An Arthurian and Fanciful Trio!
By
Kristin Battestella
Camelot
– Richard Harris (The
Field), Vanessa Redgrave
(Mary Queen of Scots),
and Franco Nero (Django)
star in this 1967 adaptation of the Lerner and Lowe stage musical
complete with rousing overtures, smokey battle soliloquies, a
de-aging backwards Merlin, and charming fairytale adventure. Sure,
the cardboard looking trees and plastic snow are dated, but the award
winning design, sixties hairstyles, and hippie-esque costumes somehow
remain fittingly ye olde. Horses, castles, and medieval interiors add
flair amid dancing spectaculars and a small but bemusing cast. They
are having a good time, and why not? The sing song talking, full
blown chorales, and uneven vocals make everything seem a lot more fun
than the actual 5th
century England really was, but that over the top lightheartedness
and self aware humor matches the fanciful. The “C'est Moi”
introduction ridiculously captures Lancelot's full of himself
righteousness, and nostalgic adults can catch the innuendo of “The
Lusty Month of May” while young audiences enjoy the innocent fun –
an aria for the concept of a round table! Three hours can occupy kids
for sure, but the singing exposition and disjointed storytelling can
irritate older viewers without a childhood affinity for this tale
both serious and Robin Hood:
Men in Tights in
its overlong indulgence,
unbalanced direction, and weak ending. This sweeping storybook stage
style doesn't always play well onscreen and the musical entrapment is
ultimately unnecessary, leaving the dramatic moments as the best
here. Though the jovial is more important than interweaving a
complete Arthurian recounting, the once sunny and snow white
symbolism turns visually darker as the politics escalate inevitably.
Despite the musical imperfections, young and old can enjoy the
highlights here with sword in the stone fondness, knights of the
round table drama, and meddling Mordred conflicts.
Crossed Swords – This two
hour 1978 swashbuckler based on Mark Twain 16th
century switcharoo boasts an all-star cast including Charlton Heston,
Raquel Welsh, Oliver Reed, George C. Scott, Ernest Borgnine, Sybil
Danning, and Rex Harrison. Stirring Maurice Jarr scoring accents the
chases, sword fights, fun faire peasantry, and quaint village while
the colorful court and sweet ladies frocks add period fancy. Despite
historical names like Edward, Henry VIII, and Norfolk, the coming and
going cameos anchor the youth-centric lookalike fantasy, over the top
whimsical, and sardonic flavor befitting of the novel's social
lessons. Brief split screen effects blend seamlessly, carrying the
uneven design, which looks elaborate in some scenes and cheap in
others. Mark Lester's acting isn't perfect, either – he's stuck
still playing a child's role and comes off as a simpleton whether he
is the prince or the pauper. Shouldn't one or the other be shrewd or
charismatic? Ironically, that lacking in grace fits both the street
urchin with no upbringing and the coddled royal. Had Lester done this
ten years prior following Oliver!
his
performance would have
been perfect. Yes, liberties are taken here and the pace between its
subjects drags. However, it is surprising this did poorly when today
every intellectual property is unabashedly twisted into a big money
American teen absurdity. Producer Ilya Salkind is clearly
capitalizing on his Musketeer
success with this literary adventure for kids complete with the same
adult stars. Modern parents may find the overlong time tough to take
seriously despite mature moments and a wild finish – but this isn't
meant to be a sophisticated drama. This is The
Parent Trap for
boys wrapped up in a medieval ball of fun. I mean, the
jester is in red and green harlequin with bells, go with it. 
Excalibur
– Although I still need a Lord
of the Rings caliber
Arthur, this 1981 epic swelling with the Lady of the Lake, the Sword
in the Stone, and the Holy Grail came out of a failed Tolkien
adaptation. Go figure. Fiery orange and hellish battles accent the
divine forests, waterfalls, and Irish locations. However the dark and
looking low budget design is of its time with confusing action and
corny jousting. Glowing reflections on the shiny armor, red lighting,
and a green sheen upon the swords feel lightsaber influenced, but the
medieval costumes, mystical fog, and colorful interiors lift the
mature yet fanciful. While extended nudity and Arthur's birth may add
that extra twenty on the two hour and twenty minute length, the often
skipped Uther and Igrayne trickery is frankly addressed – even if
it is director John Boorman's (Deliverance)
daughter Katrine playing Igrayne. Awkward! Rousing and familiar
classical music anchors the magical moments, but the otherwise limp
scoring contributes to a clunky middle. This isn't as timeless or
fantastic as it should be despite a generally complete script
combining Mallory and other Arthurian sources for a linear birth,
life, and death retelling. Lots of now big names are here, too –
including Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Stewart, and Liam Neeson – however
Nigel Terry's (Caravaggio)
clipped delivery and over
the top stage style is an odd choice for Arthur. Mumbling dialogue
and fancy names make subtitles a must, but Nicol Williamson (The
Seven-Per-Cent Solution) is
a fun sage as Merlin while Helen Mirren as Morgana is an alluring
villainess. Ironically, her antagonism is better than the core love
triangle and a meh Nicholas Clay (Lady
Chatterley's Lover) as
Lancelot. This is firmly a fantasy not going for historical accuracy,
yet the gritty and adult tone paints a not so pretty picture of
mysticism versus religion, self versus duty, and messianic
reflections upon mistakes befitting of the legend. It takes several
watches and one has to be in the right mood for the duration, but the
not always magical and mature drama captures the moral of the tale.
No comments:
Post a Comment