Lancelot du Lac
©1974 Gaumont - France 3 Cinema - Laser Production - Gerico Sound
Arthurian Legend: an unlikely subject for Bresson? You'd think so, perhaps, but the opening scene affirms Bresson's characteristically lugubrious spin on the popular story. We see knights riding through the forest, slaying their enemies. It is dispassionate, bloody, and completely unheroic. Unaccompanied by the fanfare one might expect to hear in a scene such as this, the knights move swiftly and silently. Camelot is a cruel place.
As is customary in his films, the exchanges between the characters are straightforward. A striking difference, of course, is the colour film, particularly if you have been availing yourself to the release of a number of Bresson's films on DVD, in which case, you will be familiar with the poetry of his black and white films.
However, his use of colour is very interesting. The stockings the knights wear under their armour are brightly coloured, as are the trimmings that adorn the horses. Coupled with the verdant forest, the effect is a lurid counterpoint to the dark procedings.
Bresson often draws our attention to the horses in this film: close-ups of frantic eyes and contageous commotion in the stables. These poor animals are innocent, hapless creatures who have no choice when it comes to being involved in their owners' murderous pursuits - an allegory for war and innocent civilians, perhaps. At other times, the knights themselves clank as they walk around in their armour, burdened by their battle gear.
In one scene, Lancelot regards a bird on the branch of a tree outside a window, while he is negotiating with Guinevere. He notices the bird, and even returns to the window to look at it again, yet the discussion with Guinevere is relentless. It's as if there is no joy in life to be had. One can experience the beauty of life only from a distance, ever encumbered by mundane demands.
Lancelot du Lac is a dour and difficult film with an ending that's bound to leave you dumbstruck. That's not to say it's not rewarding. In fact, it is, in many respects, the most realistic depiction of this fable. Moreover, it's essential viewing for anyone interested in the films of this sombre but significant filmmaker.