**/**** Image A Sound B-
starring Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, Joan Allen, Samantha Mathis
teleplay by Gavin Scott, based on the novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley
directed by Uli Edel
by Walter Chaw A lavish television adaptation of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s minor feminist classic, The Mists of Avalon is three hours of ripping bodices, slashing swords, ludicrous, DeMille-tinged fertility rites, and snarling, imperious heroines. It is a retelling of the Arthur myth through the eyes of Morgan le Fey (recast as “Morgaine” and played by the terrifying Julianna Margulies), diminishing Merlin’s (Michael Byrne) role to that of doddering secondary foil and Arthur’s (Edward Atterton) to a brooding cuckold cipher.
What works as a sometimes-trenchant criticism of the brutality of early Christianity in the novel, however, translates in the epic miniseries as something approaching apologia. A shame that in adapting the work, director Uli Edel and writer Gavin Scott have succeeded mainly in neutering the source material while magnifying a few scant battle scenes into those giant Braveheart-ian clashes that are suddenly as clichéd as The Matrix‘s “bullet time.” Not helping things, the relatively scant budget ($20m) results in settings that are mostly matte paintings and CGI that is even more unconvincing than CGI tends to be.
As a fantasy, The Mists of Avalon lacks the fantastic; as a war film, it lacks compelling battle scenes; and as a romance, it lacks, er, romance. The film is really “Masterpiece Theatre”, American-style, an abortive attempt to remain utterly faithful to the source material while imposing cliffhanger elements to draw advertisers. The end result is predictable: It doesn’t much resemble the source book, it’s too slow until its final half-hour (when it’s too harried), and despite sincere attempts to be sexy and bloody, it manages only the blushing coyness of its medium. Viewing it on the DVD format, the commercial breaks and particularly the episode break is distracting, and the constant reiteration of plot (provided mainly by endless plodding narration) makes watching it something of a trial. Oddly enough, I suspect the film is actually improved by commercials.
Arthur scholars will probably be irritated by the revisionism and Bradley devotees will probably be irritated by Margulies, but those who know nothing about either Arthur or Bradley will probably just be irritated by the pacing and script (and Margulies again). Yet The Mists of Avalon is redeemed somewhat by a fun B-movie performance from Joan Allen (making amends for The Contender) as evil sister Morgause and the ever-reliable Anjelica Huston, who, though miscast as high sorceress Viviane, imbues a soul and a backbone to the empty, religious jibber-jabber. The two of them turn The Mists of Avalon into an intriguing failure rather than a flat-out failure, but it would take more than that to justify the investment of time and patience required.
THE DVD
Turner Home Video’s DVD release of The Mists of Avalon comes with a bright and crisp 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The saturated colours of the lush medieval (anachronism noted) wardrobe are produced with the appropriate level of black; shadow levels are correct and consistent. There is no evidence of edge enhancement or digital artifacting. The Dolby 5.1 mix is solid if unimpressive. The rear channels and bass don’t get much of a workout, but dialogue is clear and legible. A deleted-scenes montage separated by title cards defends each cut (e.g., “The director wanted the audience to find this out for themselves”). The balance of the sparsely fettered platter includes a photo gallery with storyboards and production designs and a somewhat superfluous Camelot family tree.
183 minutes; NR; 1.85:1 (16×9-enhanced); English DD 5.1, French DD 5.1; CC; English, French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles; DVD-9; Region One; Warner
