The Mists of Avalon is set in the times of King Arthur and Camelot. Based on the book of the same name by Marion Zimmer Bradley, it tells the tale from the female perspective. I read this book many times and loved it, so it was with trepidation that I first watched this movie version. I fully expected the story to get trashed in the translation. It did not. While it's always better to read books due to being able to use your imagination, this movie is pretty dang good!

Woman, are after all, carriers of Original Sin.

Saxon barbarians have swept thru the village of Morgaine Le Fey (other versions call her Morgana) and killed followers of the Goddess and Christians alike. Igraine (Morgain's mother) is still secretly following the old religion and has occasional visions. The Lady of the Lake shows up with Merlin in tow.

Now, in the traditional tale Igraine was tricked into sleeping with Uther Pendragon, which resulted in the birth of Arthur.. in this version it is Merlin and Viviane (Lady of the Lake) who tell Igraine she must give in to the King and bear Arthur willingly and knowingly in order to save the kingdom from the Saxon hordes.

Rather than Merlin taking Arthur off to raise, this time tis Morgaine who is taken by Viviane to be raised apart on Avalon as a priestess of the ancient religion. There are many differences but these are what make this story so compelling.

Now, having seen Excalibur, the traditional Arthurian tale, I cannot help but compare who played who in each.... with Excalibur winning in the majority of cases. Even still, The Mists of Avalon is a very good watch.

You call upon the God, and the Goddess? It is the Goddess who answers.

Anjelica Huston (Prizzi's Honor, The Witches) plays Viviane, the Lady of the Lake (or the Watery Tart, if you prefer). Huston does a most excellent job portraying the protector of Avalon and the old ways. This is a powerful actress playing a powerful woman.

Julianna Margulies (TV's ER) is Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister..daughter to Igraine. Some have said Margulies is miscast in this role. I disagree. I thought she handled the part quite well, and while Morgaine is usually an extremely dark character, Margulies managed to put a human spin on her which I liked.

Caroline Goodall (Princess Diaries, Schindler's List) is a good Igraine. She does have the stature of a king's mother..and yet I can't help but having liked Katrine Boorman in the role better in Excalibur. I can't put my finger on why that is. I just do..but not to an extreme extent. Call it personal preferance.

Michael Byrne (The Musketeer, Proof of Life) is Merlin. I'm pretty luke-warm on this casting decision. Had others not played the role before him better, I would have been satisfied I think... but they did, and did it much more convincingly. While Nicol Williamson may have played his Merlin over the top in Excalibur, I still prefer his portrayal. I'm not saying Byrne is bad, I'm just saying Williamson has a presence about him that is hard to top.

Edward Atterton (Man in the Iron Mask, Carolina) is Arthur grown up and that was just a shame for Atterton. I mean, how can he be expected to follow Nigel Terry? He can't. Very few could.

The worst of the bunch, though, was poor Mark Lewis Jones (Jason and the Argonauts, Solomon and Gaenor) as Uther Pendragon. I'm sorry.. nobody, but nobody can fill the shoes of Gabriel Byrne. Jones never even stood a chance here. Even without such perfectly divine shoes to fill, he wouldn't have pulled it off though. There just wasn't much emotion from Jones at all. They shoulda got Gabriel to reprise this role. That's what happens when they don't consult me first. heh.

Would it not be a comfort, just for a time, to believe that we create our own Heavens, and our own Hells?

And then we have Lancelot played by Michael Vartan (One Hour Photo, Never Been Kissed), following in the footsteps of the heart-throb Richard Gere (First Knight). Guess what... Vartan does it admirably. Of all the folks in this cast who had hard acts to follow, Vartan does the very best. It doesn't hurt that he's cute as hell with those irresistable dimples and all... but that's not the only reason. Vartan shows the many facets of Lancelot well. Kudos to this guy!

So the cast, while very good, did not all individualy measure up to past portrayals.. and yet together they did very well. The movie as a whole works, which is saying quite a lot for Director Uli Edel's talents. He had a hard act to follow so he pulled some good folks and got them to work together. They worked as a real team in this, and that is what saves it and puts into the 4 star category in my eyes... but then I liked him anyway. TV's Twin Peaks was always a favorite of mine.

This one runs over 3 hours long but is not the least bit tedious. It is unrated in the US but I'm saying all ages. I really don't recall any language or overt sexuality (ok some nekkid butts) and it's playing in the background as I type this. There are violent images but sheltering kids from that is not a good thing... and it's in keeping with the period.

I very much recommend that anyone enthralled with Arthurian tales should buy both this and the book it is based on. I think you will find the costuming inspired and the tale engaging. I do not recall what I paid for mine, but I do know it was worth every last penny.


If you are interested in more movies with an Arthurian bent, check out my top ten list: http://www.epinions.com/content_3109462148





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older