ENG U220 Survey of British Literature I (to come)

ENG U606 Topics in Medieval Literature: The Medieval Romance (to come)

ENG U488 Film and Text: Cinema Arthuriana

Film adaptations of the Arthurian legend are as old as the medium itself. We'll consider several that will allow us to cross genres (animated feature, musical, drama, comedy, period/costume drama, modernization) and provenance (American, British, French, German). As one might expect, we'll screen Camelot (Joshua Logan, 1967), Excalibur (John Boorman, 1981), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975), and The Sword in the Stone (Walt Disney/Wolfgang Reitherman, 1963). We'll also view retellings set in modern times, such as Knightriders (George Romero, 1981); we'll end with the most recent (and controversial) adaptation, King Arthur (Jerry Bruckheimer/Antoine Fuqua, 2004).

Our source texts: selections from Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur (completed c. 1470; printed by Caxton in 1485), a compilation of Tristan and Isolde legends (mainly 12th c.), selections from Chrétien de Troyes's romances (c. 1150-1190) and from Wolfran von Eschenbach's Parzival (1200-10). We'll make a brief foray into Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1859-85), and into the first part of T.H. White's The Once and Future King (1958). Requirements: two papers of 6-7 pages, an oral report, and occasional brief in-class writing assignments.

Possible Films for ENG U488

1. Camelot (1967). United States; dir. Joshua Logan; Warner Brothers-Seven Arts. Cast: Richard Harris, David Hemmings, Lionel Jeffries, Laurence Naismith, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, and Estelle Winwood.

2. L' Éternel retour, (1943). France; dir. Jean Delannoy; Discina International. Cast: Yvonne De Bray, Jean Marais, Jean Murat, Piéral, Madeleine Sologne, and Roland Toutain.

3. Excalibur (1981). United States; dir. John Boorman; Orion.Cast: Robert Addie, Gabriel Byrne, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Helen Mirren, Nigel Terry, and Nicol Williamson.

4. The Fisher King (1991). United States; dir. Terry Gilliam; Tri-Star Pictures. Cast: Jeff Bridges, Michael Jeter, Amanda Plummer, Mercedes Ruehl, and Robin Williams.

5. King Arthur (2004). United States; dir. Antoine Fuqua; Touchstone Pictures. Cast: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Joel Edgerton, Hugh Dancy, Ray Winstone, Ray Stevenson, Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane, Stellan Skarsgård, and Til Schweiger.

6. Knightriders (1981) United States; dir. George Romero; Laurel Entertainment and United Films. Cast: Cynthia Adler, Brother Blue, Christine Forrest, Ed Harris, Amy Ingersoll, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Warner Shook, and Patricia Tallman.

7. Knights of the Round Table (1953). Great Britain; dir. Richard Thorpe; MGM. Cast: Felix Aylmer, Stanley Baker, Anne Crawford, Mel Ferrer, Ava Gardner, Maureen Swanson, and Robert Taylor.

8. Lancelot du Lac (1974). France; dir. Robert Bresson; Mara Films.Alternate title: Lancelot of the Lake. Cast: Vladimir Antolek-Oresek, Humbert Balsan, Laura Duke Condominas, and Luc Simon.

9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).Great Britain; dir. Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones; Python Pictures.Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.

10. The Natural (1984). United States; dir. Barry Levinson; Tri-Star Productions. Cast: Kim Bassinger, Wilfred Brimley, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Robert Prosky, and Robert Redford.

11. Parsifal (1982). Germany; dir. Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, Gaumont-TMS Films. Cast: Edith Clever, Aage Haugland, Armin Jordan, Karin Krick, Michael Kutter, Robert Lloyd, and Martin Speer.

12. Perceval le gallois (1978). France; dir. Eric Rohmer; Gaumont-Films du Losange.Alternate title: Perceval. Cast: Marie-Christine Barrault, Arielle Dombrasie, André Dussollier, Marc Eyraud, and Fabrice Luchini.

13. The Sword in the Stone (1963). United States; dir. Wolfgang Reitherman; Walt Disney Productions.Cast: (the voices of) Norman Alden, Sebastian Cabot, Junius Matthews, Alan Napier, Ricky Sorenson, Karl Swenson, and Martha Wentworth.