Lancelot of the Lake (1974)

King Arthur learns about his wife's, Queen Guinevere, affair with Lancelot, who at the same time remains loyal to the king, particularly after Arthur's traitorous nephew Mordred commits an attempt on his life.

Director:

Robert Bresson

Stars:

Luc Simon, Laura Duke Condominas, Humbert Balsan

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luc Simon	...	Lancelot du Lac
Laura Duke Condominas	...	La Reine (The Queen)
Humbert Balsan	...	Gauvain
Vladimir Antolek-Oresek	...	Le Roi (The King)
Patrick Bernhard	...	Mordred (as Patrick Bernard)
Arthur De Montalembert	...	Lionel
Charles Balsan
Christian Schlumberger
Joseph-Patrick Le Quidre
Jean-Paul Leperlier
Marie-Louise Buffet
Marie-Gabrielle Cartron
Antoine Rabaud
Jean-Marie Becar
Guy de Bernis

Storyline

A million miles away from 'Camelot' or 'Excalibur', this film ruthlessly strips the Arthurian legend down to its barest essentials. Arthur's knights, far from being heroic, are conniving and greedy men who, just before the film starts, have failed miserably to find the Holy Grail. Aimlessly resentful at first, the developing relationship between Lancelot and Queen Guinevere focuses their rage, leading to inevitable tragedy...

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Plot Keywords:

nihilism | pessimism | misanthropy | despair | hopelessness | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Lee Daniel, Richard Linklater's director of photography, stated that this film's long tracking shots had a great influence on the long takes in Slacker (1990).

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Goofs

When the knight is stabbed in the gut, the blood is visibly coming from the sword instead of the wound.

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Quotes

La Reine (The Queen): Take this heart, take this soul. They belong to you.
Lancelot du Lac: It is your body I want.
La Reine (The Queen): Take this forbidden body. Take it, revive it.

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Connections

Referenced in Love on the Run (1979)

User Reviews

Camelot's demise, minimalist-style

Robert Bresson utilized a minimalist style in film, one that if anything brought more emphasis to the subtexts of his works. In this wonderful film, his focus is on the end of Camelot, and the death that accompanies it. The film itself it indescribable, relying almost completely on its style to convey its message. That said, I think it's a must see. Especially for fans of French cinema and the Arthurian legend.

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

31 May 1974 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Lancelot of the Lake

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mara Films, Laser Productions, Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1