First Knight (1995) - full transcript

Get on it.

Go! Go! Let's go!

Taken? Taken where?

What happened?
A boat, sire. The north gate.

In which direction was she taken?
Into the forest, sire.

I have scouts out already,
sire, and dogs.

Give me a battalion of guards.
No.

Give me the men and I'll get her back.
No, that's exactly what he wants.

Take one brigade, now. Sire.

He'll not harm her, sire.
She's too valuable.

He'll try to trade her
to get what he wants.



That's what I'm afraid of, Agravaine.

I'd give my life for her,

but what if he asks for
more than I can give?

Whoa! Whoa!

Welcome to my palace...

milady.

I think we can release the lady
from her bonds...

if she so wishes.

What's this?

Your dress is torn. Ralf.
Yes, my prince?

I gave orders that the lady
was not to be harmed.

But, my prince, I didn't...

Your dress
is quite spoiled, milady.

You...



almost...

a queen.

Ralf. My prince?

Did you do this?

Yes, my prince. You see?

This is what Arthur
doesn't understand.

Men don't want brotherhood,
they want leadership. Ho!

Shall we?

They say this was once
the greatest castle ever built.

Now grass grows in the halls
where kings once feasted,

and peasants cart away the
mighty walls, stone by stone,

to make shelters for their pigs. Ha!

Such is glory.

What do you
mean to do with me?

I mean to keep you here until
Arthur becomes more reasonable.

He'll not trade Lyonesse for my life.
I'd rather die, and Arthur knows that.

Of course,
self-sacrifice is very easy.

It's having to sacrifice
someone you love

that puts your convictions
to the test.

I'm sure you'll find
Arthur will come round

to the merits of compromise.

This is what's called
an "oubliette."

That's French for
"a place of forgetting."

Your quarters, milady.

No gates, no bars, no locks.

Just walls of air.

You can come out.

I'm unarmed and I'm alone.

Who are you?
A messenger from the king.

He came alone? Yes, my prince.

So, what is your message?

I need to know that Lady
Guinevere is unharmed first.

She's unharmed.
I give you my word.

I need to see with my own eyes.
My word isn't good enough for you?

I'm a common man, sir. I don't
have much use for words.

He does have a message for me.

Take him down to the pit,
then bring him back here.

Give me a chance to finish my food.

All right, you've seen her.

Let's go. No.

You have orders to kill me

before I've delivered my message?
All right.

We'll drag you back.

Jump on. Jump.

Down here. Get him.

Come on. Jump. Jump!

If the water can get out,
so can we. Come on.

No. Hold on.

Come on. They're getting away!

Shoot.

Why have we stopped?

I'm tired.

Never.

You battle in your dreams.

What are you doing?

You'll see.

Now drink.

Again.

Where did you learn to do that?

Well, I've lived most of my life
out in the open.

Don't you have a home?

No, I don't have a home.

Not for a long time.

That must be hard.
Why? Why must it be?

I'm my own master.
I go where I please.

I've nothing to lose.

Why build a house
for the warlords to burn?

Is that how it happened?

God save you from such a day.

How old were you?

No!

Mother!

No.

Father!

No.

It was long ago.

God save us all
from such a day.

He didn't save me.

But he did.

For what?
It's made you who you are.

A man who fears
nothing and no one.

You can use that gift
for some good purpose.

If not, you might as well have died
in the church with the others.

You don't know how many times
I've wished for that.

But you didn't die. You lived.

Tell me what to do and I'll do it.
Your life is your own.

I give it to you.

You forget I'm to be married.

If you were free to do
as you pleased,

would you marry Arthur?

I am free. As free as you are.

Prove it. How?

Forget who you are.
Let all the world go away,

and all the people in it

but you and me.

Do what you want to do.

Here. Now.

On the other side.

You two, split up.

There she is!

Thank you, God.

Thank you.

Thank you. You can go.

I'm sure you have better
things to do than dress me.

You have
given me back my life itself.

The least I can do
is give you your shirt.

My lord.

Tell me what you want and it's yours.
I did what any man would have done.

No, no.
You risked your life for another.

There is no greater love.

You have deceived me,

but now I know the truth.

The truth is
you care nothing for yourself.

Well, look at you.
No wealth, no home, no goal,

just the passionate spirit
that drives you on.

God uses people like you,
Lancelot,

because your heart is open.

You hold nothing back,
you give all of yourself.

If you knew me better,
you wouldn't say such things.

Come on. I take
the good with the bad, together.

I can't love people in slices.
Now, no more protests.

Let me thank you in my own way.

