A case study in how bad directing, and cinematography can make award winning actors look amateur

Rating: 4/10 (24 May 2007)

There was a lot of potential in this story about the fall of the Roman Empire and how the last Roman Emperor became Pendragon, father of King Arthur.
Unfortunately the entire thing is reduced to a very poor TV movie, and although the weak screenplay plays its part, this film is really case study for anybody who wants to know how abysmal directing, excruciatingly poor cinematography, bafflingly bad editing and over used scoring can take a cast that for the most part is award-winning, (with the exception of the dreadful man playing the villain) and make them look worse than community theater.
It is clear from the outset that the director has not got the first clue what he is doing. The actors have been given very little guidance. They deliver their lines, but are given absolutely no room to emote. Any moments where these world class actors would be looking thoughtful, or considering what they're saying with gravity is all edited out of the film, and the interchanges in dialogue are spliced so close together, there is never a moment where scenes are alllowed to breathe. It's all edited and directed at schlock B grade television pace. Add to this the fact that the cinematographer is obsessed with mid-shots and 2 shots and a composer who doesn't know when to shut his orchestra up, and you something that is barely movie of the week material.