Fighting for your brother! How does《King Arthur》portray the brotherhood of life and death?

Please subscribe to my channel. Share different movies and videos every day. In the 4th century, the Romans conquered the Sarmatians. Afterward, Sarmatian warriors were forcibly conscripted into the Roman army, and they could only regain their freedom after serving a specified term. A hundred years later, the Roman army arrived at the Sarmatian tribe to draft soldiers. A group of young men was forced to leave their families and homeland for 15 years, one of whom was a boy named Lancelot. Before departing, the tribe's people shouted his name together, filled with confidence and strength, as Lancelot embarked on a journey into the unknown. The Sarmatian warriors, including Lancelot, were stationed in the region of Britain. They relied on Hadrian's Wall as a barrier to fend off the northern barbarian tribes. The commander of the Sarmatian warriors was named Arthur, the son of a Roman officer and a Briton. From a young age, Arthur was deeply influenced by the theologian Pelagius, who advocated for equality and freedom. He aspired to become an excellent commander like his father. Fifteen years passed quickly, and Arthur and his knights became legends in Britain due to their bravery in battle. As their service term came to an end, the knights prepared for civilian life, while Arthur longed to visit the city of Rome. One day, a bishop arrived in Britain with some documents, including the knight's discharge papers and passes for Rome. On the way, the local Wodes launched a surprise attack on the bishop's party, resulting in heavy losses for the Roman soldiers due to the overwhelming enemy numbers. In a critical moment, Arthur and his knights charged into battle, and their exceptional skills quickly defeated the Wodes. After the fight, Arthur released a captured Wodes warrior, an act witnessed by the Wodes leader, Merlin, who was rumored to be a powerful sorcerer. Arthur then met with the bishop, who donned a soldier's armor for his safety, while the man impersonating him had already become a victim. The bishop thanked Arthur and the knights, but his tone and demeanor were not very friendly. After their conversation, Arthur and the knights escorted the bishop back to their camp. Here, we briefly introduce the six Sarmatian knights who accompany Arthur. Lancelot is upright and somewhat rigid, he is Arthur's close friend. Bors is somewhat rough in speech and manner, he has fathered eleven children with a local woman, though they are not married. Galahad is strong in battle but dislikes killing, he suffers for a long time after each fight. Gawain is optimistic and humorous, but he is unstoppable in combat. Dag is usually quiet, but he is actually a warm-hearted person, which will be evident in a later plot. Tristan enjoys the thrill of battle and has a cool eagle that obeys his commands. The bishop temporarily stayed in Arthur's room and accidentally saw a small plaque that Arthur had kept since childhood, engraved with the name of Pelagius, the person he respected most. However, Pelagius was considered a heretic in Rome, and the bishop wasted no time in smashing Arthur's plaque. Soon, Arthur invited the bishop to the hall for a discussion. As was customary, the bishop expected to sit in the most honored position, but to his surprise, Arthur and the knights sat together at the round table, an act of equality that displeased the bishop, though he kept his feelings to himself. In front of everyone, the bishop first thanked the knights for their service to Rome over the years, then asked if they had all become Christians. Arthur informed the bishop that they still maintained the faith of their ancestors. The bishop felt somewhat disappointed, but at that time, the Roman church did not yet view these primitive beliefs as a threat. In contrast, Pelagius was the church's greatest enemy. However, Arthur firmly stated that he respected Pelagius, and seeing Arthur's strong attitude, the bishop quickly changed the subject. He mentioned that due to the difficult situation facing the Western Roman Empire, the king had decided to abandon the garrison in Britain, and the local troops would soon withdraw. As for whether the Northern Wodes or Saxons would occupy the area, that was no concern of the Romans. Before issuing the relevant documents, the bishop asked everyone to temporarily leave, as he wanted to have a private conversation with Arthur. Once everyone had left, the bishop told Arthur that they needed to complete one last task before retiring, to rescue a Roman noble family in the north. The advancing Saxons posed a serious threat to their safety, and the young master of this family, Alecto, was highly valued by the Roman church. If Arthur and his men could safely bring Alecto back, they would regain their freedom. Upon hearing this request, Arthur was furious. Today was supposed to be a day of departure from the army, and now the bishop had suddenly given them such a dangerous task. However, military orders could not be disobeyed, so Arthur had no