King Arthur: Does a classic need to be "reinterpreted?"

Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are sent on one last mission in this “reinterpretation” of the classic story. Based on historical accounts, the film tells the tale of how Arthur and his men, after having served under the Roman flag for they ruled Britain at the time, were due to leave the service and begin their lives as free men. But the last mission, one to rescue an important Roman ruler, leads to a discovery that makes them question what it is they are fighting for. Plus an army of evil Saxons are on their tails, looking to conquer the land the Romans are giving up as they withdraw from Britain and destroy anyone who gets in their way.

This “reinterpretation” of the Arthur tale had a distinct take on the timeless story. Instead of being a fairy tale, it was presented as more of a war story with Arthur as the commander of a group of battle - hardened veterans who are trying to earn their freedom from Roman rule without loosing their lives. The look of the film reflected that with gritty battle sequences plus sets and locations that were dark and earthy as opposed to the bright, shimmering appearance you would see in a fairy tale version. The performance of Clive Owen as Arthur was intense, although there were points where his "Braveheart - ish" speeches and distant gazes slowed the film. He played Arthur as a man divided by his idea of how the world should be and the way it was. Other characters are shuffled around and given different back stories which made the film unique and interesting. Merlin was still a wizard, but commanded a tribe that fought against Arthur while Guinevere was a warrior who fought along side Arthur, not a fragile princess. One consequence of the reworking of the legend which hurt the film overall was the fact that the Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere love triangle was merely hinted at and never fully explored. Without it, Lancelot played a lesser part and a plot device that could have added more emotional intensity to the movie was never explored.

The action was there in King Arthur but it felt as though the viewer had to trudge through too much in order to get to and enjoy it.

Grade: C