Since I don't want my whole Netflix movie list on the blog via one of those handy widgets, I have decided to post the movies I have placed on my list to supplement our current study of the Middle Ages.
We started our study with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Barbarian Invasions. I viewed Terry Jones' Barbarians (disc 1, Celts and Goths) by myself, but watched Attila with the two oldest girls. Attila was long, but moved enough that it held our interest.
The next two movies on the list align with what is being studied in weeks 2-3 of our Tapestry of Grace Y2U2 curriculum: the Byzantine Empire, Islam, and the rise of monasticism. I chose Arabian Nights to watch since my oldest is skipping the assigned reading in lieu of reading King Arthur. I may pull out our tape of Disney's Aladdin for the younger set to watch. We will also be watching Pillars of Faith: Celtic Saints, not so much to learn about St. Patrick, but to learn about some lesser-known saints like St. Aidan! :-) From our library we will be seeing a locally-produced video that gives us a tour of the local mosque (which we've driven by numerous times on our way to Dayton).
George and the Dragon looks like a fun, perhaps silly, supplement to reading Margaret Hodges' St. George and the Dragon. Then we'll be moving on to some Arthurian movies. There are many to choose from, and I've seen a bunch, so I've chosen what will hopefully hold my 11 year old's attention: King Arthur. For the little kids, it's Disney's The Sword in the Stone.
The Old English performance of Beowulf looks like an interesting video for mom and the oldest daughter, but it's on the long wait list, so we will likely resort to Beowulf & Grendel to appeal once again to the 11-year-old male in the house. We'll also follow it up with the IMAX documentary on the Vikings.
I've been intrigued by St. Hildegard von Bingen for years (it's a music thing), so I'd like the kids to see this portrayal of her life. This is another long wait movie, but we might be able to watch it on the computer. Then it's onto some of Hidegard's contemporaries in England. I enjoyed the classic The Lion in Winter, about Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine, so I'm curious what the 2003 remake of the movie will be like. And, of course, we have to watch Becket.
We really enjoyed the movie version of David Macauley's City, so we'll be watching Castle and Cathedral as we learn about feudalism. Like King Arthur, Robin Hood is a movie that has been done over and over again. While Kevin Costner's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a great movie, it is quite long. Thus, we're opting to watch the version with Patrick Bergen. The little kids can watch the Disney version if they want.
Then we'll wind things up with Braveheart, Marco Polo, Henry V, and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. Please note that several of these movies have an R rating. Most are rated such for strong or graphic battle scenes. If you have concerns, be sure to preview before watching with your family. I will be doing this with versions I haven't seen before, so I know when to fast-forward through scenes that may have brief nudity, a sexual encounter (why do they stick these in when it does nothing for the plot???), or any other particularly nasty scene.
Enjoy!
