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By
WAYNE KLEIN
"King Arthur" wants to be
all things to all people. Fortunately, the stylish
direction, sharp performances and flavor of the
time saves this film from falling into TV movie
territory.
In this retelling of the Arthurian legend, we're
given a more "realistic" take on Arthur. Based on
evidence that Arthur may have been a Roman soldier
serving in Britain, we meet a man who values
honor, democracy and always remains true to his
knights.
Arthur (Clive Owen) and his knights are indentured
servants forced to serve in the military for Rome.
They've done their time and expect the new Bishop
to provide them with papers giving them their
freedom. The Bishop (Ivano Marescotti) has other
plans, however, and asks Arthur and his knights to
go on what amounts to a suicide mission. They're
charged with saving a Roman family surrounded by
invading Saxons. To do this Arthur must travel
through hostile territory where native Brits led
by Merlin ambush and attack the Romans with
regularity. Arthur agrees because of his duty to
Rome but also so he can see Lancelot (Ioan
Gruffudd), Gawain (Joel Edgerton), Galahad (Hugh
Dancy), Bors (Ray Winstone), Tristan (Mads
Mikkelsen) and Dagonet (Ray Stevenson) return to
the homes they gave up when forced to serve Rome.
Well directed by Antoine Fuque, "King Arthur"
follows in the wake of John Boorman's early '80s
retelling "Excalibur." Beyond the basic
characters, there's little in common between the
two films. That's to the former films advantage.
But the splendid action sequences and beautiful
cinematography, as well as the strong performances
save "King Arthur" from becoming "Robin Hood Price
of Thieves." "King Arthur" compares well with
other films looking at the same themes although
the characters are sketchy at best and we're never
given any background on any character except for
Arthur and Lancelot. The other knights kind of
melt into the background because of this. David
Franzoni's script may be light on characterization
but it more than makes up for all of this with
bold, gritty action sequences that Fuque brings to
vivid life.
The special features include a "Roundtable
Discussion" where we get Keira Knightley's
"expert" opinion on the historical accuracy of the
film. Was Arthur Roman and was Guinevere a warrior
herself? We'll never know but, somehow, I doubt
that Knightley has the historical background to
proclaim this film "accurate." We also see the
alternate ending for the film and have a
diplomatic but honest commentary track by Fuqua
(he does have to work again).
"King Arthur" provides an enjoyable evening of
entertainment but it isn't without some severe
flaws. Like Boorman's flawed retelling, "King
Arthur" makes up for its many shortcomings with
bold action sequences and memorable performances
from the ensemble cast. It's worth a rental and,
possibly, a purchase if you can overlook the
narrative flaws of the film. |
