The Born King
By James Andrawes
King Arthur is a great legend that has been told numerous times in cinema and TV history. The story of a boy/man who pulls a sword from a stone to become the ruler of England as he finds his place in the world. It is a legend that is common in the modern age of blockbusters where the hero rises to power to defeat the big villain. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword isn’t a perfect film but it is different because of how it’s characters, story, sounds and visuals join meld together to create a film that is a retold legend risen anew to stand out amongst the everyday blockbuster.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is King Arthur, the story of a boy who takes the test of trying to remove Excalibur from the stone and become the rightful king and his destiny is thrust upon him. In this version, however, the new king is his clearly evil uncle Vortigen and Arthur lives in London where he and his small gang help those on the street who can’t help themselves. Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, the reason for the stone existing is different and quite smart, and he is then set on a path of finding out who he really is, curing his nightmares and deciding whether he is fighting for himself or for the people he is chosen to lead.
Excalibur is a famous sword, one that is a sign of power, leadership and strength. It is a sword that can only be used by those worthy, those who can take on any task whether that be for themselves or for others. To wield Excalibur is to defend not just your own world but the world of others, it is your weight to carry and only those who have the inner strength to wield such a blade can be its rightful wielder. That is the story that this film tells, this is the evolution of, Charlie Hunam’s character who he plays brilliantly, Arthur Pen Dragon and I think that this is the best telling it has ever seen. You don’t just root for Arthur, you feel the weight that he has to bear. You don’t feel it in a way that is normal to film because this film is both emotional and really quite badass, you know in a Die Hard meets Game of Thrones way. Arthur’s tale isn’t just a tale of a boy who would be king, it’s an analysis of what that journey is, why one would take on such a journey and what the journeygoer is doing it for.
Yes, the overall story of the film does end up being a slight mess as a lot of time seems to pass and there are many montages, which is good and bad, that show events happening quickly rather than you experiencing them first hand. The film, however, does a great job of grabbing you and taking you along for the ride. Its fast, its funny, it is fantastic and it’s furiously frantic pacing is perfectly fitted for the ferociously fun and emotional two hours and six-minute story. You’re probably thinking why so many F’s, well I was thinking that too when I was reading the reviews for this film. It appears that people don’t seem to grasp what King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is trying to be. It’s not a film that is supposed to be the great medieval story of ages, it isn’t meant to be the film equivalent of Game of Thrones. Legend of the Sword instead exists on it’s own plateau where it stands strong by being a film that tells this huge story of a well-known character inside the pages of a blockbuster film that would be absolute trash if it’s focus was purely on King Arthur defeating evil and taking back Camelot. At a distance, or without paying attention, that is what the film is to many but reading into it you can see the fear that Arthur has inside of him as he doesn’t truly know who or what he is. He isn’t truly fearful until he starts to learn of his destiny and his memories that he’s tried to keep at bay start to creep through the cracks as he fights the evil that plans to engulf him, even the finally battle is more of a personal battle than simply a battle for the kingdom, and his homeland.
Arthur cares about everyone in the film and his friends, his gang, is what adds another layer to the film. Simply watch them try and take down the power of King Vortigen is enough fun for one film. There is a sequence where they plan to assassinate the king and they are chased through the streets of London. In this sequence, they aren’t doing parkour or over the top things because they are simply average guys trying to do the right thing. They’re planning distractions, running out of breath and fighting for their lives until they can’t run any further and the final part of this sequence is an awesome small and emotional action scene that ends with a funny realistic joke that truly captures the spirit of the film and the situation. It’s moments like these in the film that makes it a good film to watch because it never gets boring. I never found myself uninterested in a particular part of the plot.
The visuals and sound of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword are also a feat in itself as the score is amazing, I’ve had it on repeat for the last two weeks, and the fast-paced cinematography/visual effects are a treat to look at. The score, by Daniel Pemberton, sets the tone for the film’s emotional and fun moments brings you into the film with a better sense of how important the scene is. I saw it in 3D, which I was a bit on edge about because I normally only see 3D films if it’s IMAX because it’s usually an awful experience otherwise, I can safely say I’ll buy this in 3D when it comes out as the effects were well detailed and clearly planned out to make the best use of the screen. You have the music of the score, which is amazing work by Daniel Pemberton, playing quickly and emotionally whilst also having the sound of swords and shields clashing and then pieces of debris flying on the screen to create a depth of field that like a visual art piece built in front of you that you could just walk into. This is all because of the director, Guy Ritchie, perfect planning of scenes and editing of montages to create moments that are a thrill to watch.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword may not be this overall perfect film that most people expect and maybe it could’ve been the next Game of Thrones style show but instead of that we have a blockbuster that is focused on a character developing within a huge story. Its story might be farfetched to those not interested in it but it hit a chord in me and became a film that I wouldn’t have expected to love so much. The world of King Arthur may not be explored again for some time, due to its box office failing, but maybe the devil is in the detail and the film The Legend of the Sword will be the tale of those who will forget it and those who believe it could still be destined for greatness.