choice but to inform the knights of the situation. At first, everyone was angry, but out of respect for Arthur, they agreed to go along. That night, devout Arthur prayed alone to God, hoping for the knight's safe return. If there were real danger, he wished to sacrifice himself in place of his comrades. Lancelot, Arthur's close friend, witnessed this act and argued with Arthur over the issue of faith and the upcoming mission. However, friends are friends, and Lancelot was still willing to give his life for Arthur. Meanwhile, the Saxon army was massing in northern Britain, led by Cerdic, whose son's name was Cynric. Cerdic managed his army with brutality and was equally cruel to the local residents. Wherever the Saxon troops went, it often turned into a sea of flames. The next day, Arthur and the knights set out. At the same time, Cerdic learned about the stationed Roman troops near Hadrian's Wall through local traders, and the renowned Roman general Arthur caught his attention. After planning, Cerdic decided to lead his troops to kidnap the Roman noble family in the north, as their ransom would provide substantial military funding for the Saxons. In the night, the Wodes learned of the Saxons' arrival, and their leader, Merlin, was deeply worried, as these invaders posed the greatest threat to them. Meanwhile, Arthur and his team were advancing through a forest when they sensed they were being tracked by the Wodes. Before long, the Wodes launched an attack, using various traps to ensnare the knights. However, just as the situation became critical, the Wodes received a retreat order, which puzzled Arthur. Merlin explained that these Roman soldiers must have other objectives and might cooperate with them in resisting the Saxons in the future. Soon after, Arthur and his team arrived at the estate of the Roman noble Electo, where his father, Marius, welcomed the knights. Arthur stated that he intended to take the family away, but Marius was very resistant, unwilling to part with his land. Arthur warned that the Roman army would soon withdraw from Britain, and no one would be able to protect him. If he did not come with them, he would be taken back to Hadrian's Wall. After intimidating Marius, Arthur, unable to bear the sight of local Britons being mistreated by Roman nobles, took it upon himself to release the punished village elder. He told everyone that this Roman noble was no more noble than they were, and they were not the representatives of God, each of them was equal. Electo, the noble's son, silently approved of Arthur's actions. Arthur explained the dangers they faced. If the villagers wanted to survive, they needed to take up arms and fight alongside him. He promised to take them with him during the retreat. Quickly, everyone hurried to pack their belongings, and Tristan reported that the Saxon army was approaching, so they needed to leave immediately. Before departing, Arthur noticed a special room. When he broke down the door, everyone was shocked to find that local monks enjoyed torturing heretics. After searching, Arthur discovered that only two woads were still alive. He and Dag quickly rescued them, preparing to take them along. Seeing Arthur take it upon himself to rescue the prisoners, Marius had a fierce confrontation with him, even coming to blows. After being subdued, Marius threatened that when he reached Hadrian's Wall, all those who sheltered heretics would be punished. Due to the tense situation, Arthur decided not to argue with Marius for the time being, but those monks who mistreated others must pay the price. Arthur ordered them to be locked back in the dungeon for the Saxons to deal with. Thus, Arthur set off with a large group. Lancelot did not understand Arthur's decision, as too many civilians would only slow their march, but Arthur was resolute. He would not abandon any innocent person. On the road, Dag took care of a little boy named Lucan, while Arthur took the initiative to check on Guinevere. Having suffered greatly, Guinevere's fingers were dislocated, but with Arthur's help, she finally returned to normal. Guinevere had a generally positive impression of Arthur, as she had heard many legendary stories about him from her father, often portraying Arthur and his knights as brave and selfless. Guinevere hoped that Arthur could lead the Britons in pursuit of freedom rather than continue to pledge loyalty to the Roman nobles. During their discussion, Guinevere posed a question, where does your allegiance lie? Don't forget that your mother was a Briton, and your father also cared for this land. After traveling for a while, Arthur ordered the camp to rest. In fact, besides Arthur, Lancelot also had interactions with Guinevere. She was quite interested in the knight from a foreign land, while Lancelot was captivated by Guinevere's beauty. However, despite their similarities, their relationship was limited to a few conversations. Late at night, Guinevere intentionally led Arthur into the forest to arrange a meeting with Merlin. Merlin hoped to end their past conflicts with Arthur, stating that now