Sorry, this movie sucks

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This musical adaptation of the Tony Award winning musical play (of the same name) by Alan Jay Lerner, from T.H. White's "The Once and Future King", was directed by Joshua Logan. It earned three Academy Awards – for Art Direction-Set Decoration, Costume Design, and Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment – in addition to Oscar nominations for Cinematography and Sound.However, its lead actors: Richard Harris as King Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guenevere, Franco Nero as Sir Lancelot, and David Hemmings as Mordred leave something to be desired (acting-wise, but especially singing when) compared to the original production's Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, Robert Goulet, Roddy McDowall (respectively). Among those also in the film's cast are: Lionel Jeffries as King Pellinore, Laurence Naismith as Merlyn, and Estelle Winwood as Lady Clarinda.The story is a familiar one, as are countless songs (including "If Ever I Would Leave You" and "What Do the Simple Folk Do?"), which help to make the movie run on for nearly 3 hours:Arthur, who as a boy was the only one able to remove the sword (Excalibur) from a stone in which it was 'stuck', a sign that he was the one true King of England, was mentored by Merlyn as he grew into the role. He meets and establishes flirtatious 'relations' with Guenevere, who's desperate for adventure, before he and she realize that their marriage had already been arranged.Arthur's idea for bringing together the various warring provinces of his country involves establishing a coalition of representative knights that would meet in his castle at a round table (so that no one could claim its head, e.g. prime position of power) of equals. France's invincible Lancelot Du Lac hears of the "Knights of the Round Table" and decides that he too must serve Arthur. But the religious and somewhat arrogant about both his ability and purity Lancelot is destined to fall in love with Guenevere.When Arthur realizes this, and subsequently suspects that his queen is having an affair with his "right hand", he decides not to publicly acknowledge it – "there's no proof" (e.g. for a court of law, an instrument that the forward-thinking King himself first devised) – for what he thinks is an honorable reason (to save his kingdom). Instead of having them arrested burned at the stake, he banishes anyone (including his knights) that claims there is an affair. Of course, this erodes the nobleness of the kingdom, and its end is just a matter of time ... especially when the King's own illegitimate son Mordred returns to England and spins his treachery.

When a show creates as much hype as Lerner and Lowe's "Camelot" did back in 1960, making the movie version of it is going to be a difficult task. Everybody is going to judge whoever is cast, especially if it isn't the original stars. By 1967, Richard Burton was one of the most successful movie actors in the world, yet somehow he was passed up (or passed up himself) the movie version of the hit show. Julie Andrews had gone on to screen success after loosing out on the movie version of "My Fair Lady", and Jack Warner passed her by here, although she too may have been better in the stage version than she could have been in the very darkened film version.If you don't have Richard Burton or Julie Andrews, then who to cast. Richard Harris had achieved a great reputation as a British actor of note, and so he got the role of King Arthur. A new face to American audiences (Vanessa Redgrave) had been tinkering around the British stage, yet had achieved some film success by the time this went in front of the cameras. Still, she was a bit of a novice, if not much of a singer, so the risk was there, yet Jack Warner was willing to take it, as this was going to be his last personal contribution to the world of the movie musical.Watching the movie version of "Camelot" is almost like watching a BBC version of a classic novel. Gone is the American lightheartedness, and in is the actual darkness of the real story. The early Britains lived in a mostly uncivilized world. They weren't quite England yet, and the first Kings ruled territories, not the entire island. So when one King came along that could bring the Britains together, he longed for a world of peace, and with it, the Knights of the Round Table. Where then is his queen? Guenevere comes along to marry the man she has never met, and while there is definite affection between them, is it actually love? That love is tested by the arrival of a French hero named Lancelot (the handsome Frano Nero) who longs to be the man by King Arthur's side. When he slips and ends up in Queen Guenevere's bed, the stage is set for tragedy, but Arthur is determined to keep the round table from cracking, even if his evil nephew Mordred (who seems to be a Caligula clone) is determined to make sure it does.Musically, "Camelot" is just as light and airy as it was on Broadway, but the darkened photography and sinister intentions of various characters remind us that this is not musical comedy. Redgrave and Harris take the roles much more serious than Andrews and Burton did on Broadway, utilizing humor only in a few moments, but being much more solemn than Burton and Andrews seemed to be on the original cast album. This takes "Camelot" into a more realistic mode, and there, the production team made a very wise decision. Stage productions of "Camelot" ever since them have focused more on the darkness of the story, including one I saw on a national tour in the mid 1980's where an aged Harris repeated his role and seemed far removed from the romantic figure he plays here.Of course, a "white elephant" like "Camelot" can loose money easily, and it took a lot of money to make this epic like musical. Every detail going into this movie was made to appear authentic, and this makes for an attractive, if sometimes depressing film, because you know that this situation won't end happily for anybody. So unlike "My Fair Lady" or "The Sound of Music" which have definite conclusions, "Camelot" has to end on a note of "this ain't over 'till it's over", and history shows that the three people here whom the audience empathizes with did not end up with joyous finales either.

This film is positively dreadful. In fact, it's so bad I actually started laughing as I watched it wondering how any studio executive could sit in his luxurious private screening room and not groan at how utterly awful this film is. Where does one even begin? Well, let's start with the story of the Camelot legend. Gee, folks, it's about adultery. How modern! Just what I want to see - adultery - as if there isn't enough unfaithfulness in the movies we have to get it in what is supposed to be a mythical legend. But it gets even worse. The Queen falls for a Knight and to hide her lust for him she arranges to have him dispatched in a jostling match. Nice girl! Gee, with women like that who needs enemies? And this girl is supposed to be a heroine! Oh dear, what happened to true fair maidens like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music or Debbie Reynolds in Singing in the Rain?

Beautiful music and strong performances from Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave, however they are not singers and it hurts the picture mightily, leaving you wondering how much better it could have been with Richard Burton, Robert Goulet and especially Julie Andrews. True Burton wasn't a singer either using the talk singing method that Rex Harrison employed on My Fair Lady so Harris' replacement isn't as glaring as Redgrave/Andrews or Nero/Goulet. Where the picture really runs into problems through is the lumbering pace set by director Logan. A fine director of drama but with no skill at setting the right tone for a musical although that didn't stop the studios from handing him several throughout the years ending with the disaster of Paint Your Wagon. Some of the costumes are truly amazing and justly famous but this can be a trial to sit through.