William Tell (2024) TIFF Review: The epic historical legend of a Swiss marksman

Director Nick Hamm’s ‘William Tell’ follows the fascinating epic story of the renowned marksman who liberated Switzerland in the fourteenth century and became a timeless folk hero.

This movie adopts a rigid structure of bold protagonists, patriotic individuals, skilled archery and motivational speeches forged in blood and gore. Despite the historical significance tainted with violence, ‘William Tell’ is too clean. In a serious attempt to address history, Hamm fails to deliver the intended impact through this Swiss folk tale, in a re-iteration of humourless, mournful performances. The only solace in this long movie is the performance of the beautiful Golshifteh Farahani as William Tell’s strong, independent wife.

The story follows the good ole Swiss folk tale: The neighbouring Swiss cantons are invaded in 1307 by a ruthless Austrian Hapsburg ruler (Sir Ben Kingsley). When Austrian Viceroy Gessler (Connor Swindells) decides to not only force the Swiss people to bow down but also to demonstrate his cruelty, a trivial argument swiftly escalates into a fight for their lives. He intends to ensure that everyone in the country suffers if they disobey his and the king’s directives.

One farmer considers violent retaliation when these tax collectors mistreat the innocent village populace. Fleeing his brutal response, he seeks assistance, only to find it in William Tell (Claes Bang). After engaging in combat with the Knights Templar in the Holy Land, Tell has returned home exhausted. Now, all he wants is a peaceful life with the wife he met there. After engaging in combat with the Templar Knights aka The Crusades in the Holy Land, Tell has returned home exhausted. Now, all he wants is a peaceful life with his wife, Suna (Golshifteh Farahani) and son, hunting across the land he lives on and raising his son to avoid his own youthful errors.  However, the moment the tax collector is killed, his life turns into disarray as he steps in to protect the escapee.  

Tell finds himself dragged into the battle, implored by the people surrounding him to draw his bow once more and avenge the oppressors of Switzerland.

Actor Claes Bang’s portrayal as the protagonist brandishing swords and incomparable dexterity in archery combat proves that he worked hard to train for this role. Golshifteh’s appearance as Suna justified the sensitivity of her strength in dealing with the circumstances in those times. The headliner, Sir Ben Kingsley, has a screen time of less than 20 minutes. 

The film is sombre, quite obviously adhering to the original story, especially the infamous incident when Tell was made to shoot an apple on his son’s head, which was widely promoted during the film’s advertising. Unfortunately, in the case of this movie, the arrow fails to hit the apple, making it a hard watch to repeat. ‘William Tell’ has potential, but it’s a one-time viewing because of its stoic incapacity to hold the audience’s attention.