From Fortress to Fantasy: Analyzing the Evolution of Castle Architecture Through History and Media

Abstract

Castles in modern popular culture differ not just from their historical counterparts but even from each other. Despite these differences, it is still easy to recognize a castle through certain key architectural features such as stone walls and towers. This is a byproduct of artwork throughout history distilling the castle into simple, recognizable forms that symbolize concepts such as nobility, power, and bravery. This translation of architecture into artwork tends to dramatize the form of the structure into unrealistic proportions and shapes to emphasize these concepts. However, in motion pictures, the architecture on film must contribute to worldbuilding and audience suspension of disbelief in addition to conveying these symbolic connotations. To this end, architectural models, which cinematographers often use to represent castles, must serve as both artistic objects (dramatized forms meant for symbolism over practicality) and architectural objects (structures that can be practically used by characters within the film world and by the actors that portray them). This is a unique condition to architecture in film that exemplifies the changes that occur when architecture is translated into different artistic mediums.