Silly, cheesy, but still enjoyable

[chthonic-gnome.livejournal.com]

I watched A Knight's Tale for the second time, and if you can get over the cheesiness of this movie, it's actually a good film! The jousting is exciting, and there are moments that are unbearably hilarious.

What I liked most about this movie is its similarity to The Knight of the Cart. The Geoffrey Chaucer character even explicitly refers to William and Jocelyn as Lancelot and Guinevere. Jocelyn's testing of William's love for her comes straight from Chretien de Troyes. If he loves her, he is to do his worst in the tournaments. Later, Jocelyn tells him to win.

I liked the character of the Prince of Wales. He reminds me of Lancelot. No one is willing to joust with Lancelot because of his nobility and his skill in the sport. This is why Lancelot usually comes to tournaments in disguise. The Prince of Wales does the same thing, and when Count Ademar discovers his opponent is nobility, he withdraws. William is kind enough to joust with the prince, and for that the prince is grateful.

There is a lot of genuine Arthurian material in this movie. William's master is named Sir Hector, and I have yet to find out if he is the same Sir Hector in Arthurian legend (Foster father of Arthur and father of Sir Kay). If you're not bothered by the modern-day music, this movie is a lot of fun. I'll have to admit, I was embarassed by the music, but on second viewing I think it's really amusing if you can just loosen up and enjoy.