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King Arthur

  • 20042004
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
167K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,628
287
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Ioan Gruffudd, Keira Knightley, and Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
Director's Cut TV Post
Play trailer0:16
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Drama
A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
167K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,628
287
  • Director
    • Antoine Fuqua
  • Writer
    • David Franzoni
  • Stars
    • Clive Owen
    • Stephen Dillane
    • Keira Knightley
Top credits
  • Director
    • Antoine Fuqua
  • Writer
    • David Franzoni
  • Stars
    • Clive Owen
    • Stephen Dillane
    • Keira Knightley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 955User reviews
    • 94Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos3

    King Arthur
    Trailer 0:16
    King Arthur
    King Arthur
    Trailer 2:10
    King Arthur
    King Arthur
    Trailer 2:03
    King Arthur

    Photos300

    Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
    Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
    Mads Mikkelsen in King Arthur (2004)
    Keira Knightley and Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
    Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
    Hugh Dancy, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Clive Owen, Ray Stevenson, and Ray Winstone in King Arthur (2004)
    Hugh Dancy, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Clive Owen, and Ray Stevenson in King Arthur (2004)
    Stephen Dillane in King Arthur (2004)
    Hugh Dancy, Joel Edgerton, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Clive Owen, and Ray Stevenson in King Arthur (2004)
    Keira Knightley and Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
    Hugh Dancy, Clive Owen, Ken Stott, and Ray Winstone in King Arthur (2004)
    Keira Knightley in King Arthur (2004)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Clive Owen
    Clive Owen
    • Arthuras Arthur
    Stephen Dillane
    Stephen Dillane
    • Merlinas Merlin
    Keira Knightley
    Keira Knightley
    • Guinevereas Guinevere
    Ioan Gruffudd
    Ioan Gruffudd
    • Lancelotas Lancelot
    Mads Mikkelsen
    Mads Mikkelsen
    • Tristanas Tristan
    Joel Edgerton
    Joel Edgerton
    • Gawainas Gawain
    Hugh Dancy
    Hugh Dancy
    • Galahadas Galahad
    Ray Winstone
    Ray Winstone
    • Borsas Bors
    Ray Stevenson
    Ray Stevenson
    • Dagonetas Dagonet
    Stellan Skarsgård
    Stellan Skarsgård
    • Cerdicas Cerdic
    Til Schweiger
    Til Schweiger
    • Cynricas Cynric
    Sean Gilder
    Sean Gilder
    • Jolsas Jols
    Pat Kinevane
    Pat Kinevane
    • Hortonas Horton
    Ivano Marescotti
    Ivano Marescotti
    • Bishop Germaniusas Bishop Germanius
    Ken Stott
    Ken Stott
    • Marius Honoriusas Marius Honorius
    Lorenzo De Angelis
    • Alectoas Alecto
    Stefania Orsola Garello
    • Fulciniaas Fulcinia
    Alan Devine
    Alan Devine
    • British Scoutas British Scout
    • Director
      • Antoine Fuqua
    • Writer
      • David Franzoni
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Stellan Skarsgård turned the role of Cerdic down three times before director Antoine Fuqua was able to persuade him to take it. Fuqua never approached any other actor for the part.
    • Goofs
      Pelagius did not advance a theory of political freedom, but resisted the doctrine of original sin, arguing that one was able to perform good works and achieve salvation by sinlessness alone without requiring spiritual Grace. It was declared a heresy of the Roman Church in 418 A.D.
    • Quotes

      Lancelot: You look frightened. There's a large number of lonely men out there.

      Guinevere: Don't worry, I won't let them rape you.

