Vlad the Impaler aka Deliler (2018)
This is a Turkish movie detailing the battle between the Turks and Prince Vlad of Wallachia in the 15th century. It is pretty obvious from the start that this movie is very pro-Turkish and paints Vlad as not just evil, but the embodiment of evil.
The Deliler of the Turkish title refers to the band of elite warriors of the Sultan Mehmed sent to stop Vlad. A bit like the 15th-century SAS. There is seven total, and they are all portrayed as bad-asses, but bad -asses in the service of the side of good. They are also kind to widows, small children, and babies. They are featured on the cover (the top three anyway, Gökkurt is the one with the wings) and Vlad on the lower right is the obvious bad guy.
Vlad is seen killing his own people, working with an alchemist to devise weaponized rats, and even having his men kill the beggars that help them collect the rats. All the while claiming to be the Son of God.
They are not going for subtlety here.
Despite what the American covers of the movie might have you think, this movie is about the Deliler, not so much about Vlad. Throughout the movie, the Deliler seem to have a sort of supernatural connection to each other and their Sultan. Not to mention their near-supernatural fighting ability.
It takes a while but we finally get to the big battle at the end. Six Deliler against all of Vlad's army. How do you think it will go? Well more of the Sultan's men show up just in time.
A lot of reviews online claim this movie is nothing more than a propaganda piece by the Turks. Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know enough about Turkish politics to be able to say for sure. The movie is very obviously pro-Turk and anti...anti bad guy? I am not sure what it is against. I suppose it must be like seeing an American movie with a Rambo like figure, or seven of them, fighting some Commie, or Nazi, or whomever we are mad at today. I guess this is "Team America: World Police."
--
Game content. Well, it would not be bad to get a good feel for how you could run Barovia with a more 15th-century feel as opposed to the Hammer-Horror filter of the 15th to 19th Century. How about this. A group of elite, obviously Good, warriors (fighters, barbarians, bards, a ranger, and paladin) whose only purpose is to destroy vampires and Strahd in particular. Maybe something like the Order of St. Johan.
Are there better, more historically accurate tales? Of course. But this is a place to start for some D&D background.
October 2021
Viewed: 54
First Time Views: 41
--
Tim Knight of Hero Press and Pun Isaac of Halls of the Nephilim along with myself are getting together at the Facebook Group I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters to discuss these movies. Follow along with the hashtag #IdRatherBeWatchingMonsters.
No comments:
Post a Comment