Film Name: 驯龙骑士 / Justin and the Knights of Valour
This film evoked a memory from my 2012 visit to Windsor Castle in England. Within the castle lies a hall whose side walls and ceiling are covered with knights’ shields and coats of arms. Though these emblems lack the gilded splendor of the royal state rooms, one can still sense the glory they embody.
Unlike kings who inherited their titles by birthright, many knights earned their noble status through personal merit. Medieval Europe offered commoners a pathway to elite status—much like China’s imperial examination system—serving as a mechanism for social advancement within a dualistic elite-masses structure. The difference lies in the criteria: China valued virtue, while the West emphasized spirit.
This spirit was chivalry. Beyond possessing extraordinary physical prowess, chivalry encompassed a rich tapestry of virtues: courage, loyalty, justice, and grace. Like the samurai of Eastern Japan, the knights of Western Europe were the privileged class of feudal society—the guardians of military might and the established order. Chivalry, much like bushido, became deeply ingrained in the very essence of these two regions and peoples.
Therefore, I deeply understand the awe Justin felt upon entering the solemn knight’s hall within the castle on the distant mountain. I deeply understand the transcendent sense of time standing still he experienced during his knighting by the Queen. I even deeply grasp the symbolic meaning the film deliberately portrays through the conflict between chivalry and pseudo-knighthood, between the spirit of law and the triumphant spirit of chivalry.
The film portrays a dreamer who fulfills his knightly aspirations, though his journey to achieve this dream is riddled with oversimplification and superficiality. His entire motivation stems solely from lineage (he never clearly defines what he seeks to protect). Yet if I were a child, I’d still be swept up by his actions. I’d still yearn to become a knight of unparalleled skill, honored by the king before all, my pride, self-love, and modest desires for self-aggrandizement stirred—and that would suffice.
Yet I also felt this sufficiency ought to have been more intense. In truth, the film never staged the ultimate battle where it truly belonged—within the Queen’s palace. Instead, it chose to have Justin complete the final confrontation before the villains even launched their full assault. The Queen pays no real price for her “mistake”—her throne remains untouched, her palace unscathed, and she never truly faces peril. The question of whether the lawyer group could protect her against such formidable foes should have been explored. Otherwise, how does Justin and his knighthood prove significant?
Additionally, the film feels lacking in foreshadowing and payoff for certain key elements. For instance, it would have been satisfying to see Justin utilize the blindfolded archery and hundred-gate formation skills he mastered during training in the final battle. Similarly, it would have been thrilling if the unfinished chess game in Far Mountain Castle had been given genuine strategic significance rather than simply being destroyed.
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