King Arthur
A USA movie poster for King Arthur
Directed by	Antoine Fuqua
Produced by	Jerry Bruckheimer
Written by	David Franzoni
Starring	Clive Owen Ioan Gruffudd Mads Mikkelsen Joel Edgerton Keira Knightley Ray Winstone Stephen Dillane Stellan Skarsgård Til Schweiger
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Cinematography	Slawomir Idziak
Editing by	Conrad Buff Jamie Pearson
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s)	July 7, 2004
Running time	126 min. 140 min. (director's cut)
Language	English
Budget	$90,000,000 US (est.)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

King Arthur is a 2004 epic film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character. Download high resolution version (550x815, 157 KB)King Arthur movie poster, deemed fair use This work is copyrighted. ... Antoine Fuqua (born January 19, 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an African-American film director of such films as The Replacement Killers with Chow Yun Fat, Bait with Jamie Foxx, Training Day with Denzel Washington, Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis and King Arthur with Clive Owen. ... Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1945) is a film and television producer in the genre of action, drama, and science fiction. ... David Franzoni is a screenwriter. ... Clive Owen (born October 3, 1964) is a Golden Globe and BAFTA winning critically acclaimed English actor, now a regular performer in Hollywood and independent American films. ... Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced , yoe-an gri-fidh) (born October 6, 1973) is a British actor from Wales. ...   is a Danish actor. ... Joel Edgerton is an Australian actor born on 23 June 1974 in Sydney, Australia. ... Keira Christina Knightley (pronounced IPA: ;[1] born 26 March 1985) is an English[2] film and television actress. ... Raymond Andrew Winstone (born February 19, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning English film and television actor. ... Stephen Dillane (born 30 November 1956) is a Tony Award-winning British actor. ... Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd (help· info) (born June 13, 1951, Gothenburg, Sweden) is a Swedish actor. ... Til Schweiger Til Schweiger (born Tilman Valentin Schweiger, December 19, 1963, in Freiburg, Germany) is a German actor, director, and producer. ... Hans Florian Zimmer (born September 12, 1957) is an Academy Award, Grammy, and Golden Globe award-winning film score composer from Germany. ... Slawomir Idziak was born January 25, 1945 in Katowice, Poland. ... The Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group is a collection of affiliated motion picture studios, all subsidaries of The Walt Disney Company. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The epic film is a film genre typically featuring expensive production values, an emotionally moving music soundtrack, and dramatic themes. ... Antoine Fuqua (born January 19, 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an African-American film director of such films as The Replacement Killers with Chow Yun Fat, Bait with Jamie Foxx, Training Day with Denzel Washington, Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis and King Arthur with Clive Owen. ... David Franzoni is a screenwriter. ... Clive Owen (born October 3, 1964) is a Golden Globe and BAFTA winning critically acclaimed English actor, now a regular performer in Hollywood and independent American films. ...

The makers of the film claim to present a historically accurate version of the Arthurian legends, supposedly inspired by new archaeological findings. The accuracy of these claims is subject to debate, but the film is unusual in representing Arthur as a Roman soldier rather than a medieval knight. The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, centering around King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... For other uses, see Knight (disambiguation) or Knights (disambiguation). ...

A historical approach to the Arthurian legends had already been showcased in film once - in Arthur of the Britons, a 1972-1973 British TV series, and King Arthur, The Young Warlord, a movie-length compilation of some of its episodes. Arthur of the Britons was a short-lived (1972–1973) but fondly remembered British television show about the historical King Arthur. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ...

Plot

Arthur, also known as Artorius Castus (Clive Owen), is portrayed as a Roman cavalry officer and commander, the son of a Roman father and a Celtic mother, who leads a military force of Sarmatian cavalry in Britain at the close of the Roman occupation in 467 A.D. He and his men guard Hadrian's Wall against the "Woads", a Celtic people who resist Roman rule, based on the historical Picts^[1], led by their mysterious leader Merlin. He is not the first Arthur - over the years, many of his ancestors have manned the Wall, leading Sarmatian auxiliaries. For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ... Lucius Artorius Castus (fl. ... Clive Owen (born October 3, 1964) is a Golden Globe and BAFTA winning critically acclaimed English actor, now a regular performer in Hollywood and independent American films. ... This article is about the European people. ... Sarmatia Europea in Scythia map 1697 AD Sarmatia Europæa separated from Sarmatia Asiatica by the Tanais (the River Don), based on Greek literary sources, in a map printed in London, ca 1770 Great steppe in early spring. ... Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ... Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... Hadrians Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of modern-day England. ... This article is about the European people. ... A replica of the Hilton of Cadboll Stone. ... Merlin Ambrosius (Welsh: Myrddin Emrys (Merlin the Wise); also known as Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the Wild), Merlin Caledonensis (Scottish Merlin), Merlinus, and Merlyn) is the personage best known as the mighty wizard featured in Arthurian legends, starting with Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae. ... Sarmatian Cataphract Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae (the second form is mostly used by the earlier Greek writers, the other by the later Greeks and the Romans) were a people whom Herodotus (4. ...

