Camelot (1967)
Directed by Joshua Logan

Film Review

More of an endurance test than a musical.  Whatever sparkling qualities that made Lerner and Loewe's musical play Camelot such a hit on Broadway are singularly lacking in this overblown, overlong film adaptation.  The film's production values are admittedly stunning (it won Oscars for its costume and set design, as well as one for its music), but Joshua Logan's lacklustre direction and some far from inspired casting decisions rob it of true artistic greatness.  (A few years later, Logan would do a far better job of directing another Lerner and Lowe musical, Paint Your Wagon.) Richard Harris, probably the unlikeliest lead actor for a musical, gives it is his best shot but his generally engaging performance lacks its usual vitality and impact.  By contrast Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero are completely miscast and fail spectacularly to arouse the audience's interest and sympathy - both of their portrayals are as dull as ditchwater compared with David Hemmings' magnificently weasel-like Mordred, a bastard son who more than lives up to his name.  It is Hemmings who (almost single-handedly) saves the day and gives the kiss of life to a film that is so very nearly choked to death by its artistic pretensions.

Whilst Camelot may not be the best regarded of Lerner and Loewe's musicals, it does contains a few sprightly numbers, the most memorable of which are Guinevere's The Simple Joys of Maidenhood and Lancelot's C'est Moi.  That said, there are also quite a few duds, including a seemingly interminable piece that goes on and on about the fantastically benign weather in Camelot - it has all the appeal and interest value of a feature-length weather forecast.  Unfortunately, owing to the limited singing ability of the principals, and some awful choreography, virtually all of the musical numbers fall flat in the film version.  When so much of the dialogue feels like blatant padding, it seems incredible that someone wasn't minded to get out the scissors and hack off some of the flab, if only to get the film down to a more acceptable runtime.  Apart from a superbly staged jousting sequence and a poignant ending (Harris's best work in the entire film) there really isn't a great deal to commend this lumbering turgid monstrosity, unless you are a die-hard fan of Arthurian legend or L&L musicals.

Film Synopsis

As he prepares to wage a decisive battle against his former ally Sir Lancelot, King Arthur reflects on the circumstances that led to this tragic outcome.  He recalls his first meeting with Guinevere, the innocent maid who became his queen by an arranged marriage.  It was she who inspired him to attempt to unify his kingdom by gathering together the knights of the realm at his castle of Camelot.  He recalls the fateful day he met Sir Lancelot du lac, the purest of French knights who pledged his undying allegiance to the English king, only to create discord by falling in love with Guinevere.  Things may have turned out differently if Arthur's illegitimate son Mordred hadn't turned up at this crucial moment, intent on causing trouble.  When Mordred exposes the queen's infidelity, Arthur has no choice but to act...