This was the first time I've seen Guinevere portrayed as a woman with thoughts, convictions and prowess rather than just King Arthur's adulterous wife. I am a fan of King Arthur and have seen many versions of the legend but this one truly stands out in every good way. The story, which I will shortly detail, is rich and original. History buffs and folk-tale lovers will appreciate the tension between pagan religious authorities and Christian clery. Magic and mystery become entwined with duty and destiny. The 1990s cinematography looks grainy but lends itself to the ancient time just before knights and Crusades and incredible wealth, appropriated from foreign lands, transformed England into the bastion of landed aristocrats.
Arthur is portrayed more as a man than a magician. He is young, green, and makes many mistakes which he is grateful to his wife, Guineviere for helping him through without judging him but without slavishly bowing to his charms and every whim. Guin is proud of her heritage and devoted to her people. She conducts herself as a wise queen, delivering a very passionate speech comparing herself to the other warrior-queens of Britain. Despite Morgan Le Fay's mystical powers and anger towards her, Guin carries herself gracefully against her enemy, using cunning rather than fighting to achieve her aims.
The story begins with the death of Guin's mother while her father, the Christian king of Camelot is fighting off multiple local warlords. He sends young Guin off to a "sanctuary" run by high priestess Morgan Le Fey, a faithful devotee of the moon goddess, who is also the revered leader of multiple powerful pagan tribes.
Guin grows up alongside Lancelot and eventually they fall in love. One day Merlin arrives with news that Arthur is going to unite all of Britain causing a stir and setting off the conflict that will govern the rest of the movie. Morgan despises Arthur and wants Guin and Lancelot to oppose him. Guin, now a young woman, is torn between returning to her father to assist in the peace process of staying with Lancelot and his adoptive mother, Morgan. Now Morgan shows her true colors. She forces the young couple to take a blood oath to marry according to the pagan way. However Guin runs off pursued by Lancelot and Morgan. She abandons them and returns to her kingdom of Camelot believing strongly that peace and a unified Britain are what is right.
Behind the scenes, Morgan manipulates the pagan kings against Arthur and Guin, even seducing Arthur through black magic, to further weaken him. Merlin, portrayed as an old but wise man, acts as a mentor guiding the young couple back to their true ideals rather than just telling them what to do or by casting spells.
Although there are some very fanciful scenes, they serve to enhance Guin's strength, wisdom and perseverance. She sets a very good example for young women who want to strike a balance between independence and loyalty to others including husbands, families, or others.
No, this is not a sexy Hollywood version of Guin, with long flowing blonde hair, sonnets, and an amazing period-drama wardrobe. This is a gritty young woman with choppy hair, outstanding swordsmanship and unbreakable virtue. I thought the story was exciting and developed the characters motives and fears extremely well while arcing them toward authentic satisfying conclusions.
Recommended audiences are for high school History teachers to view with their students as it will elicit a lot of discussion and questions about this interesting period in British history. Also viewers who like epics with a fresh story.
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