KING ARTHUR: DIRECTORS CUT (2004)

Cast

Plot

In an attempt to anchor King Arthur's existence in some kind of historical reality, the filmmakers behind this update of the Arthurian legend have focused on the politics of the time (set roughly around the time the Romans were leaving our sceptred isle) and left alone the more traditional, supernatural elements associated with the legend. The result is a bewildering affair mixing Braveheart-esque realism (lots of gristle and gore in the Directors Cut, and subtitles enforcing the story's hypothetical veracity with specific dates and places) with an apparent aspiration of being the fourth installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Clive Owen starts off well as Arthur, using his nonchalant gravitas to make his Arthur believable. Unfortunately, when the story gets more incredulous, his seriousness begins to look ridiculous. Keira Knightley's Guinevere is also promising early on, but apparently becomes convinced later in the film that she is Legolas, donning an elvish costume and firing arrows with immortal skill. The film's strength lies in director Antoine Fuqua's battle scenes and the evocation of a Britain laid waste to by warring tribes, abandoned by the Romans. But Braveheart it ain't. And Lord of the Rings it ain't. Kind of falls between those two stools...