First Knight (1995)

Director:

Jerry Zucker

Writers (WGA):

Lorne Cameron (story) &
David Hoselton (story) ...

Release Date:

7 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Their greatest battle would be for her love.

Plot:

Lancelot falls in love with Guinevere, who is due to be married to King Arthur. Meanwhile, a violent warlord tries to seize power from Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

Plot Keywords:

King Arthur | Marriage | Age Difference | Kidnapping | Box Office Flop

Cast

Sean Connery	...	King Arthur
Richard Gere	...	Lancelot
Julia Ormond	...	Guinevere
Ben Cross	...	Prince Malagant
Liam Cunningham	...	Agravaine
Christopher Villiers	...	Sir Kay
Valentine Pelka	...	Sir Patrise
Colin McCormack	...	Sir Mador
Ralph Ineson	...	Ralf
John Gielgud	...	Oswald
Stuart Bunce	...	Peter, King's Stableman
Jane Robbins	...	Elise
Jean Marie Coffey	...	Petronella
Paul Kynman	...	Mark
Tom Lucy	...	Sir Sagramore

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some brutal medieval battles.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #33590) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | France:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 (w) | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

During filming, Richard Gere and his then wife Cindy Crawford took out an ad in the London Times scotching rumors as to the state of their marriage. A week after filming was completed, the couple made an announcement that their marriage was over.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Evidence of lawnmowers visible when Arthur's knights charge Maligant's forces after they attack the fake camp.

Quotes:

Arthur: You risked your life for another. There is no greater love.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2006-11-28)" (2006)

A beautiful and touching movie

I am proud to say this movie is among my top 15 of all time, along with The Godfather I and II, Shawshank, Amadeus and It's A Wonderful Life. It is not a "chick flick", nor is it an empty-headed Richard Gere movie. This movie is a compelling love triangle between King Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot, while also being an exciting action-adventure involving a traitor to Camelot who threatens to destroy it literally and figuratively.

Sean Connery is perfectly cast and superb as King Arthur. Richard Gere is often criticized as a poor choice for Lancelot because of his age, but come on! The whole story is a medieval fantasy. If Gere is 8 or 10 years older than he really should be in the movie, who cares? We're not telling a true story here. He seems a little awkward a choice in the beginning but ultimately gives a great, fantastic at times, performance. Julia Ormond is who really elevates this movie. She is stunning and radiant as Guinevere, the compassionate and brave Lady of Lioness. Every medieval word and mannerism she produces is believable.

Action fans will not be disappointed as this film has some amazing sequences, especially when Richard Gere runs the gauntlet. Zucker really lets go in the battles, also. Ben Cross plays a great villain.

The end of this movie is one of the more moving scenes I've ever seen. The performances by Connery, Ormond and Gere up to that point make what could have been silly or forced seem touching and beautiful.

First Knight is a great and underrated film, not to be missed. It's a simple story that doesn't require a lot of analysis or understanding of folklore and mythology to enjoy. Give it a chance!