As the film starts, Arthur and his remaining men Lancelot (whose voiceover is heard at the beginning and end), Bors, Tristan, Gawain, Galahad and Dagonet - are expecting discharge from the service of the Empire after faithfully serving for 15 years (Lancelot's entry into service as a youth in 452 A.D. is depicted at the very beginning of the film). However, they are dispatched on a final and possibly suicidal mission by Bishop Germanius of Auxerre in the freezing winter to rescue an important Roman family, which includes the Pope's godson, from impending capture by the invading Saxons, who are led by their chief Cerdic and his son Cynric. The knights are charged with this rescue because Rome is retiring from Britain, now considered an indefensible outpost. For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ... In Arthurian Legend, Sir Bors was a Knight of the Round Table. ... This article is about the Knight of the Round Table. ... Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Gawain (Gwalchmei, Gawan, Gauvain, Walewein etc. ... For other uses, see Galahad (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Germanus of Auxerre (378–31 July 448) became bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. ... For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Imaginary depiction of Cerdic from John Speeds 1611 Saxon Heptarchy. Cerdic of Wessex (d. ... Cynric of Wessex ruled as king of Wessex from 534 to 560. ...

In the course of this mission, Arthur encounters and rescues a Woadish princess, Guinevere (Keira Knightley), from the imprisonment and torture by the Roman citizen he is charged with rescuing. Guinevere reveals that she is the daughter of Merlin, and Arthur himself is revealed to be half Celt (on his mother's) side. His famous sword, Excalibur, is also shown to be his father's, which he drew from the tombstone on Pendragon's burial mound as a boy (inspiring the legend of the Sword in the Stone) in an effort to rescue his mother who died during an attack. For other uses, see Guinevere (disambiguation). ... Keira Christina Knightley (pronounced IPA: ;[1] born 26 March 1985) is an English[2] film and television actress. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Excalibur (disambiguation). ... Uther Pendragon (French: Uter Pendragon; Welsh: Wthyr Bendragon, Uthr Bendragon, Uthyr Pendraeg) is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur. ... Tombstone most commonly means a headstone marking the grave of a deceased person. ... Alternate meanings of barrow: see Barrow_in_Furness for the town of Barrow in Cumbria, England; also Barrow, Alaska in the U.S.; also River Barrow in Ireland. ...

The Roman family is rescued and the knights fight with the Saxons on a frozen lake before they can make it back to the Wall. Dagonet breaks the ice with his axe and succeeds in killing many, but is killed by crossbow bolts. Struck by Rome leaving its subjects to the mercy of the Saxons, Arthur is further disillusioned when he learns that Bishop Pelagius, whose teachings about the equality of all men inspired the brotherhood of his Round Table — has been executed as a heretic by order of Bishop Germanius himself. For other uses, see Pelagius (disambiguation). ... King Arthur presides the Round Table. ... Pelagianism is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature (which, being created from God, was divine), and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without Divine aid. ...

In due course, Arthur and his remaining men forsake Roman citizenship and form an alliance with the Woads to fight the Saxons. In the climactic battle, the Battle of Badon Hill, the Saxons are defeated and Cerdic and his son are killed — at the cost of many lives, including Lancelot's and Tristan's. Britain, c. ...

The film ends with Arthur and Guinevere's marriage. Merlin then proclaims him to be their king. King Arthur and his remaining knights promise to lead the Britons, now united after the Romans leave, against future invaders. The last scene shows Lancelot, Dagonet and Tristan roaming the lands freely as reincarnated horses as told in a legend by Lancelot's father.

Main cast

• Clive Owen - Arthur
• Ioan Gruffudd - Lancelot
• Mads Mikkelsen - Tristan
• Joel Edgerton - Gawain
• Hugh Dancy - Galahad
• Ray Winstone - Bors
• Ray Stevenson - Dagonet
• Keira Knightley - Guinevere
• Stephen Dillane - Merlin
• Stellan Skarsgård - Cerdic
• Til Schweiger -Cynric
• Sean Gilder - Jols
• Pat Kinevane - Horton
• Ivano Marescotti -Bishop Germanus
• Ken Stott - Marius

Clive Owen (born October 3, 1964) is a Golden Globe and BAFTA winning critically acclaimed English actor, now a regular performer in Hollywood and independent American films. ... For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ... Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced , yoe-an gri-fidh) (born October 6, 1973) is a British actor from Wales. ... For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ...   is a Danish actor. ... This article is about the Knight of the Round Table. ... Joel Edgerton is an Australian actor born on 23 June 1974 in Sydney, Australia. ... Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Gawain (Gwalchmei, Gawan, Gauvain, Walewein etc. ... Hugh Dancy (born 19 June 1975) is a British actor. ... For other uses, see Galahad (disambiguation). ... Raymond Andrew Winstone (born February 19, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning English film and television actor. ... In Arthurian Legend, Sir Bors was a Knight of the Round Table. ... Ray Stevenson (left) as Titus Pullo in the TV series Rome. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Keira Christina Knightley (pronounced IPA: ;[1] born 26 March 1985) is an English[2] film and television actress. ... For other uses, see Guinevere (disambiguation). ... Stephen Dillane (born 30 November 1956) is a Tony Award-winning British actor. ... For other uses, see Merlin (disambiguation). ... Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd (help· info) (born June 13, 1951, Gothenburg, Sweden) is a Swedish actor. ... Imaginary depiction of Cerdic from John Speeds 1611 Saxon Heptarchy. Cerdic of Wessex (d. ... Til Schweiger Til Schweiger (born Tilman Valentin Schweiger, December 19, 1963, in Freiburg, Germany) is a German actor, director, and producer. ... Cynric of Wessex ruled as king of Wessex from 534 to 560. ... Sean Gilder (b. ... Germanus of Auxerre (378–31 July 448) became bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. ... Kenneth Campbell Stott (born 1955, Edinburgh) is a Scottish film and television actor, particularly known in the United Kingdom for his many roles in the latter medium. ...

Production

The movie was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Antoine Fuqua; David Franzoni, the writer for Gladiator, wrote the screenplay. The historical consultant for the film was John Matthews, an author known for his books on esoteric Celtic spirituality, some of which he co-wrote with his wife Caitlin Matthews. The research consultant was Linda A. Malcor, co-author of From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reinterpretation of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Holy Grail where the non-Celtic sources for the Arthurian legends are explored. Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1945) is a film and television producer in the genre of action, drama, and science fiction. ... Antoine Fuqua (born January 19, 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an African-American film director of such films as The Replacement Killers with Chow Yun Fat, Bait with Jamie Foxx, Training Day with Denzel Washington, Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis and King Arthur with Clive Owen. ... David Franzoni is a screenwriter. ... Gladiator is a 2000 movie directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. ... The authers of the book The Encyclopedia of Celtic Myth and Legend They are internationally reowned for their research into ancient Celtic wisdom, and have written many inspirational books on the subject. ... Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating during Hellenic Greece under the domain of the Roman Empire; it comes from the Greek esôterikos, from esôtero, the comparative form of esô: within. It is a word meaning anything that is inner and occult, a latinate word meaning hidden (from which... Linda A. Malcor Ph. ...

The film's main set, a replica of a section of Hadrian's Wall, was the largest film set ever built in Ireland, and was located in a field in Ballymore-Eustace Co.Kildare. The replica was one kilometre long, which took a crew of 300 construction workers four and a half months to build. The fort in the film was based on the Roman fort named Vindolanda, which was built around 80 AD just south of Hadrian's Wall in what is now called Chesterholm, in Northern England. Hadrians Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of modern-day England. ... Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort located at Chesterholm, just south of Hadrians Wall in northern England, near the border with Scotland, guarding the Roman road from the River Tyne, to the Solway Firth, now known as the Stanegate. ... ...

Historical notes

It would appear that the Arthur depicted in the film is based most closely upon Ambrosius Aurelianus, the Romano-Briton who fought against the Saxons in the 5th century, and was probably the leader of the Romano-British at the Battle of Mons Badonicus (Mount Badon). However, Arthur's full name in the film is Artorius Castus, referring to Lucius Artorius Castus, a historical Roman active in Britain in the 2nd century.^[1] It is specified Arthur was given the ancestral name of a legendary leader. Ambrosius Aurelianus, called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere, was a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Britain, c. ... Lucius Artorius Castus (fl. ... The 2nd century is the period from 101 - 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

Also, the film is heavily based on the "Sarmatian connection" theory, which holds that the Arthurian legend is based on the activities and legends of Sarmatian heavy cavalry troops, originally from modern-day Georgia, in Britain.^[1] Some historians such as Kemp Malone and Linda A. Malcor have proposed that Lucius Artorius Castus himself may have led Sarmatian troops and thus became the "original" historical Arthur; however, since this Artorius lived in the second century, the film's Artorius is probably meant to be his descendant. Sarmatian Cataphract Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae (the second form is mostly used by the earlier Greek writers, the other by the later Greeks and the Romans) were a people whom Herodotus (4. ... Kemp Malone (Minter, Massachusetts, March 14, 1889—October 13, 1971) was a prolific medievalist, etymologist, philologist, and specialist in Chaucer who was lecturer and then professor of English Literature at Johns Hopkins University from 1924 to 1956. ... Linda A. Malcor Ph. ...

Adapting the material

The film's storyline is mostly original, save for the elements of Saxons as Arthur's adversaries and the Battle of Badon Hill.

This all happened on the day in November 19, 460 AD. Many of the traditional elements of the legends are dropped, like the Holy Grail and Tristan's lover Iseult. The film omits the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere except for mutual attraction between the latter two. For other uses, see Holy Grail (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Knight of the Round Table. ... Iseult of Ireland as portrayed Sophia Myles in Tristan & Isolde, 2006. ... A love triangle is a romantic relationship involving three people. ... For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guinevere (disambiguation). ...

The knights' characterizations in the legends are also dropped. The boorish and lusty Bors, father of many children, is very different from his namesake whose purity and celibacy allowed him to witness the Holy Grail. In Arthurian Legend, Sir Bors was a Knight of the Round Table. ...

The film does not feature Kay and Bedivere. Along with Gawain, they already appear as Arthur's companions in very early sources, like Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. The portrayal of Bors, however, is much closer to the traditional depiction of Kay than to the knight whose name he shares. Sir Kay, son of Sir Ector, was one of the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthurs foster brother. ... How Sir Bedivere Cast the Sword Excalibur into the Water. ... Culhwch and Olwen (Welsh: Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ...

Lancelot and Galahad are portrayed as having similar ages while according to traditional versions they are father and son respectively (this approach is also found in modern Arthurian fiction - such as Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles, in which they are brothers). For other uses, see Galahad (disambiguation). ... Bernard Cornwell OBE (born February 23, 1944) is a prolific and popular English historical novelist. ... The Warlord Chronicles is a trilogy of books written by Bernard Cornwell about Arthurian Britain. ...

Lancelot's character seems to have been fused with that of Sir Balin: the Knight with Two Swords. Sir Balin le Savage, also known as the Knight with Two Swords, is a character in the Arthurian legend. ...

Guinevere is drastically altered from Arthurian legend - she is portrayed as a barbarian warrior who joins Arthur and the knights in battle. While there was historical precedent for this portrayal (for example, the warrior queen Boudica), no source, early or late, describes Guinevere in this way. Nor is there any evidence for her depiction as a rustic Celt; in fact, in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, which contains one of the oldest accounts of the character, Guinevere has Roman blood while Arthur is an indigenous Celt. A sculpture depicting Boudica, the warrior queen of the Iceni who led the revolt against the Romans in AD 61, and her daughters, commissioned by Prince Albert and executed by Thomas Thornycroft, stands near Westminster Pier, London Boudica (also spelt Boudicca, formerly better known as Boadicea) (d. ... Geoffrey of Monmouth (in Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: History of the Kings of Britain Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136. ...

Dagonet, a self-sacrificing warrior in the film, has Arthur's court jester as his namesake. The character appears in Le Morte D'Arthur and Idylls of the King. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Last Sleep of Arthur by Edward Burne-Jones Le Morte dArthur (spelled Le Morte Darthur in the first printing and also in some modern editions, Middle French for la mort dArthur, the death of Arthur) is Sir Thomas Malorys compilation of some French and English Arthurian... The Idylls of the King (1856 - 1885) are a cycle of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that express the legend of King Arthur in terms of the psychology and concerns of nineteenth-century England. ...

The role of traitor, as typically done by Mordred, is given a smaller part in the form of a young British scout, played by Alan Devine, who betrays his people to the Saxons. The character is unnamed, and is not in any way related to Arthur, but he could be assumed to be Mordred. For other uses, see Mordred (disambiguation). ... Alan Devine is an Irish actor who has played minor roles in several films. ...

Response

The film has a 32% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of 2007-10-10 - with 57 positive of 180 reviews.^[2] It has a 6.1/10 rating on the Internet Movie Database as of September 9, 2007.^[3] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

Historical inaccuracies

King Arthur has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies — especially since it claims to be close to or even be the original story, as evidenced by its tagline. Some examples include:

• A trailer for the film claims that historians now agree that Arthur was a real person because of recent archaeological findings. However, historians do not; and the Artognou inscription – the recent find possibly being referenced – has nothing to do with the film's version of events.

• The film has the withdrawal of the Roman legions from Britain take place after Arthur rescues the Pope's godson. In reality, it was completed in 410 AD, nearly 60 years before this rescue mission. By 467 AD, there were no legions left in Britain, which was now a patchwork of territories ruled by local warlords.

• Sarmatian cavalrymen did come to Britain in the 2nd century, when 5,500 Iazyges were transported there as auxiliaries during the Marcomannic Wars. But despite the film's suggestions, the evidence for them remaining there until the 5th century is slight. There is some but little evidence for the continued importation of Scythian-born immigrants to late Roman Britain.

• In the film, the Picts are called "Woads".^[1] This is a reference to one plant the Picts may have used to make blue paint^[1]; however, the use of woad by the Picts is contested by scholars, and the historical Picts were never known by this name.^[4] In an interview Antoine Fuqua stated that they used "Wodes" (sic) instead of "Picts" because they thought the latter sounded "a little weird".^[5] However, John Matthews said in an online article that the name substitution was "meant to echo similar belittling titles given to enemies".^[1]

• Archbishop Germanus' second (and last) mission to Britain was twenty years before the year the movie is set. Indeed, Germanus died in 448, well before the setting of the film.

• The Roman family which Arthur rescues lives north of Hadrian's Wall. This would be unlikely because the Wall represented the extent of Roman rule in Britain, except for brief periods of occupation during the second century AD. (It should be noted that Romanized client states such as that of the Votadini did exist north of the wall even into the Sub-Roman era.)

• Pelagius is believed to have died decades earlier, but he died of old age and was not burned at the stake. The Pelagian heresy is misrepresented as well - it denied original sin, and was not about political freedom as the film implies.

• The movie implies that the Pope was in control of the Western Empire, though it was actually ruled by the Emperor and de facto controlled by the Magistri Militum and other regional governors.

• The ninth-century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions the arrival of the Saxon leaders Cerdic and Cynric in Britain (at Hampshire) in 495.^[6] The film is set in 467, too early for their exploits.

• Cerdic and Cynric could not have died at the battle of Mount Badon. The battle is thought to have been fought sometime between 490 to 516, and according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Cynric succeeded Cerdic as king of Wessex in 534 (Cerdic was the founder of the kingdom).^[7]

• The Saxons are shown attacking Hadrian's Wall from the north. By 467 the Saxons were already occupying parts of Britain far south of the wall, and never invaded Scotland.

• In the film, Cerdic stops a warrior from raping a woman because it would lead to less-than-pure Saxon blood. This is a reference to the long-held belief that the Anglo-Saxons eradicated the Romano-Celts from the eastern part of the island. This contention, largely based on linguistic evidence, has been challenged by modern genetic analysis, which suggests extensive mixing between Anglo-Saxon and Briton populations (some historians have even suggested that Cerdic himself, who bore a Celtic name, was at least part Briton).

• Though he appears in a "historical" treatment, Merlin himself was not originally part of the legends. It is generally agreed that he is based on two figures - Myrddin Wyllt (Myrddin the Wild), and Aurelius Ambrosius, a highly fictionalized version of the historical war leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. The former had nothing to do with Arthur and flourished after the Arthurian period. This composite Merlin was created by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

• The Sarmatians have French (i.e. Lancelot) and Celtic-based (i.e. Tristan, original Drustan) names.

