Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Black Death'

Written by Scott Edwards

One of the things that I love to hear from people is how they found their path in life. It is something that not many people believe in, but for the few that do, it is great to see how their lives have changed when finding out what drives them and keeps them happy. With so many options of things that you can do with your life, it is easy to find something that you think you would enjoy, but it may not be what you were put here to do in the long run. Keep your eyes open and look for those new opportunities, as there may be one out there that is exactly what you are meant to do.

As the bubonic plague is ravaging the country side, young monk Osmund is surprised to see that he is not a carrier. Convincing one of his fellow brothers to let him out of quarantine, Osmund has only one thing on his mind, Averill, who is the love of his life. Being able to get her some food, he begs his love to leave the town and find a safe place to hold up. With a promise of seeing her again, Osmund needs to know if God will allow him to leave the monastery to continue his life outside of the walls and when one of the Bishop’s warriors shows up at the door, Osmund believes that it is a sign that he should see his love once again.

Hearing of a town that has been unaffected by the pestilence, Ulrich and his men have been ordered to investigate, but they need a guide to get them through a marsh and into the town. Knowing a bit about the area, Osmund volunteers his services and even though his Abbot does not want him to leave, he has no choice. The need to see Averill again is too great and Osmund will not be deterred.  Meeting up with the rest of Ulrich’s men in the woods, Osmund is told the truth behind the adventure and it is not to investigate the town, but to kill a demon that has taken the praise from God and get the villagers back on the side of Christianity. 

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Seeing the hardships outside of town as the plague is moving through the countryside, Osmund wants to do anything he can to help those in need, but sees that there is no peace in this place like the kind he knows of inside of his monastery. Getting to the meeting place that Averill had set, Osmund is not able to locate her, but a band of robbers are looking to get their piece of flesh from the traveling squad. After a brief battle and losing one of his men, Ulrich needs to find the town and is ready to inflict hell upon its doorstep, but upon arriving, he sees revenge will be more difficult than he expected. Being greeted by Hob and Langiva and offered anything that they need, Ulrich wants to make them pay the price, but Osmund sees them as good people who have not lost their way. But after being reunited with Averill after seeing her lying dead on a slab, the witchcraft in the town cannot be ignored and the soldiers of God must fulfill their duty for the greater good.

Things had to be tough in the middle ages, especially when a disease such as the plague was moving through so many cities. Believing that God was wiping the slate clean to start again, everyone in the party had a different reason as to why they believed the plague started and my favorite came from Wolfstan who was there when England’s army decimated the French and killed every Frenchman they could find. With the fear of the higher power driving the men, even Osmund has to dig deep into his faith to figure out why only one town was not affected by the black death. I liked the mind games that were played in the town by Langiva and how she was able to create a following of her own and even when the truth came out, she was still loved by her people, just not Osmund who began the hunt of a lifetime for the witch.

Five Takeaways

1. When dealing with the bubonic plague, you don’t need to wash your hands or clean up at all to avoid being infected.
2. A witch is a witch and if she is not burned at the stake, she can be stabbed to death to release her curse.
3. When you see a bloody pile of clothes, it surely has to belong to your loved one, who entered the forest on her own.
4. Monks are not good with swords, but little daggers are a whole different story.
5. All redheads are witches, even if they are more strawberry blond, they are still witches!

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