King Arthur  (2004)

Starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Director: Antoine Fuqua

Rating: PG-13

Distributor: Touchstone

Release Date: 07.07.04

Review Posted: 07.08.04

Spoilers: Minor

By Rachel Sexton

Classic Story Goes History with Decent Results

Historical epics are fast becoming a hot staple genre in theaters. I suppose it was only a matter of time before Hollywood turned its eye on an authentic version of the King Arthur legend. Well, as authentic as a film can be. I love the King Arthur legend, so I was anxious to see this film, and I was not disappointed. Though not a potentially great film (like the largely critically underrated Troy), King Arthur definitely delivers solid action and drama.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean) and director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) bring to the big screen a historical version of the King Arthur legend. Historical as in set in the Dark Ages with no magic or mysticism. Arthur (Clive Owen) grows up to be a Roman military leader with a slowly dwindling group of knights, including Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd) and Galahad (Hugh Dancy), under his charge. The group’s final assignment before receiving badly desired discharge papers is to escort a Roman family to safety, but this leads to much more. Arthur deals with battles between British natives and invaders after coming into contact with British native higher-ups Guinevere (Keira Knightley) and Merlin (Stephen Dillane). He is also struggling with where he belongs in the process.

Gladiator’s David Franzoni scripted this tale and he weaves themes such as fate versus free will and heritage throughout the dialogue and action fairly well. One interesting thing I noticed was the fact that Lancelot narrates the film and the opening scene shows him as a child leaving 15 years of service in the Roman military; this works quite well. Making Arthur the narrator would have been too obvious a choice.

The one qualm Arthur aficionados will probably have are several of the changes from the well-known legend. Merlin’s screen time is surprisingly small, Guinevere is a warrior, and (SPOILER AHEAD) both Lancelot and knight Tristan die in the final battle without the audience ever seeing their famous love stories with Guinevere and Isolde, respectively. There are plenty of delicious hints about Guinevere and Lancelot, however. The script is mostly successful, and certain moments stand out. Arthur as a lone figure on a hilltop just before his knights return to fight beside him is a powerful image. The ice cracking under the Saxons in an early battle is another one.

Director Antoine Fuqua stages exceptional battle scenes, full of ice, snow, and mist. He also chooses interesting angles and camera movements to showcase the action and quieter moments, and the use of slow-motion comes in at mostly the appropriate moments. However, the editing feels a little uneven. The real showcase here seems to be the production design, with the gritty and real art direction, and costumes, as well as the unobtrusive music by Hans Zimmer, and the locations that at times look quite gorgeous. The humor here is also a treat. There are a couple of missteps, such as Guinevere’s battle costume and the fact that Arthur and Guinivere’s wedding at the end takes place at Stonehenge, but these little things are not enough to ruin the tone of the film overall.

The actors here all turn in solid performances. Clive Owen is a good choice for Arthur and he’s always displayed certain magnetism in my opinion. Keira Knightley is good, though I have yet to see her really astound. My favorite may be Ioan Gruffudd, his perfect face is Lancelot and he is strong dramatically. Of the rest, Stellan Skarsgård is villainous at a perfect pitch, but I especially like Hugh Dancy.

King Arthur is a solid historical epic with an intelligent script and thrilling battle scenes. A fresh cast only adds to the entertainment of just over two hours. This film’s potential success will also have the nice side effect of prompting renewed interest in the Arthur legend and its authentication. King Arthur is A good experience all around, then, with some surprises to follow.

Film Rating: êêêê  (out of 5)  |  Film Grade: B

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