In this regard, the 1985 adaptation is perhaps more faithful to the spirit of the original text than many mainstream interpretations. The word "ribald" is the operative term here; it refers to humor that is coarse, indecent, and sexual in nature. By stripping away the academic stuffiness often associated with Classic Literature, the filmmakers tapped into the raw, humanist core of Chaucer’s work. They recognized that the Miller’s Tale and the Reeve’s Tale were essentially sex comedies dressed up in Middle English.
To call it a “Classic” is to use the term loosely. To call it “Ribald” is an understatement. And to call it a product of 1985 is to understand that 1985 was a very, very weird year. But for those who have seen it—who have heard the Pardoner’s fart joke or watched the Wife of Bath pin a knight to a hay bale—it remains a dirty, beautiful, and oddly sacred text. The tape is probably moldering in a landfill now. But in the hearts of a few dozen Gen-Xers, the pilgrims still ride, telling their filthy tales, laughing all the way to a cathedral that was never there. The Ribald Tales Of Canterbury -1985- -Classic-
The film frames the narrative similarly to the text: a group of travelers gathers at a tavern before their pilgrimage. To pass the time, they engage in a storytelling competition. However, in Paul Thomas’s vision, the competition is a pretext for a series of erotic vignettes that blend fantasy and reality. In this regard, the 1985 adaptation is perhaps