Ever watch a movie and think, "How on earth did they get this many legends into one gritty B-movie?" That’s the vibe you get looking back at the cast of Solomon Kane. It’s 16th-century madness. Rain, mud, and a guy in a slouch hat trying to outrun the Devil himself. Honestly, if you missed this back in 2009, you missed one of the most committed ensemble performances in modern sword-and-sorcery history.
James Purefoy leads the charge, but the depth of the bench is what’s wild. You’ve got a literal acting titan in Max von Sydow and the late, great Pete Postlethwaite. It wasn't just another paycheck for these folks. They were out there in the freezing Czech Republic, literally getting icicles in their hair, just to make a movie about a Puritan who stabs demons.
James Purefoy as the Somber Solomon
Most people know Purefoy from Rome or The Following, but his turn as Solomon Kane is something else. He plays Kane as a man who’s basically a walking open wound. He starts as a bloodthirsty mercenary and ends up trying to save his soul by swearing off violence. Then, obviously, things go south, and he has to pick up the sword again.
Purefoy didn't just show up and say lines. He went deep. He actually studied the original Robert E. Howard stories and poems to nail that "17th-century swagger." He even insisted on doing his own stunts until he literally got his head split open. He ended up with seven stitches during a fight scene. Talk about commitment to the bit. He once mentioned in an interview that he wanted Kane to fight like a "vicious, crazed animal" because, well, the character is trying to kill people, not dance with them.
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The Heavy Hitters: Von Sydow and Postlethwaite
Having Max von Sydow as Josiah Kane, Solomon’s father, gives the movie a weight it probably didn't deserve on paper. Von Sydow is the guy from The Seventh Seal and The Exorcist. When he stands there looking disappointed in his son, you feel it in your bones. Interestingly, the director, Michael J. Bassett, remarked that if he’d made the movie forty years earlier, von Sydow would have been the perfect choice to play Solomon himself.
Then there’s Pete Postlethwaite. He plays William Crowthorn, the leader of the Puritan family that takes Solomon in. Postlethwaite has this incredible warmth. He represents the "good" life Solomon is desperately trying to reach. When his character's family gets torn apart, it’s the catalyst for the whole third act. Seeing him and Purefoy share the screen is a masterclass in grit.
The Crowthorn Family and the Villains
The rest of the cast of Solomon Kane fills out the world with some surprisingly recognizable faces:
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- Rachel Hurd-Wood: She plays Meredith Crowthorn, the girl Solomon swears to rescue. You might remember her as Wendy in the 2003 Peter Pan. She’s the emotional stakes of the movie. Fun fact: her real-life brother, Patrick Hurd-Wood, actually plays her brother Samuel in the film too.
- Alice Krige: As Katherine Crowthorn, she brings that same eerie, powerful energy she had as the Borg Queen in Star Trek.
- Jason Flemyng: He plays the sorcerer Malachi. Some critics thought he was a bit miscast because he’s usually so likable, but he does "creepy occultist" well enough.
- Mackenzie Crook: The Pirates of the Caribbean and The Office (UK) star shows up as Father Michael. He’s almost unrecognizable under all the grime.
Why the Casting Worked (and Where it Struggled)
The chemistry between the cast of Solomon Kane is what keeps the movie from feeling like a cheap Van Helsing knockoff. They take the material completely seriously. There’s no winking at the camera. Purefoy, in particular, was adamant that they avoid the "camp" of movies like Conan or Red Sonja. He wanted it to feel miserable and real.
The struggle, honestly, wasn't the actors; it was the "boss fight" ending. While the cast did the heavy lifting, the final showdown with a CGI "Reaper" felt a bit like a generic video game. Fans of the original Robert E. Howard stories sometimes complain that the film is an "origin story" when the books usually just have Kane show up as a fully formed badass. But seeing this specific cast build that origin makes it worth the detour.
What to Watch Next
If you're a fan of this specific vibe—dark, historical fantasy with a high-caliber cast—there are a few places to go next.
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- Check out the original Robert E. Howard stories: If you liked the character, read "Wings in the Night" or "Red Shadows." They’re much darker than the movie.
- Watch James Purefoy in Ironclad: It’s another gritty, muddy medieval flick where he plays a Templar Knight. It’s basically Solomon Kane without the demons.
- Track down the Solomon Kane comic books: Dark Horse did a run that captures the visual style of the movie but sticks closer to the original weird fiction roots.
The movie might not have become a massive blockbuster, but the cast of Solomon Kane ensures it remains a cult favorite for anyone who likes their heroes grim and their villains demonic.
Grab a copy of the Solomon Kane stories by Robert E. Howard to see just how much of the movie's DNA came from the original 1920s pulp magazines.