The Mammoth Book of King Arthur (86 page)

King Arthur
(Touchstone, 2004, 126m)

Director: Antoine Fuqua. Screenplay: David Franzoni.

Starring: Clive Owen (Arthur), Keira Knightley (Guinevere), Ioan Gruffudd (Lancelot), Stephen Dillane (Merlin), Ray Winstone (Bors), Stellan Skarsgård (Cerdic).

The best attempt so far to create an authentic Dark Ages setting, despite the modern “feminist” and “freedom fighter” overtones.

An interesting portrayal of the conflict between the old Roman culture, the British and the Saxons.

Knights of the Round Table
(MGM, 1953, 115m)

Director: Richard Thorpe. Screenplay: Talbot Jennings, Noel Langley, Jan Lustig.

Starring: Robert Taylor (Lancelot), Ava Gardner (Guinevere), Mel Ferrer (Arthur), Anne Crawford (Morgan), Stanley Baker (Modred), Felix Aylmer (Merlin), Gabriel Woolf (Percival).

An all-star big budget production for MGM’s first wide screen Cinemascope costume drama, but the result, now very dated, is still a routine adaptation of Malory, redeemed by the always
excellent Stanley Baker as the scheming Modred.

Lancelot and Guinevere
(Emblem, 1963, 116m), released in US as
The Sword of Lancelot

Director: Cornel Wilde. Screenplay: Richard Schayer and Jefferson Pascal.

Starring: Cornel Wilde (Lancelot), Brian Aherne (Arthur), Jean Wallace (Guinevere), George Baker (Gawaine), Michael Meacham (Modred), Mark Dignam (Merlin), Adrienne Corri (Vivien).

A serious attempt to make a quality adaptation of the last part of
Morte d’Arthur
, but it lacked the budget. Lancelot becomes Guinevere’s champion and protects her against the
murderous Modred (who here is Arthur’s brother). Modred kills Arthur but Lancelot returns to save the kingdom.

Lancelot du Lac
(Mara, 1974, 85m), released with sub-titles as
Lancelot of the Lake

Director: Robert Bresson. Screenplay: Robert Bresson.

Starring: Luc Simon (Lancelot), Laura Duke Condominas (the Queen), Vladimir Antolek-Oresek (the King), Humbert Balsan (Gauvain), Patrick Bernard (Mordred).

Essentially a retelling of the Vulgate
Mort Artu
, events taking place in a collapsing Middle Ages.

Legend of King Arthur, The
(UK TV series, 1979, 8x30m episodes)

Director: Rodney Bennett. Teleplay: Andrew Davies.

Starring: Andrew Burt (Arthur), David Robb (Lancelot), Felicity Dean (Guinevere), Steve Hodson (Mordred)

A worthy attempt to create an authentic historical Arthur still in keeping with the traditional story. Available on VHS and DVD.

Legend of Prince Valiant
(US TV animated series, 1991–94, 65x30m episodes)

Executive Producers: David Corbett, Jeffrey Schon, William E. Miller. Story: David Corbett with Diane Dixon story editor.

Starring (voices): Robby Benson (Valiant), James Avery (Bryant), Tim Curry (Gawain), Efrem Zimbalist Jr (Arthur), Alan Oppenheimer (Merlin).

Cartoon series based upon the Hal Foster comic strip series.

Lovespell,
see
Tristan and Isolt

Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot
(Warner Brothers, 1998, 86m) animated feature

Director: Frederik Du Chau. Screenplay: Kirk De Micco, William Schifrin, Jacqueline Feather, David Seidler, based on Vera Chapman’s
The King’s Damosel.

Starring (spoken): Jessalyn Gilsig (Kayley), Cary Elwes (Garrett), Gary Oldman (Ruber), Pierce Brosnan (Arthur), John Gielgud (Merlin), Eric Idle & Don Rickles (two-headed dragon); with
songs by Andrea Corr, Céline Dion.

Warner’s first magic animated feature seeking to break into the Disney market, but the film suffers from too much indecision (they couldn’t even agree on the title). A panel of
scriptwriters distorted Chapman’s original novel into an overly simplistic story of young Kayley and the blind boy Garrett trying to find the lost Excalibur and defeat the evil Ruber.

Merlin
(US TV mini-series, Hallmark, 1998, 3x60m)

Director: Steve Barron. Screenplay: David Stevens.

