William Tell

Synopsis

The year is 1307 and the Holy Roman Empire is in turmoil. As its grip on Europe loosens, emerging dynasties such as the Austrian Habsburg Family encroach on new lands, desperate for power.

In Switzerland, the once peaceful country is overwhelmed and bows under the Austrian might, as it advances and upends the quiet lives of the Swiss peasants. When a local huntsman, William Tell, sees an innocent farmer begging for help after murdering a cruel Austrian governor, he reluctantly agrees to guide him to a safe location. But in carrying out this act, Tell meets more comrades from the Swiss resistance along the way, and is inevitably drawn into the fight against the invaders.

After constantly attempting to dissuade his peers from war, Tell is drawn further into the madness when he publicly refuses to bend the knee to the Austrian authority. As a punishment, the pernicious Austrian Viceroy Gessler orders him to test his skill by shooting an apple from his son’s head. Tell knows that once his family has been threatened, there is no turning back. After making the shot, and defying Gessler, he then not only commits to joining the resistance, but ends up leading the fight against the Austrian forces.

Tell’s internal struggle to fight for his country forces him to reckon with his past experiences with war. His initial reluctance to join the resistance is born out of his time fighting in the Crusades. He doesn’t ever want to see that depravity, or destitution again, but the sheer cruelty of Gessler’s action, and Austria’s ruthless occupation, leads him to realize what matters most: his family and country’s independence.

The world-famous legend of the inspiring crossbow-warrior is turned into a big budget epic by BAFTA-award winner Nick Hamm, starring a top-notch international cast led by Claes Bang, Golshifteh Farahani, Connor Swindells, Jonah Hauer-King, Ellie Bamber, Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley.

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