FIRST KNIGHT: Blu-Ray (Columbia 1995) Sony Home Entertainment

Yet another revisionist take on the fabled legacy of King Arthur's Camelot - this time loosely based on Chretien de Troyes’ Arthurian accounts, Jerry Zucker's First Knight (1995) is a handsomely mounted romance/actioner that treads lightly on ‘history’ and rather heavily on the fanciful wish-fulfillment of its star-crossed lovers. Only in Hollywood could England’s mythical sovereign liege be played by the actor who made James Bond a household world, while Lancelot – foremost at the King’s command and Queen’s pleasure – was as rough-hewn and handy with himself in a pinch as America’s favorite gigolo. If these references seem obscure, it might help to know that Sean Connery is Arthur, and Richard Gere, the handsome knight who ignites a passion to burn bright beyond the glitter of court life. The movie’s central shortcoming is not to be found in William Nicholson's highly literate and compelling screenplay that more or less adheres to the conventional menage a trois mythology of Arthur, Lancelot and Julia Ormond’s slinky Guinevere, adding just enough provisos to re-freshen this tale as old as time with one or two new twists. No, the flaw remains in the miscasting of Richard Gere as Sir Lancelot. Not only does Gere speak his part without an English or even French accent (Lancelot DuLac was, of course, French), but his whole demeanor suggests a jarring contemporary, and painfully sacrilegious 'cowabunga' surfer dude bravura, wholly out of touch with the timelessness of his character.

First Knight’s opening tableau outlines Arthur's victorious return from battle, his dedication to establishing a peaceful utopia where all are welcome and encouraged to be prosperous and live in everlasting peace and harmony. Naturally, Arthur's Shangri-la on earth appeals not only to his own constituents, but outsiders as well. A fly in the ointment is Malagant (Ben Cross), a knight of the round table who rebels to seek the throne of England for his own. Meanwhile, it has been decided Arthur will marry Guinevere, a queen to her region's peoples all but extinguished from their lands by Malagant's forces. En route to Camelot Guinevere and Lancelot's paths cross. He saves her from the first of many near fatal ambushes by Malagant's men. Lancelot then pursues Guinevere on a romantic plain. Alas, his initial advances are heartily spurned. As luck would have it, Lancelot and Guinevere meet again, this time in Camelot where Lancelot finagles a kiss from the lady fair under Arthur's watchful eye. Impressed by Lancelot's reckless courage, Arthur shows him the Round Table - the emblem of Camelot's brotherhood. Guinevere is kidnapped by Malagant's followers forcing Lancelot to come to her aid yet again. This, he does in spectacular fashion, winning Arthur's gratitude but still not the lady's heart.

Arthur appoints Lancelot to Malagant's old post at the Round Table under ample protests from the remaining knights, each suspicious of Lancelot's vanity and his affections for Guinevere. Surely love undone will bring about an end to Arthur's peaceful domain. Nevertheless, and despite Guinevere's growing affections for Lancelot, Arthur weds Guinevere. However, there is little time for rejoicing or lovemaking. A messenger arrives from Leonesse to inform the King and Queen that Malagant's forces have conquered and lane waste to various provinces. Arthur leads Lancelot and the rest of his knights into battle. They are victorious against Malagant and his soldiers. Once more, Lancelot distinguishes himself in battle – a most valliant friend. However, Lancelot has been reformed by this experience and soon begins to harbor guilt over his gnawing romantic feelings toward the queen.

By now, Guinevere has hopelessly fallen for Lancelot - a romantic tragedy that culminates with Arthur stumbling upon the two locked in a passionate embrace. Despite their protestations, Lancelot and the queen are charged with treason. However, during their public trial, Malagant resurfaces in a surprise attack. The terms of his invasion are stay and surrender. But Arthur encourages his people to rise up and fight for the preservation of their personal rights and freedoms instead. Malagant's men fatally wound Arthur with their crossbows and Lancelot - free of his chains - chooses to fight for Arthur's Camelot by seizing the king's fallen sword, Excalibur. In the penultimate battle, Lancelot is victorious yet again, slaying Malagant and thus, all future threats to the kingdom. A dying Arthur places Lancelot's hand in Guinevere's, urging his most valiant knight to oversee the safety of both his queen and country. Arthur's body is placed on a funeral pyre and set adrift, allowing the lovers their moment to pay homage to the man who, inadvertently, brought them together.

First Knight has more than its share of detractors, perhaps rather unfairly to be criticized for indulging the time-honored clichés of the Arthurian legend. At least, in part, the absence of that tradition allows Zucker to reexamine the tale on his own terms. More often than not, he never oversteps those invisible boundaries to create something that is untrue to the Arthurian legacy. And Connery's interpretation of Arthur is impressive - perhaps not surprisingly so. After all, the actor's cache has always been larger-than-life. Julia Ormond's understated performance as Guinevere deserved mention. As a woman internally conflicted by her very different emotional attachments to two men, Ormond amply delivers both subtlety and substance. But perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Nicholson screenplay is its flawed buddy/buddy dynamic between Arthur and Lancelot - men of honor obviously enamored with each other's station in life but unable to allow jealousy to entirely replace that code of moral integrity they obviously share. First Knight may not be perfect entertainment, but it does exercise a fair amount of featherweight pleasure for the average film goer. The period costumes and sets have impeccable detailing. Jerry Goldsmith's score is appropriately fanciful, romanticized and exhilarating where propriety demands. In the final analysis, this is a solid film with many earthly delights to explore.

Sony's Blu-Ray disc delivers the goods. The hi-def master, one of Sony’s earliest forays into Blu-ray, still holds up under today’s scrutiny, and, exhibits a truly refined image. Colors are bright and pop. Flesh tones are naturally realized. Contrast is pitch perfect, although there is minor black crush during scenes taking place at night. The 5.1 DTS is ample and aggressive, with center-placed dialogue and solid spatial separation between SFX and underscore. Extras are confined to all of the supplements, previously made available on Sony’s DVD. These include two informative and diverse audio commentaries, and, three featurettes, cumulatively to add up to a ‘making of’. Of these, only the last one, entitled 'In Shining Armor' is worthy of a glance. Bottom line: recommended!

FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)

3.5

VIDEO/AUDIO

4.5

EXTRAS

3