Starring: Sam Neill (Merlin), Daniel Brocklebank (Young Merlin), Helena Bonham Carter (Morgan), Miranda Richardson (Mab), Paul Curran (Arthur), Lena Heady (Guinevere), Rutger Hauer (Vortigern),
Jeremy Sheffield (Lancelot), Isabella Rossellini (Nimue), Jason Done (Mordred).

An ambitious but over-clever attempt to tell Merlin’s life story and his pursuit of Nimue almost from cradle to grave, against the backcloth of the Arthurian legend,
which sometimes seems to get forgotten.

Merlin: The Magic Begins
(US TV mini-series, NBC, 1998)

Director: David Winning. Screenplay: Tom Richards, Christopher Roosen.

Starring: Jason Connery (Merlin), Deborah Moore (Nimue), Gareth Thomas (Blaze), Graham McTavish (Rengal), Paul Curran (Kay).

Only a token nod to the traditional story, this miniseries traces the adventures of Young Merlin, with his tutor Blaze, protecting the forest kingdom from the evil sorcerer Rengal. Received 15
Emmy nominations. Not to be confused with the other Merlin mini-series above.

Merlin and the Sword,
see
Arthur the King

Merlin of the Crystal Cave
(UK TV, BBC, 1991, 6x30m episodes)

Director: Michael Darlow. Screenplay: Steve Bescoby, based on the novel by Mary Stewart.

Starring: George Winter (Merlin), Kim Thomson (Ninianne), Sam Hails (Arthur), Robert Powell (Ambrosius), Roger Alborough (Uther), Jon Finch (Vortigern).

Merlin seeks his father against the backdrop of the Saxon invasion. A fairly faithful adaptation of Stewart’s novel. Edited slightly (164m) for video release (2000).

Mists of Avalon, The
(US TV TNT, 2001, 3x60m episodes)

Director: Uli Edel. Screenplay: Gavin Scott based on the novel by Marion Bradley.

Starring: Anjelica Huston (Viviane), Julianna Margulies (Morgaine), Joan Allen (Morgause), Samantha Mathis (Gwenhwyfar), Edward Atterton (Arthur), Michael Byrne (Merlin), Mark Lewis Jones
(Uther).

Although squeezed into three hours, this is a good adaptation of
Bradley’s novel with strong imagery polarising the conflict between Avalon and Camelot, the Old
Religion and the New, under the threat of the Saxons.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(Python Pictures, 1975; 91m)

Director: Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones. Screenplay: the Monty Python team.

Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam.

The perfect spoof. Arthur gathers together his knights but losing interest in Camelot they try and find the Grail.

Parsifal
(Gaumont-TMS, 1982, 255m)

Director: Hans-Jürgen Syberberg. Screenplay: direct from Richard Wagner’s opera.

Starring: Michael Mutter (Parsifal), Armin Jordan (Amfortas), Martin Sperr (Titurel), Edith Clever (Kundry), Aage Haugland (Klingsor).

The most complete attempt to film Wagner’s
Parsifal.

Perceval le gallois
(Gaumont, 1978, 140m)

Director: Eric Rohmer. Screenplay: Eric Rohmer.

Starring: Fabrice Luchini (Perceval), André Dussollier (Gauvain), Marc Eyraud (Arthur), Marie-Christine Barrault (Guinevere), Michel Etcheverry (Fisher King), Arielle Dombasle
(Blanchefleur).

A faithful adaptation of Chrétien’s
Perceval
, including being told in verse, but here a completion allows Perceval to see the Grail. An authentic but unusual effort that uses
stylized medieval backdrops.

Prince Valiant
(20th Century Fox, 1954, 100m)

Director: Henry Hathaway. Screenplay: Dudley Nichols.

Starring: Robert Wagner (Prince Valiant), Brian Aherne (Arthur), Mary Phillips (Queen), James Mason (Sir Brack), Sterling Hayden (Gawain), Janet Leigh (Aleta).

Based on Hal Foster’s well-known comic strip, this is really just an excuse for a swashbuckler in Camelot as Valiant fights for his kingdom and wins a place at the Round Table.

Prince Valiant
(Constantin, 1997, 91m)

Director: Anthony Hickox. Screenplay: Michael Frost Beckner, Carsten Lorenz.

Starring: Stephen Moyer (Prince Valiant), Edward Fox (Arthus), Joanna Lumley (Morgan), Anthony Hickox (Gawain).

Valiant poses as Gawain (who is injured) to take Ilene to safety from the Vikings who are in league with Morgan to claim Excalibur and the throne.

Siege of the Saxons
(Columbia, 1963, 85m)

Director: Nathan Juran. Screenplay: Jud Kinberg, John Kohn.

