Based on a more realistic portrayal of Arthur than has yet been presented onscreen King Arthur focuses on the history and politics of the period during which Arthur ruled, when the Roman Empire collapsed and skirmishes over power broke out in outlying countries.  After 15 years of serving and fighting for the Roman Empire the Sarmatian Knights, lead by Arthur, are about to receive their freedom as the Romans are leaving Britain.  But the Knights must carry out one final order before they are free.  A Roman priest and his family, especially his son Alecto, must be rescued from the invading Saxons.  But there is another danger lurking on the road to freedom - the Woads, British rebels who hate the Romans.

CRITIQUE

King Arthur is a unique take on the age-old myth.  Rather than retelling the same story again, the filmmakers have offered their take on the man and events that inspired the legend.  The results are surprisingly good.  The solid script by David Franzoni (Gladiator), direction by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Tears of the Sun), and all around performances make the unrated version of King Arthur a welcome find.

I never saw the PG-13 version of King Arthur was released in theaters.  On the commentary track, director Fuqua implies that it was lighter in tone, not as long and not as violent.  That is not surprising, as the overall tone of this version is almost unremittingly dark – from the motivations of the characters to the discovery of a roman torture chamber – and the battle scenes are bloody and muddy and dirty in a way that few are.  Fuqua said that he thought of the Roman incursion into Britain as their own Vietnam, which is interesting considering how many parallels there are in the film to the current situation in Iraq.

Arthur (Clive Owen) is the half-British/half-Roman commander of the Sarmatian Knights, elite Roman soldiers who have just completed fifteen years of service in Britain.  Before they are granted their freedom, the Knights must perform one last mission.  All the makings of the myth are here.  There is a round table, but there is very little time to use it.  Young Arthur does not pull a sword out of a stone, but he does, with some difficulty, pull it out of his father’s grave, vowing to avenge his death.  Lancelot is same chivalric knight people have come to know.  Rather, he is a cynical warrior who believes in nothing, and he is fascinated by the fact that Arthur does believe in something.  Guinevere is no longer the mere damsel in distress, but rather a warrior in her own right, aiding the war effort as much as any of the knights.  Her character development is interesting, as we know nothing about her when the knights first stumble across her.  Keira Knightly does well with the role, imbuing it with the kind of fierce sexiness the role requires.  Stellan Skarsgård is also great as the Saxon commander, killing and burning everything that stands before him.

The lush greenery of Ireland, where the film was shot, stands in for England, and the cinematography is great.  The technical aspects of the film, from the fight choreography to the recreation of the period, is superb.  Arthur and his Knights are in the service of a Rome in decline, an empire starting to cut its losses, and that mood dominates the film.  Fuqua and his team have assembled a grand piece of historical fiction.  The characters are well drawn, and the scenery is lush.  Whatever may have been said about the theatrical version, the unrated cut on this DVD is definitely worth seeing.

THE VIDEO

King Arthur is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio.  The transfer here is gorgeous, with every bit of the film’s stunning cinematography brilliantly translated.  All of the rich color levels come through, and the overall picture is amazing.

THE AUDIO

This DVD offers tracks in English and French, both in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.  The sound presentation alone makes this disc worth buying.  The levels are superb, and everything from the battle sounds to the dialogue comes through sharply.  There is also a THX optimizer so you can tweak your system to just the right pitch.

THE EXTRAS

Blood on the Land: Forging King Arthur: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.  The director and cast talks about how they came to the project, bringing it to life, and what they were trying to accomplish.  (17:47)

Cast & Filmmaker Roundtable: Antoine Fuqua, Jerry Bruckheimer, screenwriter David Franzoni, and the principle cast talk about interpreting the legend of King Arthur and how that informed the making of the film.  (15:39)

Alternate Ending: Badon Hill: The original ending, which has a darker tone than the one that was used, with optional commentary by Fuqua.  The commentary explains why the change was made, and what the intention was with the alternate ending.  (4:11)

Knight Vision: A trivia track.  When this is on, fun facts about the film will pop up throughout the movie as you watch it.

Producer’s Photo Gallery: A gallery of candid photographs taken by Jerry Bruckheimer on the set of the film.

King Arthur XBox Game Demo: A playable demo of the video game based on the film.

Audio Commentary with Director Antoine Fuqua: The director talks about how he came to the film, how he prepared, and he gives insight into how this unrated version differs from the PG-13 theatrical release.

FINAL THOUGHTS