that the Saxons had arrived, their interests in safety were intertwined. But Arthur could not accept this proposal. On one hand, he was unwilling to betray his comrades by allying with the enemy. On the other hand, his mother had died at the hands of the Wodes. In his childhood, Arthur's mother had tragically died during a Wodes raid. After witnessing the horror, Arthur ran to his father's grave, desperately pulling out the sword his father had used in life, hoping to kill Merlin and avenge his mother. Regarding Arthur's tragic past, Merlin explained that he never intended to kill Arthur's mother. After all, she's also British, and it was all just an accident. At that moment, Guinevere added, Since you insist on going on a killing spree, why do you still want to save so many people? Seeing that Arthur was somewhat swayed, Merlin requested that he personally lead the Wodes warriors. If Arthur could become the leader of the Britons, the Saxons would not stand a chance of victory. This was the reason Merlin had let Arthur go in the forest that day. However, Arthur did not give a clear answer to either of them and returned to the camp. He needed time to think. The next day, Marius suddenly attacked Dagg with his men. Unwilling to remain under Arthur's control and planning to rebel, to subdue Dagg, he threatened the life of Lucan. In a critical moment, an arrow suddenly pierced Marius' chest, and the archer was Guinevere. Soon, Arthur's subordinates gathered together, preparing to deal with the Roman soldiers. Seeing that their opponents were too strong, the soldiers had no choice but to surrender. However, Tristan suddenly arrived and informed them that the Saxon army was getting closer. With no other option, Arthur ordered everyone to hurry up and leave. On the way, Arthur expressed his apologies to Marius' son, Alecto, but Alecto was not upset at all. He had long believed that his father had gone astray. Marius' increasingly pathological thinking sealed his fate. During their conversation, Arthur learned that Pelagius had been executed a year ago, indicating that the Rome he sought no longer existed. Not long after, they arrived near an icy lake, and unfortunately, they heard the sounds of the Saxons marching. Tired of running, Arthur decided to confront the enemy with his knights. Under their cover, Alecto and the other civilians would leave, while Arthur, along with six knights and Guinevere, stayed behind to prepare for battle. The Saxon forces were led by the cunning Sinric, numbering in the hundreds. In terms of strength, Arthur had little chance of victory. Here we should mention that in the 5th century, the Saxon army could not possibly be equipped with crossbows, so the weapons they had were clearly anachronistic. With the wind at their backs, Arthur's archers had a longer range than the enemy. After several rounds of long-range attacks, Arthur noticed that the ice in the middle of the enemy formation was somewhat fragile. He quickly devised a plan to have his men shoot arrows in large numbers towards the sides of the enemy formation, forcing them to take cover in the middle. Arthur's tactics proved effective, the ice beneath the Saxon army began to crack, but it was not enough to make them sink into the lake. At that moment, Dagg made a surprising decision. He charged to the front of the enemy lines with a large axe and began to violently strike the ice. With Dagg's fierce efforts, the ice finally shattered, but he himself was gravely injured. In the end, the Saxons were forced to retreat due to heavy losses, but Dagg unfortunately lost his life. Over the years, Arthur and his knights had repeatedly turned danger into safety, but they never expected to lose a good brother in this battle. Soon after, Arthur and the knights returned to the camp, where Alecto's return brought great joy to the bishop, who quickly handed over the informant's letter and passes to the knights. However, in the face of their comrade's death, no one could feel happy. If the bishop hadn't suddenly assigned them this task, Dagg might have been living a comfortable life by now. Subsequently, Arthur held a funeral for Dagg, and the boy Lucan, who had been cared for by him, shed tears of grief. After the funeral, Bors sat alone at Dagg's grave, drinking in sorrow, while Arthur sat nearby, lost in thought about life. He increasingly doubted whether everything he had sacrificed for Rome was worth it. Before long, Guinevere approached Arthur, trying to comfort him while persuading him not to leave Britain. The Romans would no longer care about the fate of this land, but Arthur, with his Britain blood, should shoulder the responsibility of protecting Britain. Ultimately, Guinevere convinced Arthur, and they expressed their love for each other, becoming lovers from that day on. Meanwhile, Cerdic was very displeased with his son's failure. He left a scar on Cendric's face as punishment and appointed one of his subordinates to replace his son, leaving Cendric furious but unable to voice his anger, resorting to killing innocent soldiers to vent his