I just cannot get this film out of my head. It touched me so deeply and I'm still trying to figure out why. It seems to me that it's a film which is almost impossible to define. I feel unable to do it any justice because it is so much more than the sum of its parts( but don't misunderstand me, its parts are v good) It is so subtle and complex that individual viewers will take very different things from it. Whatever else it may be though, it was in my view, one of the most convincing and touching love stories I've ever seen on screen. Top notch performances. Not an easy watch by any means, but so rewarding. What I admire most is the absolute refusal to resort to sentimentality. We feel what we feel, without manipulation. The minute it finished I wanted to watch it all over again and having done so I feel I am only just getting to grips with the many levels the film works on and its message/s. Even after several viewings certain aspects of it still puzzle me, but in a good way. Highly intelligent film making.
Reviews
2 Reviews
wonderful episode
2 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
So, I have a new, second favourite Merlin episode. Sins of the Father (S2) will always be my absolute favourite, due to the powerful scene with his mother and the great showdown with Uther, which resulted from her revelations to him. I found the episode in question here almost equally powerful and enthralling for similar reasons; that is to say because it marked another great epiphany for Arthur, even if initially it seems to be all about Elyan; ultimately it is Arthur's episode. I speak of course about the scene, towards the end, where he goes to the Druid shrine seeking atonement. Cue Bradley James, proving himself once again to be a very compelling young actor, delivering a very impassioned and moving speech. Better still, when the talking was done and Elyan reached for his sword, Arthur emitted two almost indescribable sounds, which (I imagine) perfectly convey what it must feel like to be a brave man facing possible imminent death and knowing that it was perhaps what you deserved. To my mind Mr James is the perfect Arthur - regal and convincing in all the big showy scenes, but still able to deliver a very raw emotional performance when required, not to mention pulling off the rather comical bromance that is added to the mix in this particular incarnation of the story. I now have only S5 left to look forward to and wonder if there will be anything in it that will cause me to re-think my favourite episode list.
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