FIRST KNIGHT
 
US, 1995, 134 minutes, Colour.
Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Ben Cross, Liam Cunningham, John Gielgud.
Directed by Jerry Zucker.
 
1.            The popularity of the Arthurian legends?  The screen tradition?  The aftermath of The Early Years and Excalibur and Merlin?  Camelot, peace, the Knight of the Round Table? 

2.            The film’s spectacle and pageant?  Camelot?  The court, the wedding, the room with the round table? 

3.            The staging of the battles, Prince Malagant, the fierceness of his attacks, the ambushes, burning down the village, the final attack?

4.            A Mediaeval story, atmosphere, locations?  Score? 

5.            Lancelot as the First Knight, a wandering knight, the flashback of his story, as a boy, the deaths?  His travelling and fighting?  Training people?  The challengers?  His skills with the sword?  His charm, genial?  Not caring if he died?  Anticipating his opponents’ moves?  Sir Malagant, the fight, the abduction of Guinevere?  Lancelot rescuing her in the forest, his kiss, her slapping him, the beginning of the love/hate relationship?  His decision to go to the court, his being able to go through the ordeal and the maze?  Guinevere and her refusal to kiss him, his gallant saying that he should not kiss Arthur’s queen?  The talking to Guinevere, the second rescue, going to the prison, the action, his being made a knight, Guinevere wanting him to leave, his decision to stay?  The vigil, his being installed as a Knight of the Round Table?  The friendship with Arthur?  Arthur seeing Lancelot and Guinevere together?  The decision to have a trial in, the open?  Malagant’s attack, everybody fighting, Lancelot defending Arthur?  The end and his being entrusted with Guinevere and Camelot? 

6.            Guinevere and her kingdom, her playing with the people, the women in attendance?  The dance?  Malagant’s attack, its brutality?  Her being taken, in the carriage, leaping out, urging the women to roll, hiding in the forest?  Her being caught, Lancelot to the rescue, taunting her captor and killing him?  The kiss, her haughty reaction?  Her free decision to marry Arthur?  Meeting, the pomp and circumstance, promises?  Her being taken, imprisoned by Malagant?  The rescue, the escape?  Urging Lancelot not to become a knight?  The kiss?  Arthur and his reaction to her being with Lancelot, her admitting she loved Lancelot?  The trial?  The battle, at Arthur’s deathbed?  Entrusted to Lancelot? 

7.            Arthur, audience knowing his past, peace, Malagant trying to disturb the peace?  Camelot and the knights?  The wedding, the jousting, the joy of the ceremony?  The maze and Lancelot’s skills?  His gratitude towards Lancelot for the rescues?  Knighting him?  His reaction to seeing Guinevere and Lancelot together?  Praying, demanding of God why this was so?  His sadness, the trial?  His urging his people to fight against Malagant, the wounds, his death, funeral, going out to sea?

8.            The various Knights of the Round Table, their characters, in Camelot, their pledges and loyalty to the king?  To Guinevere? 

9.            Life in the villages, their pastimes, being attacked, the haylofts burnt, the mercilessness of Malagant and his men, the abduction of the women? 

10.         The people in the villages, Oswald and his wise counsel for Guinevere?  Jacob and his strength, fighting with Lancelot, giving the news of the attack?  The sufferings, rising up against Malagant?

11.         Malagant and his troops, vicious, the attacks, the deceit and hiding in the water, abducting Guinevere?  His finally going to Arthur, to confront him at the round table?  Guinevere in prison, his hostage?  The final attack, the fight to the death with Lancelot?

12.         The blend of history and myth rather than magic and legend?