Movie review - "Camelot" (1967) **1/2

Needlessly expensive late 60s musical, which is really just about three people running around a castle. Richard Harris is very effective as the sensitive New Age King, Arthur - he's a very Irish Arthur, lyrical,soulful and poetic - to be honest you wouldn't really follow him into battle, he gives the impression that he would want to leave half way through to pick flowers (he has the whiff of a loser about him - you know he can't wait to forgive his wife and best mate for cheating on him together). Vanessa Redgrave is a kittenish Guinevere, flashing her bareback in some scenes (her and Arthur's relationship is a lot more physical and virile than most depictions of this marriage) and leading on Lancelot before falling for him and being tortured by love - I can't imagine what brisk, lady like Julie Andrews would have been like in this role. Franco Nero is a bit wet as Lancelot - actually everyone is a bit wet in this hippy-leaning production, except David Hemmings, who brings some badly needed spark as evil Mordred. The filmmakers have trouble reconciling its 60s right-on free-love Camelot-is-a-better-way ethos with sense of duty, etc (they don't really mix). At times, too, you can't help think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail number "Camelot",specifically Arthur's line "Actually let's not go to Camelot, it's a silly place." Pleasant tunes.