Editing First Knight

{{short description|1995 medieval historical drama film by Jerry Zucker}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = First Knight
| image          = First_Knight_Poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Jerry Zucker]]
| producer       = [[Hunt Lowry]]<br />Jerry Zucker
| screenplay     = [[William Nicholson (writer)|William Nicholson]]
| story          = Lorne Cameron<br /> [[David Hoselton]]<br /> William Nicholson
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[Sean Connery]]
* [[Richard Gere]]
* [[Julia Ormond]]
* [[Ben Cross]]}}
| music          = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| cinematography = [[Adam Greenberg (cinematographer)|Adam Greenberg]]
| editing        = [[Walter Murch]]
| studio         = [[Columbia Pictures]]<br>[[Jerry Zucker (film director)|Zucker Brothers Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]
| released       = {{film date|1995|7|7}}
| runtime        = 134 minutes
| country        = {{Plainlist |
* United States
* United Kingdom
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $55 million
| gross          = $127.6 million
}}
'''''First Knight''''' is a 1995 [[medieval]] [[historical]] [[drama film]] based on [[King Arthur|Arthurian legend]], directed by [[Jerry Zucker]]. It stars [[Sean Connery]] as [[King Arthur]], [[Richard Gere]] as [[Lancelot]], [[Julia Ormond]] as [[Guinevere]] and [[Ben Cross]] as [[Maleagant|Malagant]].

The film follows the rogue Lancelot's romance with Lady Guinevere of [[Lyonesse|Leonesse]], who is to marry King Arthur of [[Camelot]], while the land is threatened by the renegade knight Malagant. The film is noteworthy within Arthurian cinema for its absence of magical elements, its drawing on the material of [[Chrétien de Troyes]] for plot elements and the substantial age difference between Arthur and Guinevere.<ref name ="hollywood knights">{{cite book|last=Aronstein|first=Susan |title=Arthurian Cinema and the Politics of Nostalgia|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|date=September 2005| isbn=978-1-4039-6649-0}}</ref>

==Plot==
 <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->
King Arthur of Camelot, victorious from his wars, has dedicated his reign to promoting justice and peace and now wishes to marry. However, Malagant, a former [[Knights of the Round Table|Knight of the Round Table]], desires the throne for himself.

Lancelot, a vagabond and skilled swordsman, duels in small villages for money. He attributes his skill to his lack of concern whether he lives or dies. Guinevere the young ruler of Lyonesse, decides to marry King Arthur out of admiration and for security against Malagant, who has been raiding local villages under the guise of "upholding the law."

While traveling, Lancelot chances by Guinevere's carriage on the way to Camelot, and spoils Malagant's ambush meant to kidnap her. He falls in love with her, but she refuses his advances. Though Lancelot urges Guinevere to follow her heart, she remains bound by duty. She is subsequently reunited with her escort.

Later, Lancelot arrives in Camelot and successfully navigates an obstacle course on the prospect of a kiss from Guinevere, though he instead kisses her hand. He also wins an audience with her husband-to-be, Arthur. Impressed by his courage and struck by his recklessness and freewheeling, he shows him the Round Table, symbolizing a life of service and brotherhood, and warns him that a man "who fears nothing is a man who loves nothing".

That night, Malagant's henchmen arrive at Camelot and kidnap Guinevere. She is tied up and carried off to his headquarters, where she is held hostage. Lancelot follows, posing as a messenger from Camelot. He requests to see Guinevere alive before he delivers the message, then overpowers the guards and escapes with her. Once again, Lancelot tries to win her heart, but is unsuccessful. On the return journey, it is revealed that he was orphaned and rendered homeless after bandits attacked his village, and has been wandering ever since.

In gratitude, Arthur offers Lancelot a higher calling in life as a Knight of the Round Table. Amidst the protests of the other Knights (who are suspicious of his station) and of Guinevere (who struggles with her feelings for him) he accepts and takes Malagant's place at the Table, saying he has found something to care about.

Arthur and Guinevere subsequently wed. However, a messenger from Lyonesse arrives, with news that Malagant has invaded. Arthur leads his troops to Lyonesse and successfully defeats Malagant's forces. Lancelot wins the respect of the other Knights with his prowess in battle. He also learns to embrace Arthur's philosophy, moved by the plight of villagers.

Lancelot, guilty about his feelings for the queen and loyalty to Arthur, privately announces his departure to her. Not able to bear the thought of his leaving, she finally asks him for a kiss. It turns into a passionate embrace, just in time for the king to interrupt. Though Guinevere loves both Arthur and Lancelot – albeit in different ways – they are charged with treason. The open trial in the great square of Camelot is interrupted by a surprise invasion by Malagant, ready to burn Camelot and kill Arthur if he does not swear [[fealty]].

Instead Arthur commands his subjects to fight, and Malagant's men shoot him with crossbows. A battle ensues, and Lancelot and Malagant face off. Disarmed, Lancelot seizes Arthur's fallen sword and kills Malagant, who falls dead on that same throne he so desired. The people of Camelot win the battle, but Arthur dies of his wounds.

On his deathbed, he names Lancelot his successor and asks him to "''take care of her for me''" – referring to both Camelot and Guinevere. The film closes with a funeral pyre raft carrying Arthur's body floating out to sea.

