Chimes at Midnight Battle Scene

[@renevalice3056]

the vintage battle acting and filming is quite fast paced, full of visceral graphic combat, and uncanny in bringing to life dark age carnage. superb and commendable work.

[@BuckDanny2314]

Arguably the greatest battle scene in movie history. But then again, many competitors.

[@redhippopotamus9144]

No shit Sherlock Sorry

[@johnbarrientosiii6586]

I’d say for me The Lord of the Rings has some pretty sick battle scenes, but there are so many more great ones

[@TheSaltydog07]

Have you seen Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V"? It, too, has a brilliant battle scene.

[@TheSaltydog07]

@@redhippopotamus9144 Why so rude?

[@ralphb.5335]

😶

[@arthurscrote4640]

Just a pity that this film sank virtually without trace but was lauded by film buffs. Hard to imagine the sheer savagery of 15thC battles but it must have looked something like this. A masterpiece of editing.

[@TheSaltydog07]

Thank you, Orson,.

[@christophercoleman6596]

This has to be one of the grwatest, if not THE greatest battle sequence in all of cinema, made all the greater by Shakespeare's language. So many great quotes packed together in one scene. Would I had the Bard's silvered tongue and shrewd ear for dialogue.

[@djd620]

Many people have commented about this film's brilliant battle scene being an inspiration for Braveheart and with good reason. It's true. Years ago when Braveheart was in pre-production, I was writing a screenplay with a friend of mine (which eventually became a Lifetime movie). His phone rang. It was his friend Matt who happened to be the 2nd unit director from Braveheart. He said Mel was interested in watching a bunch of movies that featured great battle scenes but he didn't want the stereotypical battles. He wanted something unique and bold. My friend turned to me and asked for a suggestion. Without hesitation, I said "Chimes at Midnight," which he passed on to Matt. But then I also said, "Forget it. Movie's out of print and hasn't been seen in forever." He told his buddy Matt this info and after a few more exchanges he hung up, turned to me and said "Mel said he could get a copy." Looks like he did. True story.

[@elmo2800]

That's a fun read. I can't understand why this movie is so difficult to find. Especially in the digital.

[@Kilo6bravo]

Boringgg

[@allanotopi]

LOL

[@ruedigerhennl8443]

Braveheart can't hold a candle to this.

[@CobConstantz]

This movie in on the internet archive site I just watched it.

[@Max-dd7du]

Wonderful, it just gets more intense.

[@arpitdas4263]

What an inspiration of a film!!! Magnificent beyond measure!!!

[@shamanlab]

1965 classic with still mind blowing visuals.

[@filidorable]

I reckon old Mel took direct inspiration from this for Braveheart's battle sequences. The most honest assessment of war's savagery since All Quiet On The Western Front, I think. Remarkable.

[@ilyassimsek]

Mel Gibson repeatedly said that he had inspired battle scenes from Chimes of Midnight.

[@kentallard8852]

Kenneth Brannagh too

[@dyerstreets]

I thought of Braveheart, as well, when I watched this scene.

[@willieluncheonette5843]

As a filmmaker myself I can say this is one of the most remarkable scenes I have ever seen. I always assumed it was historically accurate. But some comments say No. Big thanks for posting this.

[@Jomchen]

If you’re interested in the authenticity of the battle; I’m certain battles would be far more organised than shown here. It would be untenable to maintain a fighting force without organisation and communication, and without maintaining a line or formation they would just be scattered. In some cases this is a realistic tactic - for heavy cavalry to get within the formation of the enemy and disrupt organisation and communication would quickly diminish their staying power, causing them to retreat. You can probably infer from this that the goal of most effective fighting forces in history is not necessarily to kill as many people as possible - because killing is dangerous, and your individual soldiers are fighting to survive - but to disrupt the organisation structure of the opposing unit(s). There are some theories on classical (greek & roman) tactics that describe something like both armies coming to a stop in front of each other roughly 10-15 meters away, and the frontline of soldiers going forward to meet in the middle, which allows for soldiers to be easily replaced, maintain communication, and suddenly surge forwards to overpower a weak point or as part of a greater manoeuvre. I can’t imagine medieval battles were too different.

[@willieluncheonette5843]

@@Jomchen Thank you for your very informative reply.

[@LordZontar]

There were exactly 180 extras in costume to depict two armies of several thousand apiece. Those thousands were created entirely through Welles' close-up action cinematography and film edits.

[@mattyduke]

I love the editing! ... despite the technical difficulties, the sound design is great too. I wonder if it could be corrected somehow.

