Claes Bang is William Tell in historical epic

It starts with the moment that transformed Swiss huntsman William Tell from a folk hero into a fully-fledged legend. You know the one – it involves an apple, a boy and a deadly crossbow – and you probably know the outcome as well. That’s what director Nick Hamm assumes in his William Tell, with the run-up to that moment occupying most of the film. Trouble is, it’s a film that doesn’t just come full circle, it turns into more of a spiral.

Tell (Claes Bang) is a huntsman who served in The Crusades, an experience which has soured him against violence. Leading a quiet life in 14th century Switzerland, he finds more conflict arriving on his doorstep: his country has been invaded by Austria and one of their noblemen has been killed by a local farmer, who is now on the run. Tell agrees to help him but joining the underground resistance movement in their fight for independence means he’s soon a marked man in his own right. Refusing to bow down to the invaders, he faces a death sentence hanging over not only his own head, but that of his wife and son. Cue that the apple and the crossbow.

It’s a film with epic aspirations. The Swiss mountains provide a spectacular backdrop to some well-orchestrated crowd and battle sequences, even if some of the special effects don’t quite live up to them. But an epic needs more than good looks and, while the film’s budget of $45 million isn’t exactly peanuts, it’s well behind the hundreds of millions spent by Ridley Scott on Gladiator II and Napoleon. And it shows. William Tell emerges as an ambitious effort, but one with a bad habit of tripping itself up, as that opening sequence demonstrates. For anybody who doesn’t know the legend – and there will be plenty – it’s not just a confusing place to kick off the action, it also signposts where the film is headed, so much of the potential suspense is thrown out of the window.

Sadly, there’s more. Hamm, who also wrote the script, has littered it with what can best be described as cod Shakespeare. Versions of famous quotations – “there is a tide in the affairs of men ….”, “come, unsex me here ….” – are suddenly dropped into the conversation for no reason. It adds nothing to the dialogue and, in a setting that’s three hundred years before Shakespeare’s plays were on stage, they stick out like very sore thumbs. A generous helping of unintentional comedy doesn’t help matters, with characters displaying a knack for stating the obvious. With dark clouds looming overhead and thunder making its presence felt, do we really need to be told there’s a storm on the way?

There is, however, a positive side to the proceedings, and one with a contemporary flavour. The women – Tell’s wife, Suna (Golshifteh Farahani) and those of more noble birth, such as the Austrian king’s niece Bertha (Ellie Bamber) – are determined characters who throw themselves wholeheartedly into the fight for freedom, often showing up the men around them. Worryingly, they’re more of an inspiration than Claes Bang as Tell, who plays the hero as if he’s had a charisma by-pass. What should be intensity comes across as downright dullness, leaving you wondering why anybody would follow him into the gents, let alone battle. Connor Swindells, on the other hand, plays his despicable adversary Gessler with enough gusto for both of them, which comes as a welcome relief. But what should have been a rip-roaring adventure is an uneven affair all round: when it gets it right, it’s solidly entertaining but, more often than not, it misses its target. By a long way.

★★ 1/2

In UK cinemas from 17 January / Claes Bang, Connor Swindells, Golshifteh Farahani, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley / Dir: Nick Hamm / Altitude Film Distribution / 15


Discover more from

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Did you enjoy? Agree Or Disagree? Leave A Comment

Discover more from

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading