First Knight

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First Knight
Directed by Jerry Zucker
Produced by Hunt Lowry, Jerry Zucker
Written by William Nicholson
Starring Sean Connery,
Richard Gere,
Julia Ormond
Editing by Walter Murch
Distributed by Sony
Release date(s) July 7, 1995
Language English
IMDb profile

First Knight is a 1995 film based on Arthurian legend. The principal characters are Lancelot (played by Richard Gere), King Arthur (played by Sean Connery) and Guinevere (Julia Ormond). Location shots were filmed in North Wales.


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[edit] Actors and director

The film follows the rogue Lancelot's (played by Richard Gere) romance with Lady Guinevere (played by Julia Ormond) of Leonesse, who is to marry King Arthur (played by Sean Connery) of Camelot. Ben Cross appears as the villain Malagant. The film is notable for its absence of magical elements (like Merlin and Morgan Le Fay), its drawing on the Arthurian material of Chrétien de Troyes rather than Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur for plot elements (Malagant appears in Chrétien's Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart) and the substantial age difference between Arthur and Guinevere.

Director Jerry Zucker made "First Knight" as a follow-up to his Academy Award nominated 1990 hit "Ghost". Previously, he was primarily known for teaming with his brother David Zucker and with Jim Abrahams to create comedies such as "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun".

[edit] Plot details

"From brother to brother, yours in Life and Death."

The movie opens with Lancelot fighting in small villages for money. While travelling to the next village, he chances by the carriage of Lady Guinevere, and helps spoil an ambush meant to kidnap her. Afterwards, Lady Guinevere refuses the advances of Lancelot.

Later, he arrives in Camelot and successfully navigates an obstacle course called the "Gauntlet", which wins him an audience once again with Lady Guinevere, and her husband-to-be, King Arthur. While staying in Camelot, Guinevere is kidnapped by Malagant's followers. In a daring rescue attempt, Lancelot feigns the role of a messenger only to escape with Guinevere and return her to Camelot. Once again, Lancelot tries to win her heart, but is unsuccessful.

Overflowing with gratitude, Arthur makes Lancelot a knight of the round table. Moments before swearing loyalty to his new queen, a messenger from Lyonesse arrives, with dire news that Lyonesse has been attacked by Malagant.

Arthur leads his troops to Lyonesse, successfully defeating Malagant's forces in the process. Upon returning to Camelot, Lancelot feels guilty about his feelings for the queen, and in private announces his departure to her. She grants him a kiss, which turns into a passionate embrace, just in time for the king to interrupt.

Lancelot and Guinevere are charged with treason. The open trial in the great square is interrupted by a surprise coup by Malagant, ready to burn the town and murder Arthur if he does not swear loyalty to Malagant. In his final moments, Arthur commands all present, "To fight! Fight like you've never fought before! Never surrender! Never Surrender! Fight as you never..." and is struck in the chest by four crossbow bolts, after which he says, "Camelot lives!"

The soldiers and citizens of Camelot win the battle, but Arthur dies of his wounds. On his deathbed, he asks Lancelot to "take care of her for me" - a double entendre referring to both Camelot and Lady Guinevere. The movie closes with a funeral raft carrying Arthur's body floating out to sea.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Crew

[edit] Box office

The film managed to earn a domestic gross of $37,600,435 and $90,000,000 in foreign markets. Overall, earning a combined take of $127,600,435 worldwide.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links