ALFRED THE GREAT (1969)

In 9th century Wessex, Prince Alfred (David Hemmngs, pictured) has a vision of a united England, under one ruler and one law, written down for the first time, but wants nothing to do with governing. While Alfred is preparing to enter the priesthood, his weak brother, King Ethelred, is wounded while fighting the invading Danish Vikings and calls on Alfred for his assistance. Reluctantly, as he is against the act of killing, Alfred leads the battle and is victorious. He is pressured into a politically favorable marriage to Aelhswith (Prunella Ransome), daughter of the king of Mercia, but he refuses to sleep with her, assuming that sometime, he'll get back to the priesthood. But after Ethelred dies and Alfred is acclaimed the new king, he changes his mind and takes her by force. However, he remains opposed to killing on religious grounds, though he's not opposed to sending others into bloody battle to keep fighting the Danes. When the Danes, led by Guthrum (Michael York), get the upper hand, Alfred agrees to a truce with the Danes getting Mercia but agreeing to stay out of Wessex. They also trade hostages, and Guthrum asks for Aelhswith, who somewhat surprisingly puts up no fight. What she hasn't told Alfred is that she is pregnant, which means his heir will be brought up with the Danes. Eventually, Guthrum returns to fight in Wessex, and Alfred, who is living in the woods in a community of thieves, must decide if he will break his vow about killing in order to try and unify the lands.

This movie tries to be an epic along the lines of Lawrence of Arabia and a more intimate examination of politics, philosophy, and personal relationships, along the lines of The Lion in Winter, and though there are fine moments here and there, it doesn't come together as a satisfying whole. Ultimately, there was neither the budget nor the imagination to make the epic half come to life (though the final battle is well staged), so perhaps more focus on character and relationships would have worked to the movie's advantage. Hemmings gives a slightly eccentric performance in the title role; some critics call it campy, but it seems to me to be an exaggerated attempt to externalize Alfred's internal conflicts. I got used to him, but he's rarely presented as truly heroic or even particularly sympathetic. Michael York would seem miscast as the ruthless king of the Vikings but he is surprisingly effective. Prunella Ransome doesn't make much of an impression as Aelhswith; much better are supporting players Ian McKellen, Colin Blakely and Peter Vaughan. Ok for a one-time view, but not something I'd revisit. [YouTube]