"First Knight"

Title: "First Knight"
Director: Jerry Zucker
Producer: Hunt Lowry and Jerry Zucker
Editing: Walter Murch
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Starring:
- Richard Gere as Lancelot
- Sean Connery as King Arthur of Camelot
- Julia Ormond as Guinevere
- Ben Cross as Prince Malagant

My apologies for missing Saturday night's review. After fighting with whatever ailment I had (which I am just now fully recovering from) and a wonderful but terribly exhausting fundraiser dinner at church I needed my rest. This week, however, looks to be an exceptional one with movies implementing diverse production styles, thematic content, and celebrity power. I hope you enjoy the reviews and spiritual reflections and enjoy God's presence with you as you read.

Plot and Critical Review: The film's opening text establishes that King Arthur of Camelot, victorious from his wars and reigning supreme, now wishes to marry. However, Malagant, a Knight of the Round Table, desires the throne for himself and rebels.

The movie opens with Lancelot, a vagabond skilled with the sword, fighting in small villages for money. Guinevere, the ruler of Leonesse, decides to marry Arthur partly out of admiration and partly for security against Malagant. While traveling, Lancelot chances by Guinevere's carriage on the way to Camelot, and helps spoil Malagant's ambush meant to kidnap her. He falls in love with Guinevere, who refuses his advances. Guinevere is subsequently reunited with her escort.

Later, Lancelot arrives in Camelot and successfully navigates an obstacle course called the "Gauntlet", which wins him an audience once again with Guinevere and her husband-to-be, Arthur. While staying in Camelot, Guinevere is kidnapped by Malagant's followers and imprisoned in an oubliette. In a daring rescue attempt, Lancelot feigns the role of a messenger only to escape with Guinevere and return her to Camelot. Once again, Lancelot tries to win her heart, but is unsuccessful. On the journey back to Camelot, it is revealed that Lancelot was orphaned and rendered homeless after bandits attacked his village, and has been wandering ever since.

In gratitude, Arthur offers Lancelot a higher calling in life as a Knight of the Round Table. Lancelot accepts and takes Malagant's place at the Table. Arthur and Guinevere are subsequently wedded. However, a messenger from Leonesse arrives, with dire news that Malagant has invaded.

Arthur leads his troops to Leonesse and successfully defeats Malagant's forces. Lancelot wins the respect of the other Knights of the Round Table with his prowess in battle. Upon returning to Camelot, Lancelot feels guilty about his feelings for the queen, and in private announces his departure to her. She grants him a kiss, which turns into a passionate embrace, just in time for the king to interrupt.

Lancelot and Guinevere are charged with treason. The open trial in the great square of Camelot is interrupted by a surprise invasion by Malagant, ready to burn Camelot and kill Arthur if he does not swear fealty to him. Instead Arthur commands his subjects to fight, and Malagant's men shoot him with crossbows. A battle between Malagant's men and Camelot's soldiers and citizens ensues, and Lancelot and Malagant face off. Wounded and disarmed, Lancelot seizes Arthur's fallen sword, which he uses to kill Malagant.

The soldiers and citizens of Camelot win the battle, but Arthur dies of his wounds. On his deathbed, he asks Lancelot to "take care of her for me" - a double entendre referring to both Camelot and Guinevere. The movie closes with a funeral raft carrying Arthur's body floating out to sea, which is set aflame. (Wikipedia)


My Rating: 6.5/10

The "Reel Revelation": "What I Say - What I Do"

When Lancelot stands before King Arthur and declares that he wants to remain in Camelot everyone is ecstatic except Guinevere. She alone knows that Lancelot is staying to pursue her, a pursuit she cannot resist for much longer. Yet everyone else believes that Lancelot has changed his ways, that he's decided to forsake the life of a rogue and enter a community where he will be treasured and cherished. Lancelot's deception is something we have all entertained and most of us have probably committed ourselves.

Have you ever seen an opportunity in front of you and realized you could probably get whatever you wanted out of said opportunity if you put up a front? An example: Let us say you desire object B. An opportunity arises that will allow you to achieve A and B, although you can't touch B until you've achieved A. You decide to take advantage of the opportunity but you must, of course, present yourself as desiring both A and B in equal measure. In the hypothetical "interview" for this theoretical "opportunity" you declare your unceasing longing to have A and B, to achieve them together, and to do well. All the while you smirk within, knowing that as soon as you've had A you'll toss it aside and run after B like a fool. Even though that seems a silly paragraph, are you with it?

This was Lancelot's aim. He was chasing after Guinevere (our B, in this case) but he had to become a member of the high council and a citizen of Camelot (A) before he could have B. Even though he was chasing after true love, his dishonesty ended up costing him dearly when Arthur caught Lancelot and Guinevere together.

What we say and what we do must be one in the same. If we say we will do one thing, let us do it! If we make a promise, let us keep it! If we take an oath, let us remain faithful to it! And even though there is always the possibility that new desires and interests will grow out of the experiences we encounter, let us remain mindful of the tasks that are around us in the moment. It is so easy to get caught up in the future; to dream too far and too fast of the things to come so that we suddenly lose motivation for what is right in front of us. Perhaps it's necessary, returning to the A/B scenario, that we achieve A before we can have B. The reason for that necessity need not be known. What we must know and treasure within our hearts is that God will set everything that we need before us; nothing will be kept so far out of our reach we will have to put on masks of dishonesty to achieve what God will provide. This ought to keep us from doing what most people have welcomed as second-nature, that is hiding under masks of dishonesty and chasing after the empty promises and short-lived pleasures of the world. In God alone we find our peace and in him we need not try to present any deception for he knows us as we are.

See you tomorrow - E.T.