Film adaptations

[Bob]

Clive Owen is fabulous, so the movie gets a plus there. Other things I liked were the costumes and cinematography. On the down side, I thought the portrayal of Arthur's "knights" as thugs was a let down IMHO. Keira Knightly seemed out of place. She is a bit too clean and perfect. Certainly not the worst film version. I reserve that for "First Knight". I really wanted to like that one. Sean Connery as an aging Arthur. How could it go so wrong? Alas...

It might be a bit "fanboy-ish" of me but my fav is still Excalibur. Music, sets, costumes, quality acting and does the best job of capturing the breadth of Arthurs legend.

[K]

"King Arthur" for its filming, and "The Mists of Avalon" for its adaptation. I didn't like "Excalibur" much, but it was OK for its time.

[SarahC]

I have respect for the film Excalibur, but did anyone else find the feel of it eerie? I dont think of the legends in that way, so it was hard for me to connect to the movie.

I also liked Clive Owen's King Arthur but it seemed incomplete. To introduce audiences to the King Arthur legend, it wasn't too bad. For Arthurian fans who have read a lot, it just didn't include much of the story.

The Arthur legends are so rich, practically endless in their possibilities. Why do you think more film makers don't pick up on this?

[Bob]

I think Hollywood/film-makers don't pick it up because historically it hasn't been a money maker. I totally agree with you though. So many possibilities.

[SarahC]

Of course this is the subject of the other thread, but have you been reading any good Arthurian stuff lately?

I just finished the first of Kevin Crossley-Holland's books. It is labeled Young Adult, but I don't always agree with labels. I really enjoyed it. And I am now reading Blessed Bastard by Lehmann -- a story about Galahad.

[SarahC]

Beautiful. I have not read Marie De France but have been reading about her lately. I keep coming across information about how Arthur's supporting cast changed in character through the lit of different cultures. So I have really kept an eye out for Gawain, Perceval, Galahad, etc.

Marie treats Perceval, I think. His character has made transformations over time and cultures from what I understand.

If anyone knows any great reads that focus on Arthur's companions, please post.

[Bob]

I think it's ok to discuss movies if people are interested. Though maybe this particular thread is done. :)

The books you both noted sound very interesting. Shall we add them to the bookshelf?

[SarahC]

Yes, please, anyone add Arthurian movies that you know about. I think they are few in number and I would love to know more about them. I guess I am more a reader of King Arthur, but I would enjoy a good flick.

Does anyone have any great films in queue for the holiday week? I dont even think I have any with historical settings, much less Arthurian. Suggestions?

[Old-Barbarossa]

Had high hopes for King Arthur with Clive and Keira but was prepared for it to suck...in the end I was just dissapointed. They dropped the ball, it could have been great.
Excalibur wins so far, though a TV thing from about 10 years ago with (amongst others) Sam Neil and Miranda Richardson, called Merlin, was fairly good...not to be confused with the BBC's current abomination of the same name. The current BBC effort seems to be the Arthurian myths and stories filmed for the High School Musical demographic...pah, another wasted chance.
But let's not forget the glory of Monty Python And The Holy Grail...a joy every time.

[Bob]

The Holy Grail. Nice call. Beyond all the laughs, the gritty world they present is very compelling. Even though they were taking a good crack at the legend, there was a reverence that exposed their respect for it.