Mists of Avalon (Repackage/DVD)

I absolutely LOVE this movie!! Difficult to find everywhere else!

You know, I loved movie - which I was attracted to when I was younger, trying to escape Christian child/torture/sacrifice/woman-hating stuff I was raised with. I was thrilled with the Goddess themes which was like medicine for a young woman being insulted and abused by male supremacists for a long while. I wonder sometimes if we escape one predator wolves to fall into the hands of predatory bears however.As a story or fantasy it's lovely - high adventure, the magic, priestesses of Avalon, sisterhood of Goddess worshippers - fighting for power while threatened by a male-dominated, aggressive Christian take-over, seemingly a dream come true for a secret Goddess worshipper. As I've gotten older and seen horrific abuses of women, children, animals in both pagan, Christian and many religious traditions I become more leary and horrified by religion each passing year. Jonestown, my own suffering at the hands of Christians, education about many religious animal torture and human sacrificial rituals worldwide has just turned me off big time. While I still love this story for Deep Play and fantasy, there's an element to it that repels me and that's the scene where Morgaine is tricked into a religious ceremony where she is to have sex with the "stag King" - not only do they kill a stag - symbolic of killing everything that's "dear" to you - deer, get it (as well as dear to the deer!)? They also kill all that's dear to our heroine, because they trick her into having sex with her own brother! Which not only amounts to rape, but is a trauma she'll probably never get over. It has come to my attention that many religions are abusing children's trust in horrific manners in real life and we need to really check this cruelty. Emotional and mental torture and anguish is some of the worst you can go through. To have your own sisters and mother harm you this way is..... I don't know that it's possible to get over it. It's child abuse at it's worst. Though Morgaine is of age at this point, she is still in these women's trust. I've had something similar happen to me and we must fight religion used as physical, mental or emotional abuse. You can't imagine the anguish, it's indescribable. Secret sects, religious groups etc... all are potential predators no different from rapists or child predators. I really wish that religion could be regulated in terms of regulating breaking laws with religious excuses which seems to be the case in many religions - strange how what's against the law, suddenly becomes acceptable in a religion, like child abuse, rape etc...Having said that, this story, purely for entertainment or pretend is still one of my all time favorites, unlike a lot of readers I liked the movie adaptation, I thought Morgaine was beautiful, Angelica Houston was really good in her role, and all the sisters were good. The costumes were great, a scene or two specifically on Avalon itself could've been better designed set-wise, special effects, etc.... but all in all. The music was well chosen and I enjoyed the experience of watching it. Occasionally it has the cheesy feel of old sword and sorcery movies, but the scenes with the sisters and mother make up for it. The music is haunting and beautiful. The magical elements of aspects of animism, moral truths in nature etc.... although the worship of predators is always inherently immoral, tribal religious people have always tried to sort out reality by sorting out and deifying/copying natural elements. It's natural for primates to learn this way, because we are natural mimics. I hope we can grow beyond this because Nature is actually less a mother and more a brutal pyramid scheme of predation. I also have doubts to whether, you can choose conveniently between cruelty and kindness whenever it suits you. I hated when one priestess succumbed and became a nun at the end of the movie, but probably realistic. It was done poetically though, with a sad melancholy at the loss of the "Old Ways." They're not really lost however, people still practice all sorts of religious freedoms and usually go underground when Christians begin to torture them etc...

The Cast was Great. The Actor of the Son of Author Seemed to Not be the best Fit for the Role. But, it worked out. The parting of the Mists of Avalon was My Choice Part of the Film passing between the Worlds, of Avalon and Glastonbury. The lady of the lake and Merlin and Morgaine seemed to be the only ones to do it. Lancelot was well Scripted and Acted well. The costumes were a Real World Depiction of the Time Era as they understood them to Be. Really Impressive Battle Scenes. Women Making Rash Decisions such as Morgaine declaring that She Renounced Her Loyalty to the Goddess of Avalon Due to her own Morality to the Christian God as taught to her By the Jesus Christ Church. In this Film if You Delve into it One can See a Conflict between Ethnic Paganry of the Old World and the New Christian Faith of Abrahamic Law only United with the Intention to work as Warriors to keep the Saxon invaders from scourging and taking their lands. So, United with the Intent to Defeat a Common enemy only being a Weak Link to Hold to Rival Groups from battling with one another. The other trouble was the Jealousy between sisters which caused a with-holding and posioning the Mind of authors heir to the throne Which Caused Him to Turn and take the throne From him own Father before his time. Also, Negative Curses cast Which kept The Wife of author From bearing Him Children. So, We See a dark side of the Pagan Prechristian Lore being Presented here. But, with wo little for the Film Creators to work with Besides the Myths; it Would Only make sense that we Would Get a end Result of a Film such as this. There is an old saying, "The parts that you don't know You Make-up. Fake it Till You Make it." So, In a way A classic of a film for the year 2001 Copyright. When it came out was Much earlier because I remember watching this as a Youth on VHS Tape. So. Some Dark Stuff. a Good Reason for Women to Find ways to work out their Differences before it Leads to the Death of themselves and Or others. Instead of Being Enemies; There should be an Effort to make things Right before Hand. It Would have saved their own Lives and Moldred and Author Would have Perhaps Been able to Fill the Roles that was Predestined for them as a Bridge between the old world and the New. These are My Thoughts as I Digest the Films Meaning for Myself. Please Take it with a Grain of Salt. and patient Understanding.

Having read a few of the reviews here, I thought I would take a punt on this DVD. It is a very brave director that would take on such a legend of a book, so I went in with low expectations, although, due to the comparatively massive budget, was at least expecting something like Excalibur but with a lavish production... this film shows that money is far from everything. While this film attempts to include more detail from the book the results are choppy and provide little depth or development of the characters. What I found most disappointing was that the film appeared to me to make little attempt at capturing the true passion, emotion and darkness of the book and was more like a Sunday evening BBC costume drama for fans of New Age candle magic.

Entertaining film but the part played by Angelica Houston required her to age in the book version. Not for purists as the book focuses on the Goddess and the old tribes more fully. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a historical romp - although the costumes are of a much later age.. The book focuses on what would have been the Dark Ages the costumes reflect the American version of them!

Spoilt because I know the book too well.

Still to watch

in English not French,DVD