Having been kidnapped as a baby by a capricious fairy, a king's son grows up in a magical little universe. However, as a young man he meets with Merlin, who was imprisoned by the same charming but dangerous fairy. The meeting awakens a desire for the society of humans. Hungry for adventure and glory, the young man rejoins the court of King Arthur...
Inspired by the "romans de la Table Ronde", "Lancelot du lac" tells the story of Lancelot, the man who was Arthur's most loyal and most treacherous follower. The movie paints a picture of a wondrous world where Christian belief, magic and everyday reality mingle and meet. For the most part, it's a consistent evocation with a distinct fairytale feel. It's not hard to imagine a handful of medieval children sitting on a bear skin in front of a roaring fire, while begging for yet another story about King Arthur's gallant knights.
The fairytale quality is further enhanced by some very successful props and costumes. (Spare a thought for all the poor souls forced to walk around in full harness plus cape.)
Aesthetically, Gerard Falconetti (as Lancelot) and Marie-Christine Barrault (as Queen Guinevere) make for a most handsome couple, although it's somewhat more difficult to see them as a pair of passionate lovers driven to betrayal and adultery. Somehow they don't seem to have all that much chemistry.
"Lancelot du lac" wasn't the deepest movie I ever saw, nor was it the most moving. Still, I liked it well enough - and it certainly was better than much of the modern-day Arthurian crap unleashed upon an innocent public.
Inspired by the "romans de la Table Ronde", "Lancelot du lac" tells the story of Lancelot, the man who was Arthur's most loyal and most treacherous follower. The movie paints a picture of a wondrous world where Christian belief, magic and everyday reality mingle and meet. For the most part, it's a consistent evocation with a distinct fairytale feel. It's not hard to imagine a handful of medieval children sitting on a bear skin in front of a roaring fire, while begging for yet another story about King Arthur's gallant knights.
The fairytale quality is further enhanced by some very successful props and costumes. (Spare a thought for all the poor souls forced to walk around in full harness plus cape.)
Aesthetically, Gerard Falconetti (as Lancelot) and Marie-Christine Barrault (as Queen Guinevere) make for a most handsome couple, although it's somewhat more difficult to see them as a pair of passionate lovers driven to betrayal and adultery. Somehow they don't seem to have all that much chemistry.
"Lancelot du lac" wasn't the deepest movie I ever saw, nor was it the most moving. Still, I liked it well enough - and it certainly was better than much of the modern-day Arthurian crap unleashed upon an innocent public.
