Here is the previously mentioned movie review, originally posted August 2, 2004.
Foolishly, I saw King Arthur today and, as a member of this group,
you shall suffer my rant.
I heard several good reviews for this movie so I dared to see it. Unfortunately, the reviewers knew nothing of history and could thus be fooled by this drivel. How is it that boys from southern Russia have Celtic or French names (i.e. Tristan and Lancelot)? Why are Saxons landing in Scotland? Why is it snowing and icy in one place but a day's ride away, the trees are still covered in leaves and the land is green with grass? Obviously, the makers of the film didn't know that Roman cavalry didn't have stirrups. How is it that Arthur claims to have met Pelagius when the man has been dead for nearly 50 years? Why are Romans recruiting boys from Sarmatia when the Goths swept away the Sarmatians centuries ago? Better still, the story starts in 452, while Attila the Hun is pillaging Gaul but somehow some Romans have time to collect boys from Sarmatia so they can send them to Britain (BTW, Rome abandoned Britain in 410). How is it that Saxons have crossbows several centuries before they are invented? If the Woads are SO dangerous north of Hadrian's Wall, why the hell are these important Romans living there? Guinevere, Warrior Princess: enough said on that topic. How is it that these otherwise primitive and tattooed Woads are using something like a trebuchet to fling fire at the Saxons? How is it that 6 knights prove decisive in a battle against hundreds of Saxons? Don't these Saxons know how to fight cavalry? There are tactics for defeating cavalry but these fellows don't know about them. I guess they had never seen a horse before. So the entirety of Arthur's command is 6 knights, the rest having died over the long years? Basically, this movie was horrendously bad, more so because it claimed to be the 'historical Arthur.'
I am something of a stickler for history so this truly irked me. I find that those less familiar with history enjoyed this and other historically inaccurate films (e.g. Gladiator). However, you have been warned.
I heard several good reviews for this movie so I dared to see it. Unfortunately, the reviewers knew nothing of history and could thus be fooled by this drivel. How is it that boys from southern Russia have Celtic or French names (i.e. Tristan and Lancelot)? Why are Saxons landing in Scotland? Why is it snowing and icy in one place but a day's ride away, the trees are still covered in leaves and the land is green with grass? Obviously, the makers of the film didn't know that Roman cavalry didn't have stirrups. How is it that Arthur claims to have met Pelagius when the man has been dead for nearly 50 years? Why are Romans recruiting boys from Sarmatia when the Goths swept away the Sarmatians centuries ago? Better still, the story starts in 452, while Attila the Hun is pillaging Gaul but somehow some Romans have time to collect boys from Sarmatia so they can send them to Britain (BTW, Rome abandoned Britain in 410). How is it that Saxons have crossbows several centuries before they are invented? If the Woads are SO dangerous north of Hadrian's Wall, why the hell are these important Romans living there? Guinevere, Warrior Princess: enough said on that topic. How is it that these otherwise primitive and tattooed Woads are using something like a trebuchet to fling fire at the Saxons? How is it that 6 knights prove decisive in a battle against hundreds of Saxons? Don't these Saxons know how to fight cavalry? There are tactics for defeating cavalry but these fellows don't know about them. I guess they had never seen a horse before. So the entirety of Arthur's command is 6 knights, the rest having died over the long years? Basically, this movie was horrendously bad, more so because it claimed to be the 'historical Arthur.'
I am something of a stickler for history so this truly irked me. I find that those less familiar with history enjoyed this and other historically inaccurate films (e.g. Gladiator). However, you have been warned.
The cast was impressive, including Clive Owen (Arthur), Ioan Gruffudd (Lancelot), Mads Mikkelsen (Tristan), Joel Edgerton (Gawain), Keira Knightley (Guinevere), and Stellan Skarsgard as the Saxon leader, Cerdic. Also, the movie does dispense with the chrome armor of Excalibur (1981) and leans correctly toward Roman armor. Of note, this was Antoine Fuqua's first sally into historical films. His latest film, The Magnificent Seven, shows that he is still unsuited for films in a non-current setting.
Mindless popcorn fun? Sure. True story of King Arthur? Absolutely not!
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