MovieChat Forums > Camelot (2011) Discussion > Good God, this Arthur is a douche!

Good God, this Arthur is a douche!


I've seen quite a number of adaptations related to Knights of the Round Table, but this is by far the worst and unrootable Arthur. The whole Guinevere thing was awful, not only the first time, ON HER WEDDING DAY, but in the last episode as well. Her husband just died the day before saving his life, and he had absolutely no problem banging her after. I know she was Morgan, but from his point of view, she was Guinevere... it's simply impossible to root for someone like that.

Plus, there is also something about the actor that simply rubs me the wrong way... can't quite put my finger on what it is.

Great Merlin though.

reply

He wasn't that bad, he's just learning...If someone suddenly came up to you and said your the king of england, how would you take it? It slowly grows on you, these things take time, his character was developing from teenage boy who learned he was king of all to the legendary king Arthur.

reply

He just never really became "legendary" in these series. I wish the makers of this series would have thought about Arthur a little bit more. So many people on this board have complained about it. Arthur should have been the heart of the show, but the makers just never really were able to pull that off.

reply

I disagree that Arthur should have been or was meant to be the heart of this show. The title was "Camelot", not "Arthur", which to me implied that the main theme was about the building, the making of Camelot, both as a place and as a symbol. Arthur should be a main ingredient in this recipe, but so should Merlin, the knights, and Guinevere. I think that is what the writers had in mind, unfortunately they sucked at bringing it to the screen. There was no feeling of "legend in the making" at all.

"Occasionally I'm callous and strange."

reply

Well now there's nothing to complain about. I really wanted to a second season too.

reply

Perhaps I wouldn't have minded Arthur if his hair wasn't driving me absolutely crazy ............ The BBC's better adaptation is called Merlin and yet Arthur - his life and his story - is the heart of that show aswell and he's a far superior Arthur

reply

He wasn't that bad, he's just learning.
Doesnt compute. Either he's good, or he's just learning. Cant be both at the same time.

---
Always listen to your own advice.

reply


In what adaptation was King Arthur not a "douche"??

reply

Can't think of the word "douche" in either Camelot, King Arthur, The Sword in the Stone, Knights of the Round Table, Perceval or Lancelot du Lac... and that's just for the movies; I've never read a douchey Arthur in a novel either. An unlikable brute once or twice, but that's it. What other adaptation are YOU thinking of in which Arthur was a douche?

"Occasionally I'm callous and strange."

reply

I guess it was bold of them to take people out of their comfort zone regarding preconceived notions of the legends but they failed to show that Arthur was a worthy leader regardless of his flaws.

An unlikable brute once or twice, but that's it.

The novel "Here Lies Arthur" by Philip Reeve has an Arthur who's like that. I'm curious about other instances.

reply

Haven't read that, thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking mostly of David Drake's The Dragon Lord. Arthur is not the main character in that; it's a Howard-like sword and sorcery novel that casts a rather unflattering light on the Round Table while following the adventures of a skilled and clever Irishman and his strong yet slightly slow-witted Danish sidekick. It's rather fun actually, though not very creative.
I also remember a rather unsympathetic Arthur in a novel in which a 20th century secret agent travelled back to the days of Camelot in order to stop an IRA terrorist from killing Arthur (yes, I know, Iv'e read some very strange Arthurian stuff! ^^) but I can't remember the title at the moment. Will let you know if it comes back to me.

"Occasionally I'm callous and strange."

reply

I just wanted to reach in the TV and comb his damn hair...the other main men characters were great and had combed hair

reply

Ha! That drove me crazy too... how is the king the only one who has filthy matted hair in the whole village? And patchy facial hair that any of his knights would have shaved off if they couldn't grow a proper beard.

reply

Agree about the hair, not so much about the facial hair. I think that was a ctually a nice addition to his characterization: if you're writing a very young and immature king in the making on whose shoulders a huge mission that even a full-grown man would probably fail at, wouldn't you also hint at his misguided attempts to make himself appear older and more manly than he actually is? A lt of teenagers are very proud of their first "beard" even if it looks ridiculous and wouldn't shave it for the world. it makes them look sooooooo virile! To me, that was one of the few things they did well with his character.

"Occasionally I'm callous and strange."

reply