Starring: Ronald Lewis (Robert Marshall), Janette Scott (Katherine), Ronald Howard (Edmund), Mark Dignam (Arthur), John Laurie (Merlin).

A poor excuse for a swashbuckler though an interesting blend of Arthurian and Robin Hood legends. Edmund of Cornwall kills Arthur and usurps the throne, planning a forced marriage with
Arthur’s daughter Katherine, but all is saved by outlaw Robert Marshall.

Sword in the Stone, The
(Disney, 1963, 79m) animated feature

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman. Screenplay: Bill Peet (songs by the Sherman Brothers)

Starring (voices): Karl Swenson (Merlin), Ricky Sorenson (Wart/Arthur), Sebastian Cabot (Sir Ector).

Pleasant children’s adaptation of T.H. White’s
The Sword in the Stone
, but it becomes too frivolous.

Sword of Lancelot, The,
see
Lancelot and Guinevere

Sword of the Valiant,
see under
Gawain and the Green Knight

Tristan and Isolde
(20th Century Fox, 2004)

Director: Kevin Reynolds. Screenplay: Dean Georgaris.

Starring: James Franco (Tristan), Sophia Myles (Isolde), Rufus Sewell (Marke)

The latest attempt to get back to the original story.

Tristan and Isolt
(Clar, 1979; 94m)

Director: Tom Donovan. Screenplay: Claire Labine.

Starring: Richard Burton (Mark), Nicholas Clay (Tristan), Kate Mulgrew (Isolt), Geraldine Fitzgerald (Branwyn), Kathryn Dowling (Yseult).

An Irish production, and a faithful rendition of the Tristan story.

23

FRIEND OR FOE? – AN ARTHURIAN WHO’S WHO

This book has shown that the Arthurian world is full of names, some well known, but many forgotten. A “Who’s Who” of all of these names, both historical and
fictional, would fill a book this size again. However, there are some key characters that I have not yet covered in any degree of detail. Although Chapters 13 to 18 look at Tristan, Gawain,
Lancelot, Guinevere, Perceval and Merlin, plus a few other heroes from other romances, I have not yet discussed such other well known characters as Agravaine, Gareth, Bedivere, Kay, Mordred or
Morgan le Fay, just to name a few.

The following therefore seeks to explore the other characters of note. It is not intended as a complete index to all Arthurian characters. For those who want a full directory I would recommend
The Arthurian Companion
by Phyllis Ann Karr (Green Knight, new edition, 2001),
Arthurian Myth & Legend
by Mike Dixon-Kennedy (Blandford, 1995), or for the complete afficionado
The Arthurian Name Dictionary
by Christopher W. Bruce (Garland, 1999). Here I want to cover those characters who either throw more light on the legend or allow us to explore further the
Arthur of history.

The Knights of the Round Table

Before getting into the annotated listings, it might be useful to remind ourselves who the Knights of the Round Table were. The phrase is used rather glibly to cover just about
every knight who
appears in the Arthurian story, but strictly speaking only a core of knights were admitted to the Order of the Round Table. Numbers vary. In the
Didot-
Perceval
, based on the work of Robert de Boron, the number is limited to twelve, which includes Arthur, with the thirteenth seat, the Siege Perilous, left vacant awaiting the perfect
knight. This number is based on the number present at the Last Supper, with the thirteenth seat being that left vacant by Judas Iscariot. That seat is, of course, eventually filled by Galahad.
Robert does not present a list of the eleven knights, but from his text it is possible to compile one, namely (in alphabetical order):

Robert goes on to say that “the king presented 5,400 robes and devices of the Round Table” to all those present at the Feast of Pentecost. Clearly not all of those
are knights, but it is evident that in Arthur’s kingdom there are considerably more knights than those of the Round Table. Layamon’s estimate in his
Brut
was 1,600. The Vulgate
Lancelot
states 150, a figure that Malory also gives in the Beaumains episode of
Morte Darthur.
Malory’s knights (he names only 127) are listed in Table 23.1.

In the Welsh
Dream of Rhonabwy
, Arthur is accompanied by 41 counsellors, whilst earlier, when Culhwch swears by all those at Arthur’s court in
Culhwch and Olwen
he recites a
list of 220 names (some of them duplicates). These names include a few that reappear as knights in the romances, and cross-references are made in the following entries.

Another Welsh-derived document, the
Pedwar Marchog ar Hugain Llys Arthur
, dated to the fifteenth century, provides a list now called the “Twenty-Four Knights”, which includes
Arthur. The others are: