though the 5.1 soundtrack doesnt boast an awful lot of depth, the sound effects and action scenes sound pretty strong.
The extras include an interesting and enthusiastic commentary from Smith, who reels off tons of information about the production throughout. The rest of the disc is crammed with the usual stuff, including a short making of featurette, some on-set footage and a selection of interviews.
Overall Verdict: An odd and disappointing departure for Christopher Smith and an average hi-def experience in general.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary with Christopher Smith
Deleted Scenes (With Optional Directors Commentary)
Bring Black Death To Life Featurette
Behind the Scenes Footage
Director Interview
Producer Interviews
Cast Interviews
Trailer
Gallery
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths