The story of a woman in falling into an icy cave at Stonehenge and waking up in Arthurian times amidst the love triangle between Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, and King Arthur, as the Queen is k... Read allThe story of a woman in falling into an icy cave at Stonehenge and waking up in Arthurian times amidst the love triangle between Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, and King Arthur, as the Queen is kidnapped by the King's evil sister Morgan La Fey.The story of a woman in falling into an icy cave at Stonehenge and waking up in Arthurian times amidst the love triangle between Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, and King Arthur, as the Queen is kidnapped by the King's evil sister Morgan La Fey.
- Director
- Writers
- David Wyles
- John Smith
- Thomas Malory(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed in 1982 but not aired until 1985.
- Quotes
Morgan Le Fay: And it is this manliness which will be his undoing. Manliness is a complex mixture: stupidity, courage and persistence. A potion I've not been able to find for you.
- Alternate versionsIn the original television version, Lancelot and the scene with the dragon are completely omitted, as well as Merlin astral projecting himself in the conclusion, as it was used earlier in the movie. The funeral of King Arthur was also omitted. The TV airing was shown in two parts, with additionally footage not shown in the subsequent video release.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Great Books: Le morte d'Arthur: The Legend of The King (1993)
An American tourist, Katharine (Dyan Cannon), is on a day-trip at the ancient monument of Stonehenge when she inadvertently falls down a hole. When she lands at the bottom, she finds herself in a cave - no normal cave, mind you, but a cave which which houses the famous wizard Merlin (Edward Woodward) and his lover Niniane (Lucy Gutteridge). Merlin has apparently been imprisoned with his lover in this cave for a thousand years. The arrival of Katharine gives him an excuse to tell a story, and pretty soon he is narrating a tale about his old companion King Arthur (Malcolm McDowell). Merlin tells of Arthur's marriage to the lovely Queen Guinevere (Rosalyn Landor); the poisonous plotting of Arthur's treacherous half-sister Morgan Le Fay (Candice Bergen); and the forbidden love affair between Guinevere and the trusted knight Sir Lancelot (Rupert Everett).
This cheapjack fantasy never really works in spite of the strong cast. There's something fundamentally stupid about the plot, which could have been serviceable if dealt with in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, but here comes across as merely risible. There's also something terribly wrong with the general atmosphere of the film.... maybe it's the hopelessly '80s music score which is as cheesy as a lump of mature cheddar; maybe it's the over-modernised dialogue which doesn't ring true amid the Middle Ages period trappings; maybe it's the atrocious special effects; or maybe it's just the all-round air of indifference which affects the film both infront of and behind the cameras. It's hard to believe that Rupert Everett and Liam Neeson (here guilty of lacklustre performances) ever went on to become big stars. It's equaly hard to believe that the likes of Woodward, McDowell, Bergen and Michael Gough (who has a bit-part as a forgetful archbishop) ever were big stars in their own right. On the whole, this is definitely one to skip!
- barnabyrudge
- Dec 7, 2003
Details
Contribute to this page
![Candice Bergen, Malcolm McDowell, Dyan Cannon, and Edward Woodward in Arthur the King (1983)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTJkOGM3NWItNDZlYi00NDI0LWI0ZmYtMWIzMTNkMjY1NzBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY5Nzc4MDY@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR2,0,90,133_.jpg)