When I was a preteen, I had always noticed my family had amassed a sizeable collection of VHS tapes of various movies, some of them encompassing two, among them being the 1967 film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot. I would come to learn about Arthurian legend and its inspiration upon media like said musical and would receive plenty exposure to it through other means like Disney's adaptation of T.H. White's The Sword in the Stone, which I would later learn was part of his anthology The Once and Future King. The musical itself would become affiliated with the Kennedy political family; given my overwhelming positive experience with attending online events for Robert Jr's 2024 presidential bid, I decided to rent and watch it on Amazon Prime.
Camelot opens in medias res with King Arthur preparing for battle against his illegitimate son Mordred and his former friend, Sir Lancelot du Lac, with the monarch reflecting upon what led to these circumstances. He recalls his wedding night with Guenevere, convincing her that his kingdom is idealistic, and they marry. Four years pass, after which Arthur mulls his idea of a Round Table, inspiring the French knight Lancelot to travel to Camelot to join, befriending the king. Arthur and Guenevere become distant, with she and Lancelot falling in love, after which Mordred arrives to stir up trouble.
Lancelot and Guenevere's affair is eventually exposed, and the latter sentenced to death by Arthur's new civil court and trial by jury. Since Arthur is bound by law, he cannot legally rescue his queen, although Lancelot does the job. Afterward, the king goes into the woods and reminisces on his time studying under Merlyn, of events like being transformed into different animals. Guenevere ultimately takes residence at a convent, and when the musical reaches the present, Arthur converses with a boy named Tom, who shares his ideals and promises to tell future generations about Camelot.
Overall, Camelot was an enjoyable film, with its musical and visual presentation most standing out, and I had actually somewhat been familiar with some of its music like the titular theme and "If Ever I Would Leave You" (thanks to Family Guy) before watching the movie. The cast performances were superb as well, with Richard Harris (whom I had first known as Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, and then for the song "MacArthur Park") spearheading the actor/singers. There were also some subtle references I understood, such as the boy Tom being a reference to Thomas Malory, an initial recorder of Arthurian legend, although there were some things I had to look up such as May being a "lusty month" (referencing the fertility goddess Maia). Regardless, Camelot is definitely "required reading" for those with a passing interest in musical cinema.
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| Definitely a bucket-list musical. | |
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