Subjects:
malevolent sorceress Mab (Miranda Richardson), helped bring into
the world a half-mortal boy, Merlin (Sam Neill), to keep the power
of the old ways alive. When Merlin reached adulthood and his
magic powers surfaced - in the dramatic rescue of the beautiful
Nimue (Isabella Rossellini) - Mab claimed him for her purposes. But
Merlin fell in love with Nimue and turned away from Mab's dark
magic. Anxious to find a good king for England, Merlin plants the
. . .
with a combo of English and American elements, the production is both
large and intimate, epic yet personal. This production has
all the grace, charm, adventure and imagination that appeals to the entire
family, in a mystical land where good and evil is hindered or assisted by
wizzardry and magic. In appealing to our higher
instincts, the legend that Merlin relates here is enormously appealing for
its humanity, and the way the filmmakers tell it is both wondrous,
magical, sensitive and very entertaining. The cast is simply marvellous, with Sam Neill at his very best in a
role which uses his every asset to advantage. On top of that, there is the story itself, a
rounded, fulfilling drawing together of the shards we know of the legend of
Merlin, Camelot, Arthur/Lancelot/Guenivere - with newly discovered
dimension. One gets the feeling that the story and its telling actually
matters to everyone involved. Steve Barron's direction marries the
elements of legend - from magic to superstition and the historical - with
the sensibilities that today's audiences understand, without cheapening
any of them. Merlin pledges his mystic skills to Arthur's visionary
cause of bringing peace and justice to the realm haunted by
monsters and ravaged by war. This story takes a new slant on the age-old favourite
tale of Camelot and King Arthur, putting a human face on the mythical
character of Merlin, and allowing him to stand as a character in his own
right. That's why it sustains for its three
hours, without commercial breaks. "
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**Bibliography**
Mountain King
Queen Mab of the Fairies, Lady of the Lake (Dame du Lac)
Nimue
Frik
King Arthur Pendragon
Queen Guinevere
Sir Lancelot du Lac
King Uther Pendragon
Lord Ardente
Duke of Cornwall
Mordred
. "
Louise Keller
"Legend has it that love, truth, honour, loyalty and decency are man's
supreme attributes. Miranda Richardson is
striking as Mabs an the Lady of the Lake, Isabella Rossellini lovely as
Nimue, while Martin Short and Helena Bonham Carter are both knockouts
in roles that use their comedic skills.
Essay's Topics
All research is for reference purposes only.