They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To
This is the first in a series of film reviews wherein I’ll be looking at works of cinema that were made when subversion—whether of expectations, morals, facts, or source material—was not the filmmakers’ objective. The objective was simply to tell a story on celluloid. These will not be “classic” films, however. No one needs to read another review of Gone With The Wind or other famous, monumental movies from the past. In fact, many of the films in this series might even be light-hearted, middle-brow, pop culture entertainment.
The selected films will have met specific criteria:
Is the cast “diverse” only in a way that comports with historical facts, contemporary realities, and/or source material?
Is the film made with little to no CGI?
Does the film edify the audience?
Could the film be made today exactly as it was in its time? (Here, a negative answer is required.)
The first entry in this series fittingly has the word “First” in its title. Ladies and gentlemen, First Knight.
First Knight is a 1995 film starring Sean Connery as King Arthur, Richard Gere as Lancelot, and Julia Ormond as Guinevere. William Nicholson, who also wrote Gladiator, is credited with the story and the screenplay. The director was Jerry Zucker.
The plot is not overly complex. A period of warfare has recently come to an end. Arthur of Camelot emerged the victor and now seeks to build a realm of unity, peace, and justice. He would also like a wife. Sadly, in the early medieval times no tranquility lasted long. Arthur may be the king in Camelot, but there are still other kings and rivals who would try to take his own throne. One of these is named Prince Malagant, played by Ben Cross. The film’s opening title sequence, written in curvy, faux-medieval script, glides over a backdrop of green hills, and tells us: And then there was Lancelot, a wanderer who had never dreamed of peace or justice or knighthood.
The opening scene shows Lancelot at work making his living. He seems to be a sort of travelling performer, but instead of plucking a lute, Lancelot goes from town to town and village to village challenging people to sword fights. It’s doubtable that such a job ever existed in the early Middle Ages, or whatever unspecified medieval time period First Knight places us in, and since the film strives for realism (there is no Lady of the Lake, Holy Grail, Merlin, or any magic whatsoever), Lancelot’s somewhat inauthentic occupation could be criticised as a failing.
Ignoring the plausibility of the opening scene, one can admit that it is at least entertaining, even memorable. After having easily bested one of the local villagers in duel (not to the death, obviously), Lancelot calls out for another challenger, tempting them with a pouch full of coins. “Winner takes all, my friends, winner takes all!”
British audiences might be amused at the sight of a young Rob Brydon early in his acting career standing amongst the townsfolk. Then a giant of a man steps forward and unsheathes an imposing broadsword. English fencer Bob Anderson, who died in 2012 leaving behind a legacy as one of Hollywood’s foremost sword fighting choreographers, was hired to teach Richard Gere and other cast members the art of the blade. Not to take anything away from Anderson’s career and credentials, but let’s just say that it’s probably a good thing First Knight was made before HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) training became an increasingly popular niche hobby with dedicated practitioners who spend hours studying the ways men of the past used edged weapons, and then debating amongst themselves across dozens (perhaps hundreds) of YouTube channels.
The giant, named Mark, takes huge swings at Lancelot, prompting the latter to joke, “You don’t have to kill me to win, you know,” but we can tell that Lancelot’s life is never in danger. He’s too good. It’s not the most convincing bit of medieval swordplay you’ll ever see, but Lancelot sends Mark’s sword flying out of his hand with one swift motion. Speed and skill trump size and strength, but there is another factor in Lancelot’s favour.
“How did you do that?” Asks Mark. “Is that a trick?”
Lancelot explains that it’s no trick, it’s the way he fights.
“Could I do it?” Mark towers over Lancelot, but seems more like a child now, begging to learn from his older brother. “Tell me. I can learn!”
At the time of First Knight’s release, much was said about the decision to cast Richard Gere in this role. If you want a handsome knight, he has the looks, no question. Unfortunately, Gere never seems certain whether he wants to go for a standard “English accent” or just talk like the American that he is. He’s a great American leading man, but a knight from Arthurian legend? Despite his shortcomings in the role, in this opening scene he exudes the charisma that the casting director surely fell for, and delivers a truly great bit of dialogue.
Lancelot: You have to study your opponent, how he moves, so that you know what he’s going to do before he does it.
Mark (smiling): I can do that.
Lancelot: You have to know that one moment in every fight when you win or lose, and you have to know how to wait for it.
Mark (a bit more serious now): I can do that.
Lancelot: And you have to not care whether you live or die.
Mark’s face forms a mask of surprise, trepidation, and sombre understanding, then the camera cuts back to Richard Gere’s Lancelot, a wry, suave smile tugging at the ends of his mouth.
I can’t remember how old I was when I first saw First Knight, but I was very, very young. That line left an impression on me then and has continued to do so all the years since. Lancelot was a medieval pioneer of the “outcome independence” mentality. This is the idea of doing things without giving importance to your success or failure in them. Athletes, in particular, love the psychology of outcome independence. It helps them to achieve a state of “flow”, to “get in the zone”, that sweet spot where they don’t even think about what their bodies are doing. Every shot goes in the basket, every punch lands, every pass reaches its target, every serve is perfectly placed. “You have to not care whether you live or die” isn’t useful mindset only for swordsmen and athletes. It can apply to almost anything in daily life, especially talking to girls.
Lancelot rides off into the green countryside with his sword and the pouch full of coins. We the audience remain in Rob Brydon’s village. The opening credits begin to appear, then suddenly the film takes a horrific turn. The villagers with whom we were merrymaking and cheering on as they crossed blades with a dashing travelling duelist are attacked by a fearsome band of mounted warriors. They gallop down the hills and easily swarm into the defenceless village which is protected only by a watchtower.
Arrows hiss into villagers’ chests. Torches are flung onto thatched rooftops. Black-clad brigands seize shrieking women. The director and cinematographer make a point of letting the camera linger on a humble wooden cross atop the simple church as flames begin to consume it, one of many scenes putting Christian symbolism front and centre, and a shot which signals the villainy of these attackers.
With several townsfolk slain and even more buildings on fire, the leader of the raiders decides enough damage has been inflicted. He accuses the villagers of harbouring lawless men who crossed the border and attacked his clan, so in reprisal he has destroyed their village. Then he declares that he, Prince Malagant, is the law.
The scene fades to smouldering black and we then find ourselves amongst the stoneworks of a city called Lyonesse. First Knight was filmed on location in Britain and makes frequent and beautiful use of the marvellous countryside landscape. Most of the sets are real constructions built on location, with only very little (albeit noticeable) CGI employed mostly to create the big city of Camelot.
Among the other niceties of First Knight is the colourful palette the filmmakers worked with. In 1995, medieval films were not yet uniformly shot under a grey-blue fog, the actors not dressed in drab clothes and covered in dirt, like they are today. With First Knight, we get many scenes shot in glorious daytime sunshine. In Lyonesse, the people wear red and yellow dresses, jerkins, and robes. When we arrive in Camelot, we see the citizens there prefer to dress in various shades of blue, almost like they are wearing a uniform. It’s an interesting aesthetic decision, one which was taken in service to the primary themes First Knight is concerned with, which we will explore in greater detail later.
The Lady of Lyonesse, Guinevere, is seen playing a sort of primordial version of football with her kinfolk, but her game is interrupted by messengers bearing tidings of Malagant’s terrible attack on the nearby village. This is not the first time Malagant has sortied into Guinevere’s lands and wreaked havoc. We see that she is a Lady in grave danger. Her father, the ruler of Lyonesse has died, and although she is clearly loved by her people, Guinevere is not strong enough to fend off Malagant. Enter the marriage proposal of powerful King Arthur.