They're welcoming you back.

We owe Lady Guinevere's life
to one man.

Lancelot.

And I believe he comes to Camelot
for a purpose,

even though
he doesn't know it himself.

And what I'm about to offer
this man is already his.

One seat stands empty.

You'd make him a knight, sire?

What I offer is no life of privilege,
but a life of service.

And if you want it, it's yours,
with all my heart.

Sire, we don't know anything about him.
They say he fights for money.

Sire, perhaps we should discuss...
Enough.

What do you say? Will you join us?

Milord, if I may speak?

I owe this man
more than anyone here,

and he deserves any honor
you can give him.

But he doesn't belong in Camelot.

Lancelot's a man
who goes his way alone,

and in that freedom and solitude
is his strength.

If you wish to honor him, as I
do, from the bottom of my heart,

then let's honor him as he is
and not as we would make him.

Let him go, alone and free,
and with our love.

Well, Lancelot?

Lady Guinevere
understands me well.

But here, among you,

I have found something
that I want more than freedom.

I no longer know
what life I am to live,

only that it would break
my heart to leave you.

Bravo. Then you'll join us?

Yes. Welcome.

This is only the beginning.

Go pass this night in prayer,

for tomorrow at sunrise you'll be
born again into a new life.

Why?

You know why.

Please leave Camelot.
I want to be wherever you are.

You must not
say such things to me.

Well, what am I to say?
Nothing.

I will leave Camelot now
if you come with me.

No.
Then tell me you don't love me.

I don't love you.

Arise, Sir Lancelot.

Brother to brother,
yours in life and death.

Brother to brother,
yours in life and death.

Brother to brother,

yours in life and death.
Yours in life and death.

Brother to brother,
yours in life...

Brother to brother,
yours in life and death.

Brother to brother,
yours in life and death.

Amen.

I swear to love and serve
Guinevere, my true and rightful queen,

and to protect her honor
as my own.

I swear to love and serve Guinevere,
my true and rightful queen,

and to protect her honor
as my own.

Jacob.

Forgive me, milady,
but Malagant has taken Lyonesse.

Halt!

Lyonesse.

The gates are open.

Make camp for the night.
Where, sire?

There.

It's too exposed, sire.
We could never possibly defend...

Sire.

It's straw.

They're not here.

There's no one here.

Draw!

Loose!

Charge!

Attack. Attack!

Archers in position, sire.
We hold position.

Their left wing's falling back, sire.

Second battalion into
the left flank. Attack.

- Is our center holding?
- Yes, sire.

Charge.

They're breaking, sire.
Do not give chase. Hold your ranks.

First battalion regrouped, sire.
Sound the advance.

They're running, sire. Do we follow?
No, no. Let them go.

On to Lyonesse!

Well done.

Your sword, Sir Lancelot.

No!

No!

- Come out.
- Come on.

- Lucky they're still alive.
- Hold my arm. Hold my arm.

You're safe. Don't be afraid.

Come along, miss. Take my arm.

I love you, milady.

- Yes, we're glad you're safe.
- Thank you, Your Majesty.

Food and water for you all.

There's a step. Be careful.

Child, all the bad men are gone now.
Take my arm, child.

It's all right, it's safe now.

God bless you, sir. God bless you.

It's all right now, Father.
We're free, we're free.

- So old now.
- Yes, we have water.

Can I go home now?

Can I go home now?

Yes.

Yes, you can go home now.

- Go to your mother.
- Bless you, milady. Bless you.

Elise...

I've come to say goodbye

and wish you well.

It's been a long night.
You've not slept.

Where will you go?

Don't know.
Wherever the road leads.

And when shall we expect
to see you again?

I don't think I'll be coming back.

Never?

Never.

See, I know what I must do now.

I never believed in anything before.

But I do believe in Camelot.

And I will serve it best by leaving.

Tell the king I'll always remember
that he saw the best in me.

And what shall I tell myself?

That there was once a man who
loved you too much to change you.

I'll not forget him.

I sheltered under a tree
with him once...

in the rain.

Lancelot.

My queen.

I owe you a kiss.

I'm asking you.

Why?

Why?

Why?!

The king asks for you, milady.

I ask you not to lie to me,
even if you think you'll hurt me.

Have you given yourself to him?

No, my lord.

Do you love him?

Yes.

How did I fail you?

You've never failed me, my lord.

I saw your face
as you kissed him.

Love has many faces.

I may look on you differently,
but not with less love.

When a woman loves two men,
she must choose between them.

I choose you.

Your will chooses me.

Your heart chooses him.

