First Knight (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

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After the brutal first few minutes of the film, I thought it was going to be a more realistic telling of the Arthurian legend; it turned out to be quite the opposite, but I still enjoyed it.

The Good: The (unrequited) love between Lancelot and Guinevere is more understandable given that Arthur is depicted as being a contemporary of Guinevere's father, and easily old enough to be her father, if not her grandfather, whereas Lancelot is young and very heroic and dashing. Even so, there is genuine affection between Arthur and Guinevere, and she never breaks her marriage vows, either during the betrothal or during the marriage. I also like the way Lancelot is depicted. He is more human; he is not the font of virtue he is depicted as in other versions of the legend. His association first with Guinevere and then with Arthur has an enobling effect on him, making him a better man at the end of the film than at the beginning. Also, the evil knight Malagant is played wonderfully by Ben Cross.

The Bad: Where in the world did they get those hideous royal blue uniforms? They look like something out of a Star Trek movie (or TV series). It is unusual that costuming makes or breaks a film, but these awful costumes almost single-handedly destroyed the film and any credibility it might have had. I was trying to watch the film and I kept being distracted by how terrible those blue uniforms were. The other thing was, Camelot seriously needs a new head of security. First, they nearly let Guinvere be captured on her trip to Camelot to be married, then they let her be effortlessly kidnapped from Camelot, whisked away as if by magic, then they let Malagant's army waltz right into the city without a fight. Hello? King Arthur wouldn't have lived long enough to have gray hair if he was this sloppy about security.

Still, I felt the good outweighed the bad in this interesting retelling of the Camelot legend.

Guest

First Knight (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

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I have a weakness for Sean Connery. Watching him in Blu Ray is devine. Now I have to wait for the blu ray releases of the early Bond movies. But no kidding. First Knight is a good movie. The performance of the actors is OK. I personally don't like Richard Gere and I think Julia Ormond could be included in more scenes. It's good entertainment, nothing more, nothing less.
The image quality is excellent for a movie of this age. Sound is very good. All in all a good blu release.

Guest

First Knight (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

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First Knight, First Rate!

Arthurian tales run the full gamut. From poor to exceptional, the various Camelot retellings share commonalities. King Arthur, Camelot, Lancelot, Excalibur, Merlin (usually), and Guinivere. There have been exeptional casts, but "First Knight" is an unusually wonderful ensemble.
Sean Connery, Richard Gere and Julia Ormond portray Arthur, Lancelot, and the lovely Guinevere respectively. Connery makes a wise, fatherly Arthur with his love for the beautiful lady of Lyonesse his only blindness, and Gere gives an outstanding performance as a 'hero' torn by his passions. Julia Ormond projects joy, passion, and pertubation as the love triangle between Lancelot, Arthur and Guinever grows more complex. From a young mistress destined for marriage with Arthur, to a woman inflamed with passion for one she cannot have, Ormond projects joy, pertubation, and desperation from a pure heart. Gere is a cad in the beginning, making obvious advances towards the queen to be with no discernable results. Even as he joins the round table as knight, his inner struggle takes a toll during his rescue of Guinevere in the lair of Malagant. The only distraction other than his perfect hair is his lack of any Anglo accent, which Connery and Ormond deliver so seamlesssly.

The turmoil in the film is not only between Lancelot and Arthur, but also the devious Malagant whose border raids into Lyonesse grow more bold as the wedding between queen to be and Arthur draws near. Malagant was at one point, a knight of the table, actually the first knight until his path for power forces him to leave the group. The commentary states that Malagant is the first angel/Satan image in the film as he leaves Camelot to be ruler in his own hell. At the same time, Arthur is Gods' servant, seeking His will before his very own, putting the needs of the kingdom ahead of his own. Lancelot is transformed from wayward wanderer into a devoted knight of the realm, taking over as Arthur falls in battle during the trial of Lancelot and Guinevere for treason. Biblical examples and themes run through the whole film.
The beauty of the film is not only in the story, but also the scenery. Wherever the filming took place, it reflects the glory that `was' Camelot in our minds. The natural scenes are breath-taking, and the cave formations that Malagant uses as his headquarters (fittingly underground), are wonderful. Truly dream-like architecture characterizes the city that was Camelot, the ideal.

My only concern is the documentaries used in the film. Only one delves into the Arthurian legends, while the others are based on the film itself. I guess I am more of a history buff than a medieval romantic.
[...]

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