[@Toogman]

Martin Scorsese even says it's the best battle scene ever created. By his own words..... He says "As far as action scenes are concerned, the best battle scene ever put on film is in Chimes at Midnight. I know the guys who did Braveheart studied it, I know we studied it a lot." Brilliant.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Certainly a breakthrough in terms of capturing the intensity and sheer grittiness of medieval battle. I wonder if Kenneth Branagh borrowed inspiration for it for his Battle of Agincourt in his HENRY V.

[@Theoscarpool]

it was what Mel Gibson based Braveheart battles on at least.

[@rupertsmith5815]

Yeah he watched this scene and analysed every frame and cut for his battle scene.

[@of1300]

i am positively sure, he did. on the other hand. Battle is battle. How much else would you film it, considering desired impact, "immersiveness" and budget... you would do it more or less like this... unless you were a complete moron and just film it only in a wide shot from an adjacent hill....

[@michaeljudge5027]

A masterpiece, makes “Game of Thrones” look like a video game.

[@christophercoleman6596]

You can't beat the combination of Orso Wells' silver-screen camerawork with Shakespeare's golden words. Please note, the battle would've been only half as effective had it been in black & white instead of color!

[@jrb4935]

@@christophercoleman6596 Eh?

[@tww2002]

Ahead of its time.

[@hoctor]

Welles is OUR American genius and ultimate artiste, NO one comes close

[@vespelian]

In American terms you're quite right but he was old world at heart.

[@fermintenava5911]

the equivalent of a 15th century's tank battle

[@rosswade3602]

I just read that Martin Scorcese considers it the best battle scene on film. I can say that it definitely holds up! But more than just looking realistic the cinematography is dope.

[@richardv.582]

I remember Wells On the merv Griffin show,and they showed a clip of this battle scene,I remember the show audience being very excited,I wanted to see the movie but dad No! Your to young!..lol

[@danielesalvi4389]

Battle of the bastards old style version

[@denniswijmer4988]

The whole tongue in cheek thing spite of it's brutality is also seen in a film like Excalibur. In my humble opinion.

[@jrb4935]

its

[@willsherman1049]

So many people mention the Mel Gibson movie that was just historical rubbish. It was a different fight between different styles of warriors. It was apples vs oranges. This... is history incarnate.

[@MrReded69]

I don't know what's goofier: Falstaff's armor or the whole lowering knights on to their horses scenes!

[@arthurscrote4640]

Can you suggest a better method?

[@MrReded69]

Arthur Scrote Yeah! Actually climbing up on a horse like actual knights were trained to do. Actual combat armor wasn't so heavy that a knight who had trained from childhood couldn't mount his horse unassisted with it on. Real knights were trained to do cartwheels, dance complex and fast patterns and vault onto their horses all with their full armor on. There are a lot of KZbin channels like Knight Erryant who will demonstrate the truths of such armor plus old History channel shows like Conquest that show it. The myth that knights' armor was too heavy to mount a horse are as old and false as the legend of King Arthur.

[@Theoscarpool]

yes but we are talking about a full size Orson in this case

[@MrReded69]

Mike Holland Well if we're talking about Orson Whales..Oops! I mean Welles, then along with a fork lift they should also saddle up an elephant since that's the only beast able to bear him!

[@wellesfan2092]

It makes for a funny gag. Lighten up.

[@WizardOfHumor1989]

Why was Falstaff wussing out (in his armor) like C3P0 during a Star Wars galactic attack/battle scene?

[@LordZontar]

Because he's a coward.

[@langelodidio-goaldo1105]

Stupenda pellicola, certo non è chissà che cosa ma è comunque una pellicola gradevole con la scena della battaglia realistica e ben realizzata, ci sono degli errori come il fatto che i cavalieri sono raffigurati mentre vengono calati sui loro cavalli con una corda, perché la loro armatura è così pesante. In realtà questo non è mai avvenuto e non è registrato in nessun testo; il mito ha avuto origine nel XIX secolo. Un'armatura pesava solo circa 50 libbre (20 kg) e i cavalieri potevano montare i propri cavalli abbastanza facilmente, quindi stupenda e stupenda per me come valutazione è 8.

[@of1300]

is this the mother of all battle scenes...? still there is the Odessa scene from Potemkin and the battle scenes in Birth of a Nation and Napoleon....

[@charlesfaure1189]

The moment Hal realizes that Falstaff will betray even him.

[@neil8194]

Scorsese brought me here.

