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Bresson's unique and ruthlessly minimalist look at the Arthurian legend and the end of Camelot. The Knights of the Round Table, their numbers depleted by their bloody and fruitless quest for the Holy Grail, return to King Arthur's court, where the relationship between Lancelot and Queen Guinevere focuses the resentment of Lancelot's fellow knights and brings about their downfall. Winner of the International Critics Prize at Cannes in 1974.

Lancelot du Lac is a towering, luminescent achievement and one of Bresson’s most visually distinguished films. With the Arthurian legend stripped bare – the narrative ... more >

Lancelot du Lac is a towering, luminescent achievement and one of Bresson’s most visually distinguished films. With the Arthurian legend stripped bare – the narrative begins after the knights have failed in their quest for the Grail – the film opens with a scene of carnage in the shadows of a dense forest, with the shimmering steel of the knights’ armour contrasted with fountains of blood.
This richly photographed film encompasses heartbreakingly poignant stolen moments between Lancelot and Guinevere and an unmistakably Bressonian tournament – all hooves, flags and impassive faces following off-screen action – during which Lancelot proves himself a true knight one last time. It is lucid, ravishing, demanding and finally, moving and deeply rewarding. < less

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