==Cast==
<!--- [[WP:NOTDATABASE]] - cast, order and roles per initial consecutive named characters in closing credits scroll --->
{{cast listing|
* [[Sean Connery]] as [[King Arthur|Arthur]]
* [[Richard Gere]] as [[Lancelot]]
* [[Julia Ormond]] as [[Guinevere]]
* [[Ben Cross]] as [[Maleagant|Malagant]]
* [[Liam Cunningham]] as Sir [[Agravain]]
* [[Christopher Villiers]] as [[Sir Kay]]
* [[Valentine Pelka]] as [[Knights of the Round Table#Gaheris of Karaheu|Sir Patrise]]<!--- in Malory's [[Le Morte d'Arthur]], Gaheris of Karaheu's story is retold as being Sir Patrise of Ireland --->
* [[Colin McCormack]] as [[Knights of the Round Table#Mador de la Porte|Sir Mador]]
* [[Ralph Ineson]] as Ralf
* [[John Gielgud]] as Oswald
* [[Stuart Bunce]] as Peter
* Jane Robbins as Elise
* Jean Marie Coffey as Petronella
* Paul Kynman as Mark
* [[Tom Lucy]] as Sir [[Sagramore]]
* [[John Blakey]] as [[Knights of the Round Table#Tor|Sir Tor]]
* Robert Gwyn Davin as Sir [[Gawaine]]
* [[Alexis Denisof]] as Sir [[Gaheris]]
* Daniel Naprous as Sir Amant
* [[Jonathan Cake]] as Sir [[Gareth]]
* [[Sean Blowers]] as Sir [[Carados]]
* Paul Bentall as Jacob
}}

==Production==
Director [[Jerry Zucker]], who also co-produced with Hunt Lowry, made ''First Knight'' as a follow-up to his [[Academy Award]]-nominated 1990 hit ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]''. Previously, he was primarily known for teaming with his brother David Zucker and with Jim Abrahams to create comedies such as ''[[Airplane!]]'' and ''[[The Naked Gun]]''.

The script was written by [[William Nicholson (writer)|William Nicholson]]. [[Adam Greenberg (cinematographer)|Adam Greenberg]] was in charge of cinematography, while production design was under [[John Box]]. The score was composed by [[Jerry Goldsmith]]. The film was edited and mixed by [[Walter Murch]].

===Locations===
Filming was shot on location in [[Great Britain]]. Exteriors were done in [[Gwynedd]], [[North Wales]] and in [[England]] around [[Buckinghamshire]] and [[Hertfordshire]], with the wedding scene being shot at [[St Albans Cathedral]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/f/First-Knight.php|title=''First Knight'' film locations|website=Movie-Locations.com|access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref> Interiors were completed at [[Pinewood Studios]].

==Music==
The critically acclaimed orchestral score for ''First Knight'' was composed and conducted by veteran composer [[Jerry Goldsmith]]. Goldsmith was hired as a last-minute replacement to other noteworthy film score veteran [[Maurice Jarre]], who was hired to score the original three-hour cut, but as Jarre stated in a 1995 ''[[Film Score Monthly]]'' interview, he had four weeks to do 90 minutes and that was not enough time and declined the offer to score the film. As a result, Goldsmith had limited time to compose original music and was left with only three and a half days to record the entire score. A soundtrack was released 4 July 1995 through [[Epic Records|Epic Soundtrax]] and features ten tracks of score at a running time of forty minutes. Due to the shortness of the original release, bootleg versions began to appear in 2000. However, limited edition 2-CD (5,000 copies) soundtrack was released April 12, 2011 through La-La Land Records and features the complete score plus the original album tracks and additional alternate recordings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/first_knight.html |title=''First Knight'' soundtrack review |first=Christian |last= Clemmenson |publisher =[[Filmtracks.com]] |access-date=June 6, 2011 }}</ref>

==Box office and reception==
The film earned a domestic gross of $37,600,435 and $90,000,000 in foreign markets; overall, earning a combined take of $127,600,435 worldwide.<ref name="bom">{{mojo title|id=firstknight}}</ref> It opened third in the United States with an opening weekend gross of $10,856,442 from 2,161 theaters behind ''[[Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]'' and fellow opener ''[[Species (film)|Species]]''. It opened in the United Kingdom on the same day on 368 screens and was number one for the week with a gross of $2,451,612.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=16|date=July 17, 1995|title=International box office}}</ref>

Based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, ''First Knight'' is rated at {{RT data|score}} at review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. The site's consensus states: "This unimaginative reimagining of Arthurian legend dispenses with the magic without achieving a convincing realism in the bargain, suffering from fatal miscasting and a lack of romance."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/first_knight|title=''First Knight'' (1995)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film two stars in his review, citing Connery and his performance along with the sets but stating that it paled in comparison to other medieval films released the same year such as ''[[Rob Roy (1995 film)|Rob Roy]]'' and ''[[Braveheart]]'' (with ''First Knight'' coming out two months after the latter film), calling it "thin and unconvincing" compared to the other two, while also describing Gere as one who "plays Lancelot with such insouciance that he doesn't seem serious enough to love. He doesn't have the psychic weight to be worth a kingdom."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/first-knight-1995|title=First Knight Movie Review & Film Summary (1995) &#124; Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|website=www.rogerebert.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of movies based on Arthurian legend]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}

{{Films based on Arthurian legends}}
{{Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker}}
{{William Nicholson}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1995 action films]]
[[Category:1995 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1990s war drama films]]
[[Category:1990s historical action films]]
[[Category:1990s action adventure films]]
[[Category:1990s adventure drama films]]
[[Category:American historical action films]]
[[Category:American action adventure films]]
[[Category:American adventure drama films]]
[[Category:American romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American war drama films]]
[[Category:Films set in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Arthurian films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jerry Zucker]]
[[Category:Films set in England]]
[[Category:Films set in forests]]
[[Category:Films set in Wales]]
[[Category:Films shot in England]]
[[Category:Films shot in Wales]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:Romantic epic films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by William Nicholson]]
[[Category:War epic films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Jerry Zucker]]
[[Category:English-language action adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic drama films]]
[[Category:English-language war drama films]]
[[Category:English-language historical films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure drama films]]