So having decided on The Sunne in Splendour I thought I'd better do a bit of research on the period of the novel (late 15th century), and as war is one of the predominant themes of the narrative, I thought that the Royal Armouries in Leeds would be a good place to start. Aside from providing an insight into the brutal lifestyles of the past (there were suits of armour for children as young as six or seven, in order that they could be trained to sword fight and joust), the museum allowed me to see that armour used to be a status symbol, decorative and customised to show off the wearer's rank, as well as the skill of their workers.
Yet having war as the focus of the title sequence seems a little cliched, as many films, such as The Fellowship of the Ring, have used introductory scenes which summarise historical battles which shape the events of the film. Moreover, the majority of the story takes place off the battle field, so it would seem misleading to introduce this as simply a war story. But the armoury had more to offer than weaponry; while I was there I saw a number of illustrations from the appropriate pre-Tudor era, showing nobility at play watching jousts, and parading in their finery. The style of the pictures is unmistakably medieval, with a rich colour palette (which is echoed in other depictions of the period that have found), so it would be useful to take inspiration from them in order to immediately communicate the period of the story and status of the characters.
Aside from war, the themes which stand out to me are family and love. The story revolves around strong family ties as well as conflict, which could be explored through the use of a family tree as I have previously mentioned, a device which would allow me to condense years of conflict into less than a minute, giving the audience a little vital back story.
Yet having war as the focus of the title sequence seems a little cliched, as many films, such as The Fellowship of the Ring, have used introductory scenes which summarise historical battles which shape the events of the film. Moreover, the majority of the story takes place off the battle field, so it would seem misleading to introduce this as simply a war story. But the armoury had more to offer than weaponry; while I was there I saw a number of illustrations from the appropriate pre-Tudor era, showing nobility at play watching jousts, and parading in their finery. The style of the pictures is unmistakably medieval, with a rich colour palette (which is echoed in other depictions of the period that have found), so it would be useful to take inspiration from them in order to immediately communicate the period of the story and status of the characters.
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| An image from The Complete Costume History |
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| One of the images I saw at the Royal Armoury, Leeds |
Yet when I was reading the book, it was the characters that captivated me as much as the conflict. They are complex, flawed, they make bad judgements, and yet manage to rise above caricatures painted of them by history. All of these characteristics make them deeply engaging, but also human; the reader can empathise with their plights and root for them, although their fates are already known. I would have loved to construct a sequence depicting the most affecting relationship (the marriage between Richard & Anne), but realistically with only 40 seconds, the family tree idea provides the opportunity to create a sequence with greater purpose.
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