What do we know about King Arthur

[johnsemlak]

I haven't seen many trailors for this one and haven't read much on it. What is known about this film? Which of the characters will be featured. Will it be a fantasy approach, or a pseudo-historical approach?

 

[Klaus]

Pseudo-Historical, set in the time where the Romans were pulling out of Britain. Guinevere is the queen/princess/whatever of the more savage natives (celts?) and goes to battle with them, using a bow, bikini and blue paint.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Pseudo-Historical, set in the time where the Romans were pulling out of Britain. Guinevere is the queen/princess/whatever of the more savage natives (celts?) and goes to battle with them, using a bow, bikini and blue paint.

Actually, she's a pict. The picts where a barbarian tribe who lived in northern England and remained undefeated by the Romans. In the 9th Century AD, they joined with the Scots and formed a kingdom that would later become Scotland.

 

[diaglo]

i don't know much about the movie.

haven't seen any trailers, advertisements, nor tv ads.

only seen stuff mentioned on D&D message boards.

i read plenty tho...

Bullfinch's Mythology.. Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court... Mists of Avalon series... The Crystal Cave series.. Le Morte d'Arthur ...

i've visited Cornwall and been to Tintagel

 

[Enchantress]

I've read/seen/heard many versions of the King Arthur legend, but this one is new for me. Apparently, Arthur is going to war against Merlin, which has never been the case in any store i have ever heard. I've gotta say that the girl in me is pretty curious to see if this is going to involve the supposed affair of Guinivere ('scuze my spelling) and Lancelot.

 

[Wombat]

Mmmm, Tintagel. Arthurian goodness

And Cadbury Hillfort, Old Sarum, etc. Love those places! Only two visits; would love to go again.

I've seen two trailers for the movie and a number of stills. I hold out little hope for it (far too many flaming arrows, if nothing else), but some of the armour looks very good. The best I could hope for with this film is "well, it's like Braveheart"; a friend of mine described Braveheart as "a very good film as long as you assume it take place in a parallel dimension where there happens to be a place called Scotland, happens to be a place called England and happen to be people named William Wallace and Edward I".

I am amused by one aspect, though -- apparently Lancelot and Guenivere are not lovers, thus bucking a long tradition. Admittedly, however, many medieval works are highly ambiguous on the topic, but modern authors all make the assumption (including the awfulness of the MZB ménages a trois in Mists of Avalon). If they do go this way, I'll give them points to going their own path, if naught else.

 

[Enchantress]

What if Guenivere and Merlin were lovers? Now THAT would make for a different path. I can see it now..... "Today on Jerry Springer: is your queen with an older man?"

 

[Klaus]

The best Arthurian retelling comes only in comic book goodness:

Camelot 3000.

And THAT's that!

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I liked Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle the best of all the Arthurian stuff I've read. Well, that and Pyle. I'm not planning on seeing the movie. I don't like the makers lying about it being historical.

 

[Mercule]

Nope. Mary Stuart's "Crystal Cave" and other members of that trilogy is the best telling of the story. A lot of depth to the characters. I'd love to see a movie of that.

As for this version, judging from the big cardboard display in the lobby of my local theatre, it includes Arthur, Guin, and Lancelot.

Aside from the actual plot, etc. I'll be interested to see how Kiera Knightly looks throughout the film. I think she's a very comely actress, but the trailers made her look horrible. On the display, on the other hand, she looks great.