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits, not even the production company and studio bumpers, only the title.
    • Alternate versions
      The film was originally envisioned and shot as an R-rated piece with corresponding graphic violence. However, after the picture had been edited, Disney executives demanded it be changed to a PG-13, hence necessitating a lot of effects work to remove the blood from the battle scenes. Additionally, a number of scenes were removed and rearranged, and some new scenes were added. In total, the Director's Cut runs roughly 15 minutes longer than the theatrical cut. These additions include:
      • the scene where young Lancelot (Elliot Henderson-Boyle) leaves his village in longer.
      • a scene of young Arthur (Shane Murray-Corcoran) with his mother (Stephanie Putson), and then a scene where he discusses freedom with Pelagius (Owen Teale) whilst he watches the young Lancelot arrive on the hilltop.
      • during the first battle, aside from the additional blood that was digitally removed from the theatrical version, numerous quick shots have been added. These include: Picts dragging Romans off their horses and killing them; a Pict slashing at a horse with his sword, causing it to fall; a Pict decapitating a soldier and holding his head aloft, only to be beheaded himself from behind; a Pict hit with an arrow; a Pict impaled on a spear; a Pict hit in the back with an arrow whilst trying to get to the Bishop; a scene of a Pict being hit in the eye with an arrow; a scene of Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd) decapitating a Pict by using his swords like a scissors; a scene of Bors (Ray Winstone) fighting with his 'gloved knives'; a scene of Bors stabbing a Pict in the throat.
      • after the battle, in the theatrical version, the fake bishop (Bosco Hogan) has an arrow in his chest; in the Director's Cut, it is in his head.
      • a scene where the knights approach the real Germanius (Ivano Marescotti) with their weapons drawn, before realizing that all is well and sheathing them.
      • the conversation between Germanius and Arthur (Clive Owen) is longer.
      • a scene of the knights toasting their fallen comrades at the Round Table.
      • a scene where Germanius visits the knights as they prepare to leave, and they show him their disapproval of the mission.
      • the Director's Cut does not contain the scene where the knights sit around a camp fire talking about their prospective lives in Sarmatia.
      • a scene where some dead soldiers are found on the side of the road.
      • a conversation between Lancelot and Guinevere (Keira Knightley) about England and the weather.
      • another conversation between Lancelot and Guinevere, this time at night, where they discuss family and faith. The scene ends with Lancelot telling her he would have left her in the dungeon.
      • the first conversation between Merlin (Stephen Dillane) and Arthur has been edited differently with different takes used.
      • an aerial shot of Hadrian's Wall
      • a scene where Dagonet (Ray Stevenson) is buried.
      • a scene of Bors sitting at Dagonet's grave, getting drunk.
      • the sex scene between Guinevere and Arthur is in a different place in both versions of the film. In the theatrical version, Arthur is seen in full battle armor, examining the broken image of Pelagius, when he is alerted that the Saxons are heading towards Hadrian's Wall. He runs outside, but when he appears, he is hastily putting on his shirt, and his hair is disheveled, thus creating something of a continuity error. The sex scene follows this scene. In the Director's Cut however, after the conversation between Arthur and Guinevere where they discuss his morality, they begin to have sex only to be interrupted with the news of the Saxons. The scene then cuts to Arthur appearing on the wall, putting on his shirt. As such, the scene where he is examining Pelagius's image is absent from the Director's Cut. The scenes have been edited together differently as well, with the sex scene in the Director's Cut being slightly longer than the theatrical version.
      • a scene where Cynric (Til Schweiger) is demoted for his failure during the ice battle. His frustration is much to Cerdic's (Stellan Skarsgård) amusement.
      • a scene of the knights leaving Hadrian's Wall amidst hundreds of small fires set by the Saxons.
      • the scene of the confused Saxons in the fog is longer, with more Saxons being chopped down, including one having his arm severed.
      • the scene of the sole Saxon survivor (Joe McKinney) running back to the Saxons is longer.
      • during the final battle, aside from the additional blood that was digitally removed from the theatrical version, numerous quick shots have been added. These include: a scene of a Saxon impaled by an ax in his chest; a scene of Guinevere stabbing a fallen adversary; a scene of a Saxon being stabbed in the throat; a scene of Guinevere stabbing a Saxon in his crotch; a scene of Arthur ramming his sword into a Saxon's throat; a scene of Gawain (Joel Edgerton) being shot in the chest with an arrow and pulling it out; the scene of several female warriors overpowering a Saxon is much longer and more violent as the women begin to literally tear him to pieces; a scene of Tristan (Mads Mikkelsen) slowly approaching Cerdic; a scene of Bors being stabbed in the back but continuing to fight; a scene of Ganis (Charlie Creed-Miles) fighting a Saxon inside the Wall; a scene where a Saxon is stabbed in the face; the battle between Tristan and Cerdic is longer and more graphic; the scene of Lancelot being wounded is in slow motion; the scene of Cerdic's death is longer and includes a new conclusion where he and Lancelot crawl towards one another and Lancelot stabs him through the throat; the fight between Cerdic and Arthur is slightly longer, with Arthur stabbing Cerdic a final time after Cerdic has whispered Arthur's name.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: King Arthur/Sleepover/America's Heart & Soul (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Amergin's Invocation
      Composed by Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy

      Courtesy of Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Australia)

    User reviews955

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The legend?
    I have been a huge King Arthur fan ever since the night that I sat in an empty theater, in my hometown, awestruck by John Boorman's Excalibur.

    Since then, I have seen the legend of King Arthur mutilated in films such as First Knight and The Mists of Avalon.

    My high hopes for the movie, King Arthur, were dashed before the film even opened in theaters, by critics who were panning the movie from advanced screenings.

    So, I stayed away while it was in theaters and most definitely passed on special discounts on the week it was released to DVD.

    After finally getting around to renting a copy, I am left with just one burning question - Why in the hell do I listen to movie critics? The movie King Arthur has it all - a tight, well written story, believable characters, gritty realism, a great musical score by Hans Zimmer, epic battles, and more blood and splatter than you probably really wanted to see.

    The bottom line is that King Arthur is a very good film. No, it's not the mythical Camelot, but it does not try to be. Nor, does it trample all over the name of King Arthur by making him a shallow or less than heroic character.

    This is not Braveheart or Gladiator , but it is a film worth seeing and appreciating. Now that I think about, it's worth buying a copy to add to the home video library.
    helpful•410
    173
    • tjacks
    • Jan 8, 2005

    FAQ15

    • What is the battle depicted in the opening montage?
    • What is the inscription on Excalibur?
    • How can Lancelot be narrating when he is dead?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 7, 2004 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
      • Ireland
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
      • Irish Gaelic
      • Welsh
      • Gaelic
    • Also known as
      • King Arthur: Director's Cut
    • Filming locations
      • Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare, Ireland
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • Jerry Bruckheimer Films
      • Green Hills Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $120,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $51,882,244
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $15,193,907
      • Jul 11, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $203,567,857
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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