frustration. That night, Arthur was suddenly called to the city walls, where he learned that Saxon soldiers had set up camp nearby, indicating that a fierce battle was inevitable. Seeing the residents in the city, Arthur decided to stay and protect them, but Lancelot advised him against it, stating that this war did not belong to the Romans, nor to Arthur. However, Arthur insisted on fighting for the Britons. He would not force any knight to follow him, but no one could change his mind. The next day, Arthur organized the Roman soldiers to escort the residents to retreat while he prepared to face the enemy with a sense of impending doom. Seeing Arthur's solitary figure, the knights did not want to leave him behind. Compared to a so-called life of freedom, they preferred to live and die alongside Arthur. Meanwhile, the Wodes had gathered their forces, and Guinevere joined them, ready to assist Arthur in battle against the enemy. Arthur met Churditch alone outside the city gate. Churditch remarked that Arthur's name could be heard everywhere on this broken island, and he had heard that Arthur was like a god in the hearts of the Britons. Now the Romans have abandoned you, who are you fighting for? Arthur replied, The purpose of my fight is not something you can understand. I am not here to negotiate. I am here to remember your face so that when the fighting starts, I can kill you. After a pleasant conversation, they parted ways. Churditch was pleased, believing he would finally be able to kill a worthy opponent. Not long after, five knights came to Arthur's side, vowing to live and die with this Briton legend. Before the battle began, Arthur addressed his comrades. Knights, the gift of freedom is yours by right, but the home we seek resides not in some distant land. It's in us, and in our actions on this day. If this be our destiny, then so be it. Then, the war officially began. The city gates were opened, but no soldiers emerged to meet the enemy. Churditch found this suspicious and sent a unit to scout the situation. As the soldiers passed through the city gates, they saw no one, and the haystacks that had been ignited earlier filled the area with smoke. At that moment, the city gates suddenly closed, and the wards quickly shot arrows at the enemy, while Arthur and the knights launched a surprise attack with their swords. After the first round of fighting, the Saxon squad was nearly annihilated. Seeing his men defeated, Churditch immediately ordered his troops to attack. Arthur and Merlin organized their subordinates to engage in battle, and with fire arrows and chaos, the entire battlefield was engulfed in flames. Due to the lack of precise historical records regarding the Battle of Badon Hill, including differing accounts of the time and place, the film did not showcase any complex tactics, it was essentially a brutal melee. During the battle, Tristan attempted to take on Churditch alone. Despite his exceptional skills, he was ultimately outmatched and tragically lost his life. Meanwhile, Lancelot was fighting Sinric. Although Sinric was slightly less skilled in combat, he took advantage of Lancelot's momentary distraction to launch a surprise attack with a crossbow. In his final moments, Lancelot ultimately perishes together with Henric. Churditch and Arthur faced off in an ultimate showdown, after dozens of exchanges, neither side could gain the upper hand. After a flurry of blades, Arthur was wounded and fell to the ground. Churditch, believing victory was within reach, prepared to deliver a finishing blow, only to be countered and killed by Arthur. With both the Saxon leader and his heir fallen, Arthur finally led the Britons to a glorious victory. After the Battle of Badon Hill, Arthur and his followers held a funeral for Lancelot and Tristan, honoring their sacrifice for a true cause. Bidding farewell to his comrades, Arthur officially married Guinevere, with Merlin officiating the ceremony, witnessed by countless Wodes warriors and local residents. After the wedding, Merlin knelt before Arthur, proclaiming his name as King, and led everyone in paying tribute to the new leader of Britain. Since everyone was willing to recognize him as King, Arthur firmly stated that from this moment on, Britain would unite for a common purpose. In a solemn ceremony, King Arthur ushered in a new era for the region, and the deeds of him and all the knights would be celebrated by future generations. And with that, the film comes to an end. King Arthur is a grand epic film that tells a story quite different from the traditional legends of King Arthur. King Arthur is one of the most famous kings in British history, but whether he actually existed remains a topic of debate. Almost all the legendary tales about King Arthur have appeared in the form of poetry, folklore, and unofficial historical documents, which inevitably contain some mythical elements. It features several historical figures and events, though it does not strictly adhere to the facts in terms of timeline, serving as a new interpretation of old tales. Thank you for watching.