First Knight is a romantic adventure of reinvented version of the great story of King Arthur as a blend of romance, adventure, and politics. The movie is a complex and picturesque depiction of the attempts of Arthur to establish peace and justice in Camelot and the battle with a bloodthirsty warlord, Prince Malagant whose plans and lusts endanger the stability of the kingdom. The romantic attraction between Guinevere, the beautiful and strong-willed queen-to-be and Lancelot, a rough and courageous sword fighter, becomes apparent against the chaos of a failing peace through the backdrop of battles and intrigues. It touches upon the motifs of loyalty, love and personal sacrifice of duty that take place in a very well- imagined medieval world.
The aspect that one could relate to most was the emotional inner state of the tale the outlawed love triangle built up amid Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot. The movie takes a viewer through pent-up passion and disastrous effects of unexplored emotions. Lancelot (Hugh Grant) is a charismatic blend of swagger and sensitivity and so his affection with Guinevere does not appear forced. In the meantime the intrigues and politics of power give the story a very gory thrill, as sword fights and sieges zest up the blood. The love affair, however, brings in the element of pathos, reminding us that somewhere in this world of knights and kings, often the greatest battlefield is a human heart.
A movie that contains both a measure of action and a sense of intimacy, the first knight is well directed with its emphasis on rich scenery and panorama scenes. The cinematography emphasizes the majesty of the castles of Camelot and the privacy of emotional scenes between characters whereas the score focuses on accentuating the emotional highlights of the movie. Some people might think the plot is rather predictable, but this movie still manages to build a strong feeling of honor and heartbreak surrounding it. But, in the end, it is a legend about what love makes one give up, a legend about the beauty of the tragic side of loyalty a legend that makes the viewer think about what defines heroism and devotion.