• The Saxons use crossbows for war in the movie; however, they historically used bows (to a limited extent) and spears instead during that time period. Though there is evidence for the use of some form of crossbows among Greeks (actually more like hand-held catapults, which they called gastraphetes), Romans (which they called manuballistae) and, some claim, the Picts^[1] — the weapon was still not widely used in England until much later.

Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd) with a 5th century sword held together by a 20th century hex head screw

• Similarly, the Woads use a trebuchet-like weapon to hurl flaming missiles at the Saxons, though the trebuchet was not re-introduced to Britain until the siege of Dover in 1216. The Romans reportedly used an early form of it in their sieges, however.

• The Sarmatian costumes and weapons are inaccurate - they should be armoured in the manner of cataphracts (full-length coats of scale armor).^[8][9] Instead, the film's armor is a mishmash of pseudo-Roman, Turkish, Mongol, and Hunnic designs.

• Tristan has a pet hawk. Nonetheless, the hawk flown in the movie is a Harris's Hawk, which ranges from the southwestern US to Argentina. Additionally, the computer-generated hawk shown soaring overhead later in the film, while supposed to be the same individual hawk, appears to be a red-tailed hawk rather than a Harris's Hawk.

• Roman soldiers displayed in the movie are displayed as legionnaires with 2nd century AD armour although by AD 400, legionaries were no longer in use and comitatenses were the new replacements.

The Arthur stone was discovered in 1998 in 6th Century ruins at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, England. ... The Roman departure from Britain was nearly completed by 400. ... See also Legion software and Legion forummer. ... Sarmatian Cataphract Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae (the second form is mostly used by the earlier Greek writers, the other by the later Greeks and the Romans) were a people whom Herodotus (4. ... The 2nd century is the period from 101 - 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The Iazyges (Jazyges is an orthographic variant) were a nomadic tribe. ... Auxiliaries (Latin - auxilia, help) were troops in the Roman army of the Imperial period who provided specialist support to the legions. ... Combatants Roman Empire Marcomanni, Quadi, other Germanic peoples along the Danube Commanders Marcus Aurelius The Marcomannic Wars were a series of wars lasting over thirty years during the reign of Marcus Aurelius from about AD 166 until 180, which pitted the Roman Empire against the Marcomanni, Quadi and other Germanic... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by an Indo-Aryans known as the Scythians. ... A replica of the Hilton of Cadboll Stone. ... Binomial name L. Woad (or glastum) is the common name of the flowering plant Isatis tinctoria in the family Brassicaceae. ... The Votadini (the Wotādīnī, or Votādīnī) were a people of the Iron Age in Great Britain, and their territory was briefly part of the Roman province Britannia. ... Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeologists label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. ... For other uses, see Pelagius (disambiguation). ... Pelagianism is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature (which, being created from God, was divine), and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without Divine aid. ... Original Sin redirects here. ... For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). ... The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian. ... Ordinary Magistrates Extraordinary Magistrates Titles and Honors Emperor Politics and Law This article discusses the nature of the imperial dignity, and its dynastic development throughout the history of the Empire. ... Magister militum (Latin for Master of the Soldiers) was a top-level command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. ... The initial page of the Peterborough Chronicle. ... Imaginary depiction of Cerdic from John Speeds 1611 Saxon Heptarchy. Cerdic of Wessex (d. ... Cynric of Wessex ruled as king of Wessex from 534 to 560. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Events Cerdic of Wessex raids Hampshire. ... In the Battle of Mount Badon (Latin Mons Badonicus, Welsh Mynydd Baddon) Romano-British and Celts inflicted a severe defeat on an invading Anglo-Saxon army sometime in the decade before or after 500. ... Events April 1 - The majority of Odoacers army, including his magister militum Tufa, surrenders to Theodoric the Great in Milan. ... Sigismund becomes king of Burgundy. ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... Events January 1 - Decimus Theodorius Paulinus appointed consul, the last to hold this office in the West. ... Hadrians Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of modern-day England. ... Myrddin Wyllt is the wild man of the woods mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouths Vita Merlini. ... Ambrosius Aurelianus, called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere, was a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas. ... Geoffrey of Monmouth (in Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. ... For other uses, see Lancelot (disambiguation) and Sir Lancelot (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Knight of the Round Table. ... A crossbow is a type of weapon that fires projectiles called quarrels. ... This article is about the projectile weapon bow. ... For other uses, see Spear (disambiguation) and Spears (disambiguation). ... The gastraphetes (Greek γαστραφέτης, lit. ... The ballista (Latin, from Greek ballistēs, from ballein to throw, plural ballistae) was a powerful ancient crossbow, although employing several loops of twisted skeins to power it, it used torsion (instead of a prod). ... Image File history File links Lancelot_from_King_Arthur_2004. ... Image File history File links Lancelot_from_King_Arthur_2004. ... Screws come in a variety of shapes and sizes for different purposes. ... For the typeface, see Trebuchet MS. Trebuchet at Château des Baux, France A trebuchet is a siege engine employed in the Middle Ages either to smash masonry walls or to throw projectiles over them. ... , Dover is a major channel port in the English county of Kent. ... Parthian cataphract fighting a lion. ... Sarmatian or Alan mounted warrior wearing scale armour. ... Binomial name Temminck, 1824 The Harriss Hawk or Harris Hawk, formerly known as the Bay-winged Hawk, (Parabuteo unicinctus), is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the southwestern USA south to Chile and central Argentina. ... Binomial name (Gmelin, 1788) The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a medium-sized bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the chickenhawk. ... Comitatenses is the Latin plural of comitatensis, originally the adjective derived from comitatus (company, party, suite; in this military context it came to the novel meaning of the field army), itself rooting in Comes (companion, but hence specific historical meanings, military and civilian). ...

