First Knight (1995)
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A rogue swordsman finds himself caught between his growing love for a queen and his loyalty to the king who offers him a place of honor.
The story
King Arthur of Camelot seeks to marry and promote justice, but faces a threat from Malagant, a former Knight of the Round Table who desires the throne. Meanwhile, Lancelot, a skilled vagabond swordsman, encounters Guinevere, the young ruler of Lyonesse, who is set to marry Arthur for security. After Lancelot rescues Guinevere from Malagant's ambush, he falls in love with her, though she remains bound by her duty to the king. Lancelot eventually arrives in Camelot, where he wins an audience with Arthur and is impressed by the king's philosophy of service.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
King Arthur of Camelot seeks to marry and promote justice, but faces a threat from Malagant, a former Knight of the Round Table who desires the throne. Lancelot, a skilled vagabond swordsman, encounters Guinevere, the young ruler of Lyonesse, who is set to marry Arthur for security. After Lancelot rescues Guinevere from Malagant's ambush, he falls in love with her, though she remains bound by her duty to the king. Lancelot arrives in Camelot, wins an audience with Arthur, and is impressed by the king's philosophy. That night, Malagant's henchmen kidnap Guinevere. Lancelot follows, poses as a messenger, and rescues her. Arthur offers Lancelot a place as a Knight of the Round Table, which he accepts. Arthur and Guinevere wed, but Malagant invades Lyonesse. Arthur defeats him, and Lancelot wins the respect of the other Knights. Guilty of his feelings for the queen, Lancelot announces his departure, but Guinevere asks for a kiss, leading to a passionate embrace interrupted by the king. They are charged with treason. A surprise invasion by Malagant occurs; Arthur is shot with crossbows. Lancelot faces off against Malagant, seizes Arthur's fallen sword, and kills him. Arthur dies of his wounds, naming Lancelot his successor and asking him to care for Guinevere.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jerry Zucker
- Writers
- William Nicholson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sean Connery · King Arthur; Richard Gere · Lancelot; Julia Ormond · Guinevere; Ben Cross · Malagant
- Genres
- historical drama; action; romantic drama; war drama
- Themes
- Duty vs. Desire; Brotherhood; Justice; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Historical; Dramatic; Epic
- Premise and plot tags
- Arthurian Legend; Knight; Romance; Medieval; War
- Source material / true-story basis
- Arthurian legend and the material of Chrétien de Troyes
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics describing it as an unimaginative reimagining that lacked realism and suffered from miscasting and a lack of romance.
- Production trivia
- The film is noteworthy for its absence of magical elements.; Jerry Goldsmith was hired as a last-minute replacement for Maurice Jarre.; The score was recorded in only three and a half days.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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