SIEGE OF THE SAXONS
UK, 1963, 85 minutes, Colour.
Ronald Lewis, Janette Scott, Ronald Howard, Mark Dignam, John Laurie.
Directed by Nathan Guran.
The Siege of the Saxons is a brief production by Charles Schneer, producer of a number of fantasy films in the early 1960s, including various films about Sinbad, Jason and other Greek legends.
This film is rather stodgily written and not persuasively performed. It focuses on a rebellion against King Arthur by Edmund of Cornwall. Mark Dignam plays King Arthur, Ronald Howard is Edmund. However, the focus is on a rather Robin Hood-like character called Robert Marshall, played by Ronald Lewis who appeared a number of stiff-upper-lip British films of the 50s and 60s. Janette Scott is Katherine. There is a cameo by John Laurie as Merlin.
The film is fairly conventional, the battles are not particularly well staged – it finishes up more like a Saturday matinee adventure for the broadest possible audience rather than a serious look at Camelot in the vein of such action adventures as Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot and Guinevere and, even, Camelot itself.
1. An entertaining picture of King Arthur, Camelot, rebellion, a siege from the invading Saxons?
2. Colour photography, re-creation of a mediaeval setting for Camelot? The castle, the woods? The staging of the battles?
3. Historical background, mythical background about Arthur, Merlin, Excalibur?
4. The character of Arthur, the establishing of his kingdom, the opening joust, the Saxons and their ambitions towards Camelot? Edmund of Cornwall as the national hero? King Arthur’s love for his daughter? His age, illness, the feint of going hunting, the murder in Cornwall? The Saxon murderer?
5. Edmund, the champion at the joust, his loyalty to Arthur, the memory of his father, his love for Katherine? His being in league with the Saxons? His hesitations, his being persuaded by his love for power? The journey to his castle, the encounter with Robert Marshall, sending him ahead and his being framed for the attempt on Arthur’s life? Katherine not believing that he was a traitor? His taking Excalibur, setting himself up, his being crowned King of England? The confrontation with Robert and Katherine, his inability to unsheathe Excalibur, the Saxons killing him?
6. Katherine, queen, love for her father, disbelief, being taken by Robert, the disguise in the forest, being the mute brother on pilgrimage? The fights with Robert, falling in love with him? Finding the blacksmith, finding Merlin? The return to the castle, the lords laughing at her, asserting her authority, the happy ending with Robert?
7. Robert, the Robin Hood type, joking with King Arthur, robbing the rich, not robbing the poor, not giving the money to the poor? His going ahead to the castle, seeing the plot, his being blamed, his escape, hiding in the castle, helping Katherine after the attack by the soldiers? In the forest, his accent, Katherine as his brother? The final heroics, confrontations and fights? The happy ending?
8. The Saxons, their ambitions towards Camelot, the representative at the joust, in league with Edmund? Edmund’s soldiers disguised as Saxons to attack Arthur? The final, the Saxons killing Edmund?
9. The limping man, sinister, firing his arrow, not killing Arthur, the later attacks, his death?
10. The local people, the doctor attending Arthur? The blacksmith and his men in the forest? The monks, the prior and his eventually shielding Robert and Katherine, the monk who betrayed them? The tradesman betraying them in the marketplace?
11. Merlin, his age and experience, being captured by Edmund, his defiance, his presiding at the establishing of Katherine as queen?
12. A contribution to the popular images of Camelot?
