The story of the marriage of England's King Arthur to Guinevere. The plot of illegitimate Mordred to gain the throne and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, threaten to topple Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights.
On a South Pacific island during World War II, love blooms between a young nurse and a secretive Frenchman who's being courted for a dangerous military mission.
The story of the marriage of England's King Arthur to Guinevere is played out amid the pagentry of Camelot. The plot of illegitimate Modred to gain the throne and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, whom she at first abhors, threaten to topple Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights who would use their might for right.Written by
Ron Kerrigan <mvg@whidbey.com>
About 30 minutes in, a close-up of Guenevere shows her lying on a couch on her stomach, while Arthur is talking. Cut to a long shot of Arthur, still talking, while Guenevere, in the background, is suddenly sitting up, discreetly holding a blanket over her torso. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
A Knight:
The rules of battle are not for Lancelot Du Lac, Your Majesty! Let us attack now while they sleep!
King Arthur:
[firmly]
We will attack when I give the command - at dawn.
[the knight leaves, and Arthur begins to talk to himself]
King Arthur:
Oh, Merlyn, Merlyn, why is Ginny in that castle, behind walls I cannot enter? How did I blunder into this agonizing absurdity? Where did I stumble? How did I go wrong? Should I not have loved her?
[sighs]
King Arthur:
Then I should not have been born! Oh, Merlyn, I haven't got much ...
[...] See more »
Alternate Versions
In the "30th Anniversary Edition" of the film, the opening credits fade out to a discordant, ominous musical note, as if anticipating something tragic about to happen. This is not the case on any other release of "Camelot", including the theatrical releases AND the DVD, in which the orchestral rendition of the song "Camelot" (as heard during the opening credits), fades out softly and peacefully. See more »
Expensive pomp and pageantry with somewhat of a tin ear. King Arthur of England knights prodigious jouster Lancelot, who has seemingly brought his deceased opponent back to life, vaguely aware that wife Lady Guenevere has fallen in love with the handsome hero; meanwhile, Arthur's illegitimate son Mordred schemes to bring down the fellowship of the Round Table. Lerner & Loewe's Tony-winning Broadway musical, adapted from T.H. White's book "The Once and Future King", feels heavy-hearted on the screen, weighted down with ornate songs (unevenly performed) and endless talk. The production is certainly an eyeful, but the (nearly) three-hour running time works against the film--it is just too long and lumbering. Vanessa Redgrave (with a whopper-crop of hair) enacts Guenevere with a slight sneer and a faraway look in her eyes; Richard Harris doesn't create romantic sparks with her, though he does fine with his soliloquies and wears his crown well. Franco Nero remains the biggest casting question-mark as Sir Lancelot...and his singing is by far the most painful. The passion of a sweeping epic is noticeably absent, however there are moments in the picture which do work, aided by the lovely choral orchestrations and the editing in the montages. ** from ****
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Expensive pomp and pageantry with somewhat of a tin ear. King Arthur of England knights prodigious jouster Lancelot, who has seemingly brought his deceased opponent back to life, vaguely aware that wife Lady Guenevere has fallen in love with the handsome hero; meanwhile, Arthur's illegitimate son Mordred schemes to bring down the fellowship of the Round Table. Lerner & Loewe's Tony-winning Broadway musical, adapted from T.H. White's book "The Once and Future King", feels heavy-hearted on the screen, weighted down with ornate songs (unevenly performed) and endless talk. The production is certainly an eyeful, but the (nearly) three-hour running time works against the film--it is just too long and lumbering. Vanessa Redgrave (with a whopper-crop of hair) enacts Guenevere with a slight sneer and a faraway look in her eyes; Richard Harris doesn't create romantic sparks with her, though he does fine with his soliloquies and wears his crown well. Franco Nero remains the biggest casting question-mark as Sir Lancelot...and his singing is by far the most painful. The passion of a sweeping epic is noticeably absent, however there are moments in the picture which do work, aided by the lovely choral orchestrations and the editing in the montages. ** from ****