'The Uprising' shows the poor of medieval England fighting to be free
11.09.2026, DPA
Bloodshed comes fast to the screen in the historical drama "The Uprising," which tells us of brutal uprisings in the 14th century.
The action-packed movie has a very modern feel about the fight for justice despite being set so long ago.
Starring Andrew Garfield ("The Amazing Spider-Man"), it tells of the English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. It is the story of a group of rebels, determined to take action, head for London to confront the king and other holders of power.
The film combines historical events and figures with the fictional story of the peasant Ploughman, played by Garfield.
British director Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) uses the backdrop of Nuremberg, for example, to recount a chapter of European history from the late 14th century.
It is set as England reels from the aftermath of the Black Death, which wiped out large swathes of the population.
But the Crown levies a heavy poll tax to support wars abroad, forcing all to pay the same sum, even those who have barely anything left.
Anger with the young King Richard II (Woody Norman) and his advisers is mounting. Amidst the unrest, the humble peasant Ploughman rebels against the Crown’s demands.
He joins the rebels led by Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) and the preacher John Ball (Jamie Bell).
Together, they set off for London to present their demands. Faced with escalating violence, Richard II is forced into negotiations.
But this much can be said: he is not as clumsy as he initially appears. On the contrary, he knows how to play on people’s hopes.
Brace yourself for many brutal fight scenes. Greengrass captures the anarchy of the uprising in a visually striking way.
At its core, the film is about the self-empowerment of an oppressed population.
And it asks us how much a rebellion can achieve in the pursuit of your own individual freedom.
It is the lead actors who make "The Uprising" so compelling. But when it comes to narrative structure, however, the film is often overloaded and, at more than two hours, it starts to feel a little bit too long. The characters also remain rather one-dimensional on the whole.
It was not filmed in England, but in southern Germany and British director Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) uses the backdrop of Nuremberg and other areas with medieval buildings to recount this chapter of European history.
The production company says it was filmed entirely in Bavaria, in Nuremberg and two other locations in Franconia, alongside the Penzing Studios in Munich.
Lead actor Garfield raved about shooting in the rural regions where the late 14th century was recreated for the big screen.
“Honestly, it was wonderful shooting in Germany, in Bavaria. We had a really great time with a great German crew and some people from Budapest as well,” Garfield told US trade magazine "Deadline."
"And all these beautiful medieval towns in Nuremberg itself. It was a voyage of discovery in the same way that it was for the Ploughman in a way." He particularly enjoyed filming in natural surroundings, he says.
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