[@e.b.4872]

I prefer the battle of agincourt with laurence Oliver in Henry V. Less dynamic battle for sure but so much effort on the details of armors, heraldic etc... This one is great though I must say the "fight dynamism" is pretty good.

[@notreallydavid]

Both films are wrong in showing armoured knights getting hoisted into the saddle. There's no reason to suppose it happened - armour was heavy, but not _that_ heavy. There are YT videos of people in replica armour getting themselves into the saddle without difficulty - and there's another one where someone in armour does cartwheels! This is small stuff, though. Both films have wonderful, wholly persuasive art direction, and we're lucky to have them. Best reg.s.

[@blackout1111]

Braveheart, Lord of the Rings even Scorsese references this scene.

[@malianofficial4521]

Looks like they dropped a frame at 4:44 lol

[@luna_moon6662]

Im pretty sure that dude actually for reals got shot with an arrow IRL 7:20

[@maestroclassico5801]

I didn't know Fernando Rey spoke such good English. I thought he spoke with more of an accent? Is he dubbed here?

[@peterpan41]

Why does the scene at 9:26 hit so hard :(

[@rupertsmith5815]

It perfectly showed what war is

[@rollingstopp]

why didnt he make himself a cyclops! that would grab attention......

[@holgerandersson1730]

The knights armour whwere not so havy i reality that they have to winch them up. But it is a funny scene.

[@garrison6863]

A tour de force piece of directing. Everything about it, the mist, camera angles, editing, sound , camerawork, is jarringly, schockingly original. The only thing I disagree with is those shots of Falstaff running around like a tin can. Gibson used this and Spartacus as models for Braveheart.

[@jjrbarnett]

Supposedly this sequence was directed by Jess Franco. Depending on the source.

[@dr8576]

Except that English knights always dismounted to fight. There would have been no mounted charge.

[@sonofherne]

I was just saying this. However, there was a charge at Bosworth later in the 15thc--a fatal one as it turned out. It was always risky.

[@sonofherne]

I just had to look it up. Apparently Hotspur did do a mounted cavalry charge with 100 knights...result--disaster, same as Bosworth.

[@MultiEvil85]

The Great Orson Wells

[@of1300]

the best battle scenes are in Saving Private Ryan, because Spielberg always stays close to specific characters and tells little mini stories within the grand battle scenario. so it is never just snippets of extras and stunt men putting up a fight choreography, but it is always dramatic, hence emotional. i have never seen better. usually fight scenes are pretty boring cause it is just choreography more or less filmed and cut in a spectacular yet unemotional way.

[@Theoscarpool]

That’s fine, and no judgement on SPR, a stellar flick, just what Welles does with no budget and great editing and camera has influenced most battle scenes of modern film

[@vapid.aenima]

Just the nuance of the Omaha beach battle, it briefly shows a soldier laying on the ground, holding his own entrails and crying for his mother. That was the only part of the film that broke me.

[@thundershirt1]

When armor is a thing.

[@joeenglert]

11'47 is that a car in the backround???

[@ftalker11]

No, a pair of horses.

[@luchador1670]

9:04

[@Kailash76166]

7:27 and 4:27 and 8:27

[@StephenDeagle]

A masterpiece of editing, sure, and an amazing scene, but I don't think a film actively trying to look even less like how a medieval battle actually was fought could have managed a more inaccurate portrayal.

[@vapid.aenima]

Ok, I'll bite. Why is it an inaccurate portrayal?

[@StephenDeagle]

@@vapid.aenima No close order formations. Just a lot of disassembled men with wide gaps between them haphazardly thrusting, running, riding, and flailing around with no semblance of discipline or purpose to it. Not exactly the best battle strategy.

[@vapid.aenima]

@StephenDeagle That makes sense. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that you responded logically; I was afraid I'd get a super-nerd wall of text coming my way, lol.

[@JustinCase99999]

​@@StephenDeagleDo we have documented evidence that the discipline and purpose remained all through the battle though? At war, fighting tends to get disorganized and frantic pretty quickly, doesn't it? Especially man to man combat is involved...

[@StephenDeagle]

@@JustinCase99999 Holding a close order formation was literally the entire point of every battle for millennia. The purpose of the battle itself is to cause that formation to dissolve. The minute it does and your enemy begins to scatter, you run them down and pick them off one by one. But even then, it's not like two disorganized mobs smacking away at each other. It's usually a cavalry charge running down scattering infantry, which was one of the primary purposes of a cavalry to begin with.

[@ironmantooltime]

Fake.

[@jazzmanchgo]

Well . . . YEAH! It's a MOVIE!

[@Theoscarpool]

@redvisor