King Arthur (Clive Owen/Keira Knightly ed.)

[Fierce Critter]

I was a little surprised by the take on Arthur & the whole legend in this film.

First off, I didn't know Arthur WAS a legend. Oh, I've seen various takes on him & the characters surrounding him over the years, everything from Disney's animated "The Sword In the Stone" to the musical "Camelot" and everything in between. But I didn't know that there is a measure of uncertainty about his real existence, and who he was. Still not too sure how much about his is fact or myth, and this movie did make me want to investigate him more.

This one puts him serving Rome in the Dark Ages. Guinevere is a surprise - the most interesting take on her character I've ever seen, and I much enjoyed it.

The battle scenes are among the best I've ever seen. Though I recall thinking, "man, this is really going on TOO long" at a couple parts.

Recommended.

Extras include the usual. Worthy of a DVD rental, especially if you like "making of" features. Has a somewhat interesting discussion bit between some of the film makers & stars.

[Head Wreck]

i HATED this film

takes names of people from the ledgends and historical accounts and then makes up its own story.

http://www.jmasonart.com/celt/arthur2.htm

thats pretty much the ledgend.

the film confused Arthur Penddriag (i find it amusing when they translate only the later half of the title but leave to prefix). with Aurelius, the roman officer who did drive the saxons out (untill they came back at least) after Vortigern invited them over to deal withy the picts (later wiped out and replaced by the irish gales).

Vortigern is supposed to have died at Craig Gwrtheyrn, Near Llandysul (litterally over the next hilltop) after a comet strike (recorded historically by Germanus years after the events, My friends Father was planning a dig up there to find scorch marks in the rock layers when i was last at thier house on saterday. i cant wait for results)

Vortigern is the cruel lord who tried to sacrifice the wizard Merlin when he was a child, (and the events gave rise to the reason we have the red Dragon in our Flag)

ANYHOW...

i find it amusing when a few of my friends go nuts over historically innacurate films, but this had me joining in at the endles amounts of items and abuse hurled at the TV.

another case of hollywood rewritting/wiping arse on myth and ledgend.

the ledgends are exciting enough rather than having to be dulled down and completely re-written.

once again Hollywood Arserapes history and thousands of people belive the lies.

why am i upset?

its my culture, its our history/mythology. will hollywood please stop. even aside from blatant ignoring of what is the main concensus.

IMHO it was a pretty awfull film

[Fierce Critter]

In that case, HW, I appreciate your input.

I don't like it when Hollywood re-writes history too much. I understand that it's up to each person to find out the facts behind the fiction, but not everyone is wise enough to KNOW that what they're seeing isn't verbatim historical fact.

EDIT: Wikipedia's entry about this film includes the following:

"King Arthur is a film first released in the United States on June 28, 2004, dubbed as "The Untold True Story That Inspired The Legend".

The makers of this film claim that they are presenting a historically accurate version of the Arthurian legends, from supposedly new archaelogical findings. While this is subject to debate, the film itself does provide a (highly inaccurate) view of early British history, and the origins of the Arthurian legend from it, which had only been showcased in cinema once before, in the film King Arthur, The Young Warlord, a series of episodes from a 1970s British TV series, Arthur of the Britons, cobbled together for theatrical showing."

It happens about U.S. subjects, too. Though since our history really only goes back a little over 200 years, the legends aren't as buried in time. Supposedly, the latest Alamo movie is the most accurate representation of what really happened than any other in history, yet I wonder HOW close to the truth it really is.

And I saw Oliver Stone's take on the Kennedy assassination, yet didn't find out how much poetic license he took with REAL history until I saw & read factual accounts of things.

And so it shall continue until the last movie is filmed I suppose.

[Fierce Critter]

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