#arthur asking merlyn to be turned into a hawk at the beginning

[adhd-merlin]

Ah someone else who has discovered the joys of Camelot (1967) a movie that I am completely normal about. Have you watched it? Because the delivery of the lines is everything and if you need someone to talk to about it I am, once again, completely normal about it. The scene where Lancelot and Arthur first meet?? A masterpiece in sharing a single braincell. And don't even get me started on the way Guenevere first treats Lancelot "have you jousted with humility lately". It's unapologetically at the top of my Arthuriana movie rank list and has gotten me to reread The Once and Future King

I have not watched the film yet!

I've been listening to the original cast recording on Spotify but, most importantly, I've read the book of the original Broadway production (1960 libretto) and I love it?? It's a delightful little read on its own, even without having watched the musical. (I want other people to read it please it's very funny I promise)

I guess the 1967 film script won't be identical to the libretto but I assume it's fairly similar.

The scene where Lancelot meets Arthur was hilarious it made me laugh out loud. Lancelot utter puzzlement ("Gone a-Maying, Your Majesty??"). Arthur's sudden self-consciousness.

And don't even get me started on the way Guenevere first treats Lancelot "have you jousted with humility lately"

I know!! Lancelot's grating self-righteousness coupled with his complete lack of self-awareness is so funny.

And I loved the gradual tone shift. It starts out so silly and the tragedy sneaks up on you — I thought Guinevere and Lancelot's affair might be played for laughs with an oblivious Arthur but no, it turns out he's fully aware of what's going on and he's forced to watch it unfold because he's powerless to stop it? and he loves them both and doesn't want any harm to come to them even as they betray him??

(He continues talking, looking from one to the other, feverishly — painfully) — Excuse me??

and King Pellinore is hilarious, he enters the scene wearing a monocle followed by a little mongrel named Horrid and talking like a character from a P. G. Wodehouse's novel. Extremely validating because when I read that chapter in Le Morte d'Arthur in which King Pellinore first makes an appearance my first question was "is he meant to be this funny?" and the answer from this script is a resounding YES.

I think I might perhaps watch the 1968 stage production first, merely because it's available for free on Youtube (at least in the UK).

I might try hunting for a free streaming link to the 1967 film, though I don't mind renting it if I can't find it.

#also the hawk motif got me ok #arthur asking merlyn to be turned into a hawk at the beginning #so he could spy on guinevere #telling merlyn he loved it when he turned him into a hawk that one time #arthur telling guinevere later that merlyn used to teach him lessons by turning him into different animals #and that he was meant to learn something from each one #but he didn't know what he was meant to learn from being a hawk #and then going 'oh no I got it!' #'when I was flying I could see there are no visible borders. why are we even making war to each other #over something that doesn't even exist. that's stupid. we are meant to live in peace' #'that was the lesson. I will create an era of peace' #and then his dream starts to crumble right before his eyes as lance and guinevere fall in love #and then him crying out to merlyn when guinevere was tied at the stake #asking merlyn to turn him into a hawk so he could fly away #like a lost child!! merlyn wasn't even there he hadn't been for years!! #I'm feeling so normal about it #sorry I just thought it was a good script! #regarding the songs – they didn't blow me away but I'm enjoying them! #they might grow on me still. probably more enjoyable when watching the film #I think my fave atm is Then You May Take Me to the Fair #“You'll pierce right through him?” “You'll open-wide him?” #GIRL why are you making it sound like that... #she's never been normal about lance not even for a minute not even at the start #asks #camelot (musical)