With luck at his back, William is victorious and he sees an opportunity both to pursue his impossible dreams of becoming a knight and to keep himself and his companions on the gravy train. For one thing, the jousting face-offs kick butt. Helgeland applies action movie sensibilities and meticulously well-planned photography to capture every ounce of the incredible impact that happens when a lance crashes into the armor of a knight on a galloping horse. These are clearly not effects shots. You'll be wincing and cheering right along with the on-screen crowd.
Ledger is, however, perfectly cast.
He's clearly a modern hero, but he doesn't look out of place like Sossamon does. He's got 200-watt charm and enough testosterone to make William's arrogant pride smell like courage. But the picture's modest brilliance lies in Helgeland's ability to mix oil and water into such a satisfying cinematic concoction. Helgeland avoids similar pitfalls by using songs with a proven track record for rocking the house. But how he employs them with a wink is what makes them work.