Camelot: the one with all the songs
Apr. 16th, 2011 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meganbmooreSo, would you believe that not only have I never seen the 1967 Camelot but have actually never heard a single song from the musical?
Anyway, the movie is fun. It’s basically Mallory stripped back to nothing but the Lancelot/Guenevere/Arthur triangle, with Arthur creating the round table at the beginning, and Mordred showing up to cause trouble near the end. With lots of songs. I kept expecting dancing and technicolor, and was said that they never manifested.
I normally dislike this interpretation of Guenevere-frivolous and not caring much about weighty matters until they start affecting her-but the narrative doesn’t expect us to judge her, and does expect us to like her, so I mind less than usual. Though, this is one of those versions where I just do not get why Guenevere would want to throw over Arthur for Lancelot. But! This Lancelot (unlike any other in the movies I’ve been watching) is actually from France and has a French accent! And, uhm, is way better cast than some of the others. Granted, it’s possible that between Richard Gere, Michael Vartan and Noah Wylie, my standards have lowered, but I don’t think so.
Though, I’ve realized in these movies that I simply Do Not Care about Lancelot. Not actually dislike, though. I think it’s actually bitterness that Gawain got downgraded to make room for France’s late-addition self-insert, and Guenevere’s legend was reduced to “can’t have kids and cheats on Arthur with Lancelot.”
Meanwhile, I think I am out of movies! Unless I rewatch The Sword in the Stone though I think I watched that one enough as a kid. (And named a stuffed owl Archimedes because of it.) I still need to watch Arthur of the Britons but will have to clear out hard drive space for it. Now for (more) books!
Anyway, the movie is fun. It’s basically Mallory stripped back to nothing but the Lancelot/Guenevere/Arthur triangle, with Arthur creating the round table at the beginning, and Mordred showing up to cause trouble near the end. With lots of songs. I kept expecting dancing and technicolor, and was said that they never manifested.
I normally dislike this interpretation of Guenevere-frivolous and not caring much about weighty matters until they start affecting her-but the narrative doesn’t expect us to judge her, and does expect us to like her, so I mind less than usual. Though, this is one of those versions where I just do not get why Guenevere would want to throw over Arthur for Lancelot. But! This Lancelot (unlike any other in the movies I’ve been watching) is actually from France and has a French accent! And, uhm, is way better cast than some of the others. Granted, it’s possible that between Richard Gere, Michael Vartan and Noah Wylie, my standards have lowered, but I don’t think so.
Though, I’ve realized in these movies that I simply Do Not Care about Lancelot. Not actually dislike, though. I think it’s actually bitterness that Gawain got downgraded to make room for France’s late-addition self-insert, and Guenevere’s legend was reduced to “can’t have kids and cheats on Arthur with Lancelot.”
Meanwhile, I think I am out of movies! Unless I rewatch The Sword in the Stone though I think I watched that one enough as a kid. (And named a stuffed owl Archimedes because of it.) I still need to watch Arthur of the Britons but will have to clear out hard drive space for it. Now for (more) books!