King Arthur (2004) is in a word— confused. Filmmakers have every right to take creative liberties with their storylines, costuming, and language; however, Anronie Fuqua takes artistic rewrite to an extreme. The movie opens in the same manner as almost every historical documentary does, pertinent information to orient the audience is (way too quickly) displayed on the screen along with some visually appealing maps. Rather than providing any historical credibility, this merely makes King Arthur look like a sad wannabe History Channel failure.
Going into my viewing, I knew Kira Knightley’s clothes would be interesting, but my expectations were beyond exceeded. The first outfit Guinevere, Knightley’s character, models appears as if it was stolen off the set of Pride and Prejudice (2005) with the sleeves being altered to look period-appropriate. Throw on a belt and magically the dress is no longer Regency Era but rather ready for King Arthur. Things progressed to get even better when Knightley swaps her blue dress for a war uniform: making Knightley into a female version of a 300 Spartan. Despite being released 3 years prior to 300, several tropes are similar between the film, but in King Arthur they feel out of place. Knightley’s clothing isn't the only element of the movie that is reminiscent of the 2007 war drama, Arthur’s knights also appear as if they should be fighting in that different war and era. The mentality of the war Arthur and the knights must fight follows a similar ideology of 300: 8 knights against an army of 200.
The language is one of the aspects of the movie I had the most questions about, particularly the humor and grammar. Sadly, I have yet to study Middle English, but some of the contractions such as “you’re” and “isn't” felt inaccurate. Certain jokes were definitely written for a modern audience’s entertainment, rather than to add historical authority. Quips like Knightley's “don't worry I won't let them rape you” in retort to a sly comment by Lancelot is an example of more modern, confident teasing.
Overall, King Arthur felt as if it was not rooted in any one identity but in a mix of different tropes and themes.
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