Nick Hamm’s ‘William Tell’ Gives History’s Most Famous Archer the Action Pic Treatment: ‘Studios Stopped Making These Films, and I Don’t Know Why’
variety.comJamie Lang Nick Hamm‘s “William Tell” is a throwback. It’s a big-budget — roughly $45 million — action pic based on popular folklore and loaded with rousing action sequences, inspiring speeches from the frontlines and a glossy blend of digital and practical effects.
It screens Sept. 10 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Set in 1307, the film tells the story of famous Swiss hero William Tell, who — in this version — reluctantly leads a revolution against the oppressive Austrian king who occupies a stretch of land along the modern-day border between the countries.
A former crusader, Tell would rather use his blade to till the fields than fight against oppression but is pushed to violence after being forced by the king’s unscrupulous men to shoot an apple off his son’s head from a seemingly impossible distance. “I’ve always been fascinated by this story and wanted to know more about it,” Hamm says of his desire to give Tell some screen time normally reserved for his English contemporary, Robin Hood.
To learn more about the character, Hamm read Fredrick Schiller’s 1804 play about Tell, which has been one of the only written versions of the saga for roughly 500 years. “Yet, the fable has been used and abused as a cultural touchstone for centuries,” the director points out. “For the Swiss, he’s always been a hero.
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