Lancelot of the Lake

REVIEW
Hailed in its day as a magnificent cinematic achievement, this austere examination of the end of chivalry and the dissolution of King Arthur's Court is more a curious relic from a bygone cinematic era. Stark and somber in atmosphere, the film follows Lancelot as he returns empty-handed from his quest for the Holy Grail filled with foreboding that his failure is linked to his illicit love for Queen Guinevere. Bresson's approach is stylistically minimal to the extreme as the film features barren dialogue and severely restrained performances which, though seemingly wooden, disguise a bristling subtext. It's of a style that was all the rage in the art-houses of the era, but the success of its translation to the small screen some decades later is less than certain. (French with English subtitles)