The movie A Knight's Tale is not a very faithful adaptation of Chaucer's original Canterbury Tales, but it still kept some key aspects of the written narrative, as well as making fun of some parts of the original. For instance the movie keeps the idea that Chaucer brings into the Wife of Bath's Tale about "gentilesse" is determined by "vertuous lyvyng" rather than "heigh parage" when the peasant knight comes in to prove himself against the corrupt aristocrat. The knight competes in a joust and falls in love with an aristocratic lady from afar, but the movie changes it slightly when the lady actually has a voice and is stronger than the original tales would have made her. One aspect of the movie takes a far digression from the essence of the original tale - the fact that instead of having two knights who are on equal footing who must fight for Emily's affections, instead the movie introduces the idea of a virtuous white knight vs an evil knight in black. Instead of Chaucer's original intention of having two knights that are not really more or less deserving of Emily, the movie has an underdog hero that the audience can root for.
I also think it is interesting to have Chaucer as a character in the movie, and not in the way of a pilgrimage as the Canterbury Tales originally has. He is simply tagging along with a "knight" and helps him achieve his lady love. He is an enabler as opposed to a bystander and narrator. They drop multiple references to the actual Canterbury Tales however, such as when some debt collectors and corrupt men threaten Chaucer, he says that he will do worse. He will make them hated in literature, their names will live on in infamy. They are Simon the Summoner and Peter the Pardoner, and in the Canterbury Tales they are not portrayed in a positive light.
I think that the movie can highlight and juxtapose with the original tale, showing different aspects of the tale than the original did but still respect and allude to many of the plot points and important elements.
Although it's an enjoyable romp, it's total Hollywood. I doubt that a lower or middle class guy could have sneaked into a tournament in those days--and repeatedly fought in tournaments w/o a real identity. Hmmmm.
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