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My first viewing of this film adaptation was an enjoyable enough experience, during which I took in some of its more favourable elements such as the impressive clothing and settings. I did however watch with a strong apprehension, having read the book before seeing the mini-series; I didn't hold out much hope for a faithful adaptation.
I recently re-watched it, and I believe this apprehension was justified, as I could not, unfortunately, see past the bad elements. I cringe when I think that people who haven't read the original book might think that the story of the film was the story that Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote. The book was profound, and it stood out as a new feminine perspective of the Arthurian legend, taking all the exaggerated mythical magic, deception and melodrama and turning them into believable humanity, with a respectful portrayal of spirituality both Christian and Pagan.
One can't expect too much from a made-for-TV version of any story. Quite often they are glamourised so that very little subtlety shows, and the whole turns out to be obvious and even cheesy. I understand this, and I just wish that they had not bothered to make a mini-series of this wonderful book. It seemed to take a step backwards into those exaggerated myths of old, with treachery and villains added in, distracting the viewer from the worthwhile plot. I can only hope that the film might engage people's curiosity into reading the book. I encourage you to do this - you'll be pleasantly surprised.
score 3/10
heliamphora 7 January 2003
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0725580/ |
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26-1-2021 00:49:11