Guinevere

Today I'm sharing another movie that my sister and I watched while we were studying Arthur a few years back.

Guinevere doesn't have good ratings on Amazon or IMDb, but somehow, I remember enjoying it. It changes quite a bit from the traditional tale, but the core elements are still there. It can be a bit crude at times (I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under sixteen, even though I think my sister was at the time), and some scenes dragged, and the plot had a few weak points, but for the most part, I really liked the way this story was reimagined into a more historical context.

Set during the era when the catholic church is taking over England and the more savage way of life was disappearing. Some of the people criticized Guinevere for not being feminist enough despite claiming to, but I actually liked how she was handled. She was a strong woman, but she put the needs of her country above her own desires.

I especially liked how the Arthur/Lancelot triangle was handled. Yes, it's a bit part of the movie, but instead of Guinevere not meeting Lance until after she's married, they actually kinda grew up together. Guin was taught by Morgan Le Fay, and he was her ward. In fact, Morgan tried to get the two to marry. Despite the fact that Guin liked Lance, she was hesitant because, as her father's only child, she wanted him to have a say in her marriage, and therefore his heir.

And then she ends up married to Arthur, and the push and pull was quite interesting, because it was grounded in her duty as queen vrs. the inclination of her heart. And I liked that. In the end, I think she actually grew to love Arthur (I'm quite certain he loved her).

I liked the movie, but it could have been done better, could have closed up a few plot holes, and could have done without a lot of the discussion of ... marriage and women related things.

These posts are in promotion of the newest book of the Bookania Quests, My Kingdom for a Quest, coming out February 14th. Click here if your interested in lending me your blog for the blog tour - I still have several open slots, particularly the last few days!