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King Arthur

Starring: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Action
Year: 2004
Rating: 4 / 5

One of the dangers in tackling the Arthurian legend is that is has been done so many times before. Be it in literature or on film, the story of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere is known to many, as we have all grown up reading about it or hearing about it. As such, it was an interesting proposition when director Antoine Fuqua decided to develop a “re-imagining” of the legend, shaking up our preconceived notions about the characters and casting the tale in a fresh new light. Ideas such as this are fraught with risk, as one must deliver a film that remains faithful to the mythology while also placing a fresh stamp upon it. When done well, however, the payoff can be remarkable, and this is certainly the case with King Arthur, a darker, grittier take on a legend we all thought we knew so well.

Set roughly a thousand years before typical Arthurian tales, King Arthur features an England torn between withdrawing Roman forces and invading Saxons. Arthur (Clive Owen) is not a boy-king, but rather, a commander in the Roman army. He and his knights, who are not noble volunteers but men pressed into fifteen years of military servitude, maintain peace and order for the Roman Empire. Arthur’s knights are loyal to him above all else, and he is driven by an idealistic vision of a Roman utopia that may not even exist. As the period of their servitude nears its end, Arthur and his men are sent on one final mission. A family of special significance to the Pope is trapped in lands under siege by the Saxons, and Arthur and his men must drive into the depths of this chaos and bring the family to safety.

King Arthur is filled with a lot of the characters that we have come to know so well, including Arthur, Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), Guinevere (Keira Knightley), and Merlin (Stephen Dillane). It contains elements of Arthur’s rise to rule over England, as well as bits of the romance that envelops Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. From there, though, Fuqua’s tale veers off on its own. There are no knights in shining armor, holding playful jousts and tournaments around a golden Camelot. There is no Holy Grail, no quest that unites the realm and yet scatters Arthur’s brave warriors. The traditionally destructive love triangle, hinted at with quick glances and meaningful stares, finds it own direction and ultimately takes a back seat to the bonds Arthur forges with his own men. King Arthur is a tale that invariably finds its own way in the telling of it.

Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) repeated clashed with studio heads during the production of this film, primarily because his darker vision of the legend did not mesh with their desire to produce a more accessible, PG-13 offering. Fuqua’s Director’s Cut ultimately brings his vision to the fore, and it represents a triumph for his view of this historic tale. The vision would mean little, however, without a cast of worthy actors, and he brings two to the film’s most central roles – Clive Owen as Arthur and Ioan Gruffudd (Horatio Hornblower) as Lancelot. Owen particularly leaves a lasting impression as the man who would be king. His knights are littered with worthy supporting turns, especially Ray Winstone’s raspy Bors. The Arthurian legend will live on for generations still, just as it has for hundreds of years, and, with any luck, King Arthur may find a place amidst all those moving tales.

Cast:

Certification: Rated PG-13 or language.
Running Time: 126 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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