Review of First Knight (1995) by Ralph H — 07 Jun 2010

What a pity this fine film has been so unappreciated by people unwilling to really look at the performances that are rich in subtext. Fifteen years on this unapologetically Romantic epic looks so much better than the attention deficit driven crop of films with overripe effects and impossible stunts. Zucker and company bravely attempted for pure Romanticism (somewhat in the vein of the musical version) and forged a work that is touching and acted with integrity by all, including the terribly under-appreciated Richard Gere who makes Lancelot a dimensional and compelling character. Hopefully people can get past the Gere-bashing and see the sensitivity of his work. Also triumphant are the sets by John Box which reinvent Camelot as a dream in gold and blue. Purists also need to get over fidelity to the "original" tales. Camelot is big enough for reinvention.

I saw this film 15 years ago and just rediscovered it. Again, in the intervening years it looks better and more original than its contemporary counterparts and most of what is created today. Am I over-the top in my rating of 100? Perhaps, but someone has to counteract the insensitivity of the crass "critics" who can't see what this film was trying to be or who would just as easily laugh at the poetry of the Romantics.