I might be biased about rating this movie, because I was born in westfalia. Surrounded by a long family history. There are still visual artefacts of the "WIEDERTAEUFER" period left, for every visitor of the provincial capital of Muenster, to see. Specially the hanging cages, where the captured leaders of the upraising, where condemned to die in. The portrait of the violent medevil time was well captured, even when most of the scenes where not made on location. I believe they where made in the Zcheck republic. I rated this movie a 10 : The acting was superb, specially Mario Adorf's portrait of the ruling bishop, also his opponents came to live as believable religious zealots. The created atmosphere of the movie was suspenseful, the story intriguing. Some well done realistic battlescenes, describing without any cosmetics the brutality of midevil warfare. This theme was carried right to the end with an incredible detail and feel of the time period. The end of the movie was very shocking, describing the execution of the ringleader in any detail, but nevertheless realistic. Hollywood always presents us with sanitized versions of period peaces,
making them look sort of corny. This movie is not holding anything back. There is really no such thing as "the good old days!" People of this period either lived in apalling poverty, with very little sanitation, or in splendid luxury. Few artisans living in somewhere between. Those times lived in deep religious superstition, where cruel, violent, dirty, and to add one positive ,romantic. This movie has captured those moments well. This movie does not look like a "cheap " or low budget production. By hollywood standards, it would fall way beyond the $20 million limit for medium budgeted productions. Well, that was, what I felt, watching this incredible well crafted movie.
