...a grand Lerner and Loewe musical presented in grand fashion.
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The knock on "Camelot" when it first came out in 1967 was that it was overblown. It was too long, too busy, too opulent, too fussy, too gaudy, too sprawling, too unfocused, and too slow. Well, it is too long. As for the rest, I can only say, "Nonsense." This is a grand Lerner and Loewe musical presented in grand fashion. Sure, it gets long-winded, but you can't blame director Joshua Logan for trying to duplicate the splendor of the original Broadway production, which, if you ever saw it, was pretty darned splendid, indeed. Be that as it may, the DVD version now offers the viewer the chance to skip any parts of the film that he or she doesn't like. It can be a full, three-hour music-fest or a brief listen to favorite songs. Sure, technology is wonderful.
The plot is based on T.H. White's "The Once and Future King," which White based in turn on parts of Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte D'Arthur." It recounts, largely in song, the familiar love triangle of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot. My own major concern with the story, though, has nothing to do with its length or its lack of focus but with its actors. I was greatly disappointed at the time that the original Broadway cast had not reprised their roles in the film. Richard Harris plays Arthur, and he seems to grow in the role as the movie progresses. But, he is no more than an acceptable if somewhat grudging substitute for Richard Burton. Vanessa Redgrave plays Guenevere, and she is really quite stunning, the best part of the picture. Yet, Julie Andrews would have done her own singing, and the songs are mainly what the film is about.
A really major letdown is Franco Nero as Lancelot. He is simply no Robert Goulet, in stature, voice, or dramatic ability, a criticism supported by the fact that as an actor Nero disappeared into the woodwork of second-rate films as soon as "Camelot" was finished. Still, they all do their best, with David Hemmings a deliciously slimy Mordred and Lionel Jeffries a delightfully dotty old Pellinore. Laurence Naismith as Merlyn looks good but is otherwise forgettable.
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