Plot Summary
The plot of the movie King Arthur (2004) is set at the beginning of the fifth century, when the Roman Empire was in decline, and its troops were withdrawing from Britain. Arthur, a Roman officer and knight leader, was assigned the task of rescuing Marius Honorius and his family from a potential Saxon invasion (Caswell, 2017). However, he is soon disillusioned with the Roman way of life and later proclaimed King of the Britons after defeating the Saxons and making the Romans retreat. Personally, I was impartial about the movie because the plot is underdeveloped, while the action is subpar; it could have been much more engaging. Besides, the inclusion of the Sarmatians has nothing to do with the Arthur legend.
Medieval vs. Modern Interpretation
After looking at medieval art and comparing it to the image that Hollywood portrays, the difference is quite significant. The art is relatively unexciting and lacks details, while the movies are made in such a way as to capture as much attention as possible. What unites the two is that Hollywood draws heavily on art to create stunning costumes. Most of the movie is shot in darker tones, which aligns with my impression of medieval times. There were many wars and conflicts, diseases, and reliance on religion and myth as the primary sources of knowledge.
Personal Reaction
The movie did not really contribute to my understanding of the medieval period because the character of Arthur remains debated to this day, and it is better to consider the film as fiction rather than fact. However, modern viewers may be interested in it as it illuminates universal themes such as honor, loyalty, and duty. Overall, King Arthur may be a fine film to watch. Still, I would not recommend it as a source for learning about the medieval period due to its blatant historical inaccuracies.
Reference
Caswell, B. (2017). A valiant effort: Antoine Fuqua’s King Arthur (2004).