Other issues

Some viewers viewed the representation of the Roman Catholic Church as unfavorable in comparison to the depictions of pagans, as shown by the unscrupulous Germanus and the priests who help the Roman landowner exploit the British peasants and who lock up Guinevere in prison, as contrasted by the non-Christian knights (especially Lancelot, an atheist) and the freedom-loving Woads.^[10] Catholic Church redirects here. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ...

The director's cut

A director's cut of the film has been released; it has extra footage of battle scenes as well as more scenes between Lancelot and Guinevere, whose traditional love triangle with Arthur is only hinted at here. A directors cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials or video games, that is supposed to represent the directors own approved edit. ...

Several scenes are also omitted from the Director's Cut, including one where the knights sit around a camp fire asking about their intended Sarmatian life, in which Bors reveals that his children do not even have names, most simply have numbers. In addition, a sex scene between Guinevere and Arthur is shifted to be chronologically after he is informed of the incoming Saxons towards Hadrian's Wall. This seemingly minor change arguably helps the story flow more smoothly. In the original film he is seen in full battle armor, contemplating the broken image of Pelagius on his floor, and then is disturbed by the call to come outside. When he comes outside, he is wearing a hastily putting on a shirt, and ragged hair, thus if he was due to "come at once" as he was urged, he would have gone through a series of dishevelments just to go outside; however, in the Director's Cut, after an intimate moment between Arthur and Guinevere explaining Arthur's morals, they carry on into their sexual encounter, and are thus disturbed so that Arthur can be briefed on the Saxons. During the sexual encounter, he is wearing the same outfit he wears during the briefing, and the scene where he is examining Pelagius's image is removed.

Notes and references

John and Caitlin Matthews are the authors of The Encyclopedia of Celtic Myth and Legend (2002). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... The Office for Film and Broadcasting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops maintains a motion picture rating system . ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

King Arthur (film)

• Historical basis for King Arthur
• Lucius Artorius Castus
• Ambrosius Aurelianus
• Sarmatians
• Romano-British
• Saxons
• Pelagius
• List of films based on Arthurian legend
• List of women warriors in folklore, literature, and popular culture

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... The historical basis of King Arthur is a source of considerable debate among historians. ... Lucius Artorius Castus (fl. ... Ambrosius Aurelianus, called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere, was a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas. ... Sarmatia Europea in Scythia map 1697 AD Sarmatia Europæa separated from Sarmatia Asiatica by the Tanais (the River Don), based on Greek literary sources, in a map printed in London, ca 1770 Great steppe in early spring. ... Romano-British is a term used to refer to the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire (and later the Western Roman Empire) and in the years after the Roman departure exposed to Roman culture and Christian religion. ... For other uses, see Saxon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pelagius (disambiguation). ... Films based on the Arthurian legend are many and varied. ... This article is about examples of woman warriors in a number of contexts. ...

External links

• King Arthur at the Internet Movie Database

• Warrior queens and blind critics from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• More historical criticism
• Even more historical criticism
• Review and photos
• "Inspirational Leadership" in King Arthur on Humanscience wikia