Lancelot of the Lake
Director: Robert Bresson
Year Released: 1974
Rating: 1.0
Bresson strips the King Arthur myth of its fantasy and wonder, of its human feeling and timeless sense of honor, of its color and energy, and reduces it to a blocky stage play. This goes perfectly in line with Bresson's theories of cinema, so if you're genuinely into "The Filmed Word" (as opposed to "The Painted Word," Tom Wolfe's lashing non-fiction critique of modern painting) this should have quite an impact for you. I'm not going to say I don't care for movies that force you to think or 'piece together' the fragments given by the filmmaker, but I do ask that they have some sort of compelling qualities or elements to keep me wanting to watch. I understand where Bresson's coming from - and I applaud the adherence to his own self-imposed aesthetic - but I found nothing of actual substance to hold on to.
