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In Reply to: RE: casting... posted by user510 on September 22, 2013 at 16:25:09
I watched the dvd of Excaliber last night. Or at least 3/4ths of it. And, having refreshed my memory of the film, I must now amend some of my criticisms of it.
re: set design. Merlin's "crystal cave" was nicely imagined in this movie. A very elaborate, extravagant and beautiful set was provided for the scenes in the movie. Particularly in the scene where Morgan Le Fay traps Merlin in the cave.
The Lancelot/Guinnevere scenes were not as badly done as I had previously remembered. It seemed as if these star-crossed lovers were drawn to one another like magnets. No matter how well they knew the consequences of this betrayal to the King, they simply could not prevent themselves from a lustful calamity.
Then Morgan gets her lair, a castle in parts of the country where brave men go to be hung by the neck, slowly, while the crows pick out their eyeballs. But this is where Morgan Le Fay, Arthur's half sister, raises Arthur's illegitimate son, her son, Mordred. Who grows up thinking it is his mission in life to replace his father as the 'great king'.
There are more scenes after this worth recounting, but I probably should not spoil all the main bits of this movie.
Anyway, acting by the entire cast is stiffly borne and shouted out. The demeanor of most of the knights in this movie is savage and animal-like. True barbarians, the entire lot. I'd have thought that in consideration of the times, the Roman occupation that had just ended a generation or two previously -would have / might have- taught at least some of these Brits a bit of culture. Plus, even the Celtic tribes that preceded the Roman occupation would have had more dignity and civilized bearing than do these brutes. Oh well. It's just one vision of the myth.
Then again, it does follow closely the fantasy retelling by Malory*. A book I read in my adolescence with great interest. And on reflection it has much in common with some of the comic books I also read. Pure fantasy.
-Steve
*.... Le Morte D' Artuhur, Sir Thomas Malory
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