1000 - Sword In The Stone
1000 - Sword in the Stone
Screenplay by Guido Maria Giordano | Review by Sara Eustaquio
It is impossible not to visualize Guido Maria Giordano’s universe. His movie 1000 - Sword in the Stone introduces various ambient and characters with such detail that it makes us wonder what will happen next. It tells the story of a teenager named Jack who visits Tuscany in Italy. When Jack visits a chapel, he spots a sword in the stone. He tries to pull it out, but instead, it takes him back in time – to the medieval era. Giordano brings a magical universe to life that involves druids, encounters with magical creatures and an invincible sword. The story brings a certain feeling of nostalgia, reminding us of our childhood fairy tales. It is an addictive journey into the medieval myths. The rhythm of the story itself is beautifully accomplished with a sense of humor in each dialogue, which creates a lovely experience with the characters. Several protagonists are introduced and each of them is unique, with a particular role in the development of the plot. It is hard not to feel intrigued by their actions and curious about what is coming next. Stuffing so many different elements in one story can be demanding and often overwhelming. Nevertheless, Giordano’s story provides an entertaining experience by perfectly juggling all the elements. An interesting aspect that cannot be ignored in this script is the particular approach to women. In stories set in medieval ages, the plot typically revolves around men. However, Giordano tries to break this cycle - throughout the story, characters ask for women’s rights and even mention freeing people from slavery – not only men but women as well. Even though this is not the central aspect of the story, is a small detail that brings out the uniqueness of this piece and probably even more. It breaks two separate chains at once. The first chain is the one of a stale story writing where it became an almost a reflex to create a strong male character if you’re centering the story in the age of knights & kings (rarely queens). Second chain the mystification of social norms back then. Naturally, this doesn’t matter now, but it might make you wonder if humanity is doing the same thing today? Has anything changed in the last 7 centuries? This story had all the necessary elements to become just another Middle Age tale about magical myths – however, it is not the case here. Giordano creates a unique universe and breaks the expected clichés in this piece. By breaking them it removes any doubt the audience might have at the beginning. If the reader is expecting something to happen, Giordano makes sure that what is coming next is a real surprise. It is an alluring story that leaves the audience wanting more and more. It invites people to be part of this universe and the magical sword’s journey.
