Acceptance of Identity(My Review of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)



For my sister's birthday, I treated her and myself to the movies. Having been shown the trailer for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, I was convinced that I would find this movie to be either a big surprise or a big disappointment. I am glad to say that it was the first of the two. It more than met my expectations, it surpassed them. 

The main reason why my sister wanted to see the movie is that the main character is played by Charlie Hunnam. You may know him for his iconic role as Jax Teller in the Sons of Anarchy television series on FX. Personally, that show and Charlie's dedication to that role won my family to watch the entire series. However, my sister also has a bit of a crush on Charlie. Rightfully so. He's got that charm that makes most girls go crazy.

Anyway, let's talk about this film. Hunnam plays the well-known character of (King) Arthur. You know, the guy the pulls the sword from the stone and ends up becoming the King of Camelot? The problem is, Arthur grows up from childhood forgetting the fact that he comes from royalty. His father is a badass slayer of evil that ends up getting betrayed by Vortigern (Arthur's Uncle) because he wants the throne. So, dumb Uncle Vortey makes a deal with a demonic looking octopus creature that promises him power. The price of that power is the corpse of a loved one. So, proving his ignorance, the Uncle kills his own wife. Then the Uncle kills his own brother and becomes King of Camelot.  

The film then flys through a quick montage of young Arthur growing up and "making" money in order to support himself and his friends. As you see Arthur mature into adulthood, it becomes apparent that he was made for more than this. However, in the beginning, he chooses to settle for a life of insignificance and secrecy. 

Until the Uncle Fake King orders that every man is forced to attempt to pull the sword from the stone. The soldiers find Arthur, Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, and everybody goes apeshit. The sword, better known as Excalibur, has magical qualities that give the true owner power beyond belief. When from the audience's perspective, it only gives the owner the power of mental perception and a cool eye-glow effect. We all know what happens from here. Arthur goes on to defeat his Uncle, and become the true King of Camelot. Yaddah Yaddah yaddah. However, there are some important motifs that should be noted about the movie. 

In the film, the sword represents the truth. All throughout the film, Arthur continues to refuse acceptance of who he really is. Refusing to step up and be the King of Camelot. A better example of this is from the classic Disney Animated movie The Lion King (1994) once baby Simba is driven out of his home on Pride Rock. He refuses to go back home because he refuses to accept the fact that he is the true king. The same can be said about Arthur. That it isn't until he accepts the truth that the story truly resolves itself. For King Arthur, picking up and wielding the sword is not enough. He has to accept that the sword is his.

Our take away from this is that we cannot run away from the truth. The truth will eventually find its way into the light. Instead of running away from the truth and hiding it in the dirt, we should embrace it. Do as Arthur did in the movie, grabbing the truth with both hands and wielding it against evil. Perhaps, this film was a medieval British adaptation of the phrase "the truth will set you free"? You will have to check out the film for yourself. 

IMDB: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
Me: 3/5



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Please Drink Responsibly. (Or Not At All)

Image
Can you believe that there was a period in time where America thought it would be a smart decision to outlaw the distribution and production of alcohol? Were they all surprised when it actually made things worse, and that the eighteenth amendment was useless? That crime (which because of the amendment bootleggers were lawbreakers) skyrocketed because of their mistake. If history proves one thing correct, it is how ignorant we all are! Still, I write with a bit of hesitation due to the fact that the subject matter on my conscience for this piece, is a bit “dicey”. Still, I am indeed talking about alcohol. Specifically my fascination, history, and moral arguments concerning the beverages that fall into the hands of practically everyone in American society. It all started for me, almost five years ago at Holden Beach, North Carolina. I was spending a week with my friends and it was a night where the single guys would ask the single girls out on a “date”. Now even though I was dating
Read more

A Victim of Music

Image
Photo credit - Rob Loud/@robloud M usic. An entity that came into existence long before the day Beethoven first touched a piano. Whenever a vinyl is placed on the track and the needle cuts a groove into the record, a memory is revisited that takes the listener back to a time when life was simpler. It evokes a sense of emotion that is unique for every member of the audience. A prime example of this is what Columbus concert goers got to experience recently at EXPRESS LIVE. With Kentucky based band White Reaper serving as an opener, Columbus was delighted to have The Killers perform at EXPRESS Live. About the Band   The Killers have been a household name in alternative rock music for almost two decades. Since the time the band was formed in 2001, they have released five consecutive chart-topping studio albums: Hot Fuss (2004), Sam's Town (2006), Day & Age (2008), Battle Born (2012) and Wonderful Wonderful (2017). They have also released a B-sides and
Read more

Beauty of Self-Expression

It is literally the most exciting and yet natural feeling to remember how much power there is sitting at a table or on a couch somewhere, typing up a storm behind a lab top. Or with a pen and paper with unstoppable explosion of thoughts shooting like a bolt of lightning onto a sheet of paper. There is so much freedom that there is not other catharsis for. Not even from the other things in my life that I love, like spending time with my friends and having conversations with them. That in of itself is a great thing as well. The fact that for the first time in my life, there are people that I spend time with and talk to. I don't mean rant to. I mean ask them questions about their life, and they ask me questions about mine. It is what is known as a "back and forth"conversation. I hope that I can continue those type of conversations with my friends, and especially with other writers. Returning to the original topic, and that is writing itself. It is my original calling tha
Read more