Then you have the best of it.
My will is stronger than my heart.

Do you think I put so high
a price on my feelings?

Feelings left for a moment
and the moment passes.

My will holds me steady
to my course through life.

As mine does me, and yet all
I have to do is look at you,

and everything I ever believed in
fades to nothing.

And all I want is your love.

You have it. Do I?

Do I?

Then look on me
as you looked on him.

I gave one moment to Lancelot.

Yes, you're innocent.
But you love him!

Any more of this innocence
and I'll go mad.

I'll do whatever you tell me to.

I don't know what to think
or feel anymore.

I no longer see my way ahead.

Only fools dream of the one thing
they can't have.

Forgive me.

What's to forgive?

I dreamed the dream of you.

It was a sweet dream...

while it lasted.

Unlock the door. Sire.

My lord?
I'll ask the questions.

Did you come to Camelot
to betray me?

No, my lord.

You desired her. You pursued her.

The queen is innocent.
Innocent?

I saw her in your arms.

I trusted you, loved you,
and you betrayed me.

I never meant to hurt you.
You leave me nothing. Nothing!

My lord... No!

You will be charged with treason
under our laws.

Defend yourself in court.

The law will judge you.

May God grant us the wisdom
to discover the right,

the will to choose it,

and the strength to
make it endure. Amen.

Amen.

I was mistaken in Lancelot.
As a man, I may forgive.

As a king, I must see justice done.

There will be a public trial tomorrow
at noon in the great square.

Sire, the queen...
In the great square?

Better to settle the matter
in private, sire.

You think the honor of Camelot
is a private matter?

Am I to hide in dark corners
as if I'm ashamed?

Open the city gates.
I want everyone there.

The people will know the truth.

Let every citizen see
that the law rules in Camelot.

Guinevere, lady of
Lyonesse, queen of Camelot,

Guinevere, lady of
Lyonesse, queen of Camelot,

and Lancelot,
knight of the high council,

are charged in their own persons,
and in collusion, one with the other,

with dishonor to the realm

and violation of
the king's rights under law.

These crimes constitute
an act of treason

against the kingdom of Camelot,

and the penalty under law
is death.

Sir Lancelot may speak
to the charges.

What I have to say
is for the king alone.

My lord...

the queen is innocent.

But if my life

or my death

serves Camelot...

take it.
Do what you like with me.

Brother to brother,
yours in life and death.

Is it the king's wish that the queen
be questioned by this court?

May God forgive me.

Is it the king's wish that the queen
should be questioned by this court?

Who goes there? Who goes there?

- You on the roof, who goes there?
- Guards!

Close the gates. Close the city gates!

Get back. Come on, now.
Get back there.

Hyah! Hyah!

Nobody move or Arthur dies.

My men control the city gates
and every exit from this square.

On every roof,
I have men with burning torches.

I have only to lift my arm and
your golden city burns to ashes.

I am the law now.

You obeyed Arthur,
and now you'll obey me.

My people are unarmed, Malagant.

If it's me you want, here I am.

Look at him. Look at the great
King Arthur of Camelot. Ha!

He's a man waking up
from a dream.

The strong rule the weak.

That's how your God
made the world.

God makes us strong only for a while,
so that we can help each other.

My God makes me strong
so I can live my life.

Arthur says to you,
"Serve one another."

Well, when are you gonna start
living for yourselves?

Now, this is the freedom
I bring you.

Freedom from Arthur's
tyrannical dream,

freedom from Arthur's
tyrannical law,

freedom from Arthur's
tyrannical god.

I want your people to see
you kneel before me here.

No. No.

Kneel before me or die.

Too proud, Arthur?

You think you can better serve
your people better dead?

I have no pride left in me.

What I do now
I do for my people and for Camelot.

And may they forgive me.

This is my last act as your king.

Do not be afraid.

All things change.

I am Arthur of Camelot.

And I command you now, all...

to fight! Fight like you've
never fought before!

Never surrender! Never surrender!
Fight like you've never...

No!

Camelot lives.

Burn it. Burn everything.

Go! Get him inside.

Careful.

Go on! Fight for Camelot!

Come on.

Fight for King Arthur!
Fight for Camelot!

Sword.

Please, no!

You fool!

Camelot will never fall
to the tyranny of Malagant!

Is there no more we can do?
I'm sorry.

Lancelot. Yes, my lord?

Where's my sword? Here.

My truest,

my first knight.

Camelot is your home now.

You are the future...

The future of Camelot.

You take care of her for me.

Take care of her.

I feel it now, my love.

The sunlight.

It's in your eyes.