The tale of King Wenceslas has become the stuff of such legend that an iconic Christmas carol attempts to outline his life of alleged piety and virtue. Based on the life of 10th century Bohemian Duke Wenceslaus and the intrigue surrounding claims on his title by his step brother, this 1994 TV Movie tells a fictional story of the teenage Prince and heir to the Bohemian throne.
The made up story is that Wenceslas' father the king dies leaving his wife and mother Regent until Wenceslas comes of age. She plots with her other son to marry off Wenceslas once 18 to the daughter of a neighboring Duke to acquire his considerable dowry and adjacent lands only to have her loyal barons kill Wenceslas' beloved grandmother and Wenceslas once he is crowned king but before he could squire an heir to install the wicked and conniving Queen to rule in cahoots with her more corrupt son. Taxes are raised, priests killed and a church burned all supposedly in the name of Prince Wenceslas to gin up peasant opposition so that his death would be welcomed.
At first Wenceslas resists the arranged marriage as does the betrothed Princess Johanna but they fall in love and, with the help of loyal knights and peasants who know the Prince to be kind and noble, they kill the evil plotting barons and exile the queen and his treasonous brother.
Despite the fictional story line, this production strives for considerable accuracy being filmed in winter in the Czech Republic in genuine medieval castles with excellent costumes. A well known cast of English (or Shakespearean trained) actors give the film some acting gravitas: Duke Phillip (Leo McKenna), the Queen (Stephanie Powers) and grandmother Queen Ludmilla (Joan Fontaine) and Roger Hammond, Donald Pickering and John Hallam as noblemen at court.
Princess Johanna is well played by Charlotte Chatton and Stephanie Powers is wonderfully sinister as queen. Of note is the warm and touching performance of Joan Fontaine which was her last appearance on screen. The casting of still very youthful 17 year old Jonathan Brandis as a Prince and royal heir was interesting as by now he had become one of the top teen heartthrobs in Hollywood as the star of SeaQuest QSV. Many put Brandis' rise to fame down to his photogenic handsome blond/blue eyed looks but he proved to be a compelling and even charismatic actor through his teens and acquits himself well in this more serious role complete with doing his own sword fighting stunts.
It is an intriguing and well made take on a great and enduring legend.
The made up story is that Wenceslas' father the king dies leaving his wife and mother Regent until Wenceslas comes of age. She plots with her other son to marry off Wenceslas once 18 to the daughter of a neighboring Duke to acquire his considerable dowry and adjacent lands only to have her loyal barons kill Wenceslas' beloved grandmother and Wenceslas once he is crowned king but before he could squire an heir to install the wicked and conniving Queen to rule in cahoots with her more corrupt son. Taxes are raised, priests killed and a church burned all supposedly in the name of Prince Wenceslas to gin up peasant opposition so that his death would be welcomed.
At first Wenceslas resists the arranged marriage as does the betrothed Princess Johanna but they fall in love and, with the help of loyal knights and peasants who know the Prince to be kind and noble, they kill the evil plotting barons and exile the queen and his treasonous brother.
Despite the fictional story line, this production strives for considerable accuracy being filmed in winter in the Czech Republic in genuine medieval castles with excellent costumes. A well known cast of English (or Shakespearean trained) actors give the film some acting gravitas: Duke Phillip (Leo McKenna), the Queen (Stephanie Powers) and grandmother Queen Ludmilla (Joan Fontaine) and Roger Hammond, Donald Pickering and John Hallam as noblemen at court.
Princess Johanna is well played by Charlotte Chatton and Stephanie Powers is wonderfully sinister as queen. Of note is the warm and touching performance of Joan Fontaine which was her last appearance on screen. The casting of still very youthful 17 year old Jonathan Brandis as a Prince and royal heir was interesting as by now he had become one of the top teen heartthrobs in Hollywood as the star of SeaQuest QSV. Many put Brandis' rise to fame down to his photogenic handsome blond/blue eyed looks but he proved to be a compelling and even charismatic actor through his teens and acquits himself well in this more serious role complete with doing his own sword fighting stunts.
It is an intriguing and well made take on a great and enduring legend.