The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
The Court Jester
Music · Adventure · Comedy · 1955
A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against a usurper who has overthrown the rightful king of England.
Movie details
The Court Jester
“We asked Shakespeare and Francis Bacon would they declare which one wrote this and they both said, “Get outta here!””
1955 Music · Adventure · Comedy 1h 41m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.3 / 10
Community rating
A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against a usurper who has overthrown the rightful king of England.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Court Jester?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Ladyhawke
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Invisible Sister
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Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Melvin Frank · Norman Panama
Written by
Norman Panama · Melvin Frank
Danny Kaye
Hubert Hawkins
Glynis Johns
Maid Jean
Basil Rathbone
Sir Ravenhurst
Angela Lansbury
Princess Gwendolyn
Cecil Parker
King Roderick I
Mildred Natwick
Griselda
Robert Middleton
Sir Griswold
Court is in session
Put The Court Jester on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.