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Movie: King Arthur
Myths, legends and lores have always arrested the attention of cinegoers. Movies based on such themes enjoy a lucrative running at the box office as the audience finds the picturesque locales, chivalrous gladiators and elaborate mythologies appealing.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this movie presents a very different perspective as compared to the legend of King Arthur that is generally known and accepted. The great Roman Empire is fervently swallowing up new territories. In Sarmatia, the Romans induct the locals as Knights into their ranks and they are bound to serve the Roman Empire. After 15 years, the Sarmatian Knights; under the command of half Roman Artorious Castus aka King Arthur (Clive Owen) are about to be granted their much cherished freedom. But one final task awaits them. They must undertake the death-defying mission of rescuing a Roman priest and his kin from hostile territory. Threatened by the savage armies of the Saxons and the insurrectionist Woads; the Round Table Knights must find the nerve to rise up to the challenge of the ordeal and finally earn their freedom.
The movie boasts of decent camera work and well choreographed battle sequences and swordfights. The special highlights of the movie are the archery based combat atop a frozen lake and the climactic final showdown.
One of the flaws of the movie is that it tries too hard to be iconoclastic; unsuccessfully attempting to draw demarcations between fact and fantasy. The storyline and screenplay seem prematurely developed. The characterization of Arthur’s Knights; especially Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd) is flimsy. Similarly, Merlin is no longer the beloved wizard that we saw in Disney’s animated classic The Sword in the Stone.
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