As “King Arthur” joins the summer of big budget films on July 7th you are sure to get a bit of a history lesson thrown in and a surprise or two. This version of King Arthur is not your typical Camelot bubble gum story; it’s much more rich and realistic to the true story of the legendary knight known as Lucius Artorius Castus. Part of this new tale is lovely actress Keira Knightley. Posters all around town show Keira center stage with a bow and arrow playing a historically, ala Hollywood, updated Guinevere. She wears an outfit which doesn’t ring to any of the past Guinevere’s; in this version she’s a fighter. Her character is reminiscent of the Pict and Celt warrior women. These women were just as kiss-ass as the men in this matriarchal society, which makes this a perfect role for the spunky and beautiful Keira. A week ago Keira did the press rounds to talk about her role and this is what she said:

How did you like training with the swords?

Keira: I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Yeah, we did three months training before we started, and I loved every single second of it. So yes it was fabulous.

So you had the swords to learn, you had the horses…

Keira: Well yeah, I actually did. I did three months horse riding training, and I am really terrified of horses. I’m just not good with them, and they freak out as soon as I get on them, just doesn’t work. The first thing I said when I got the film was, ‘All right you have to get me on a horse. You really do.’ So they got me all this horse riding training, got me a fantastic teacher actually. I actually managed to overcome my fear, and every single time we came around to doing a scene when I was meant to be on a horse Antoine would come up to me and go, ‘No I’ve decided not to do it on a horse.’ Oh great, so actually in the movie I never get to ride. But yeah, horse riding was a big part of the training as well.

There were no scenes shot that were cut from the film where you rode?

Keira: Nope. Nope, I never got on.

But there was a scene with you and Lancelot that was cut?

Keira: There was. I think we shot one other scene, or was it two? No, I think it was one other scene that isn’t in the film. I think it’s because it made me look too much like a bitch. [Laughs] To tell you the truth it’s not a film that focuses on that infamous love triangle. It just isn’t. So it was fine. I think what is interesting about it is that it is actually there, it is suggested, there are some kind of amazing moments all in the eyes, you know, that are definitely in it and I think that is the amazing thing about film. Is that cinemas, is that you can play out a story between to characters without them ever saying a word to each other. I think that’s quite cool.

What was the relationship then? Writer David Franzoni said you had a unique take on the relationships?

Keira: He keeps doing that! [Laughs] Pass on the buck, thank you David. No, I think the relationship was very much, as I’ve sort of been saying; she’s a very manipulative, very calculating character. And what she finds is that she’s thrown into the middle of a group of people who she has hated and tried to kill from a very very early age, and I think right from the start she’s—what she’s thinking is alright, how do I make the best of this situation. Do I kill them all from the inside, or do I use them to my best advantage. Alright, so she tries—she chooses to use them to her best advantage and therefore which one is going to be the best to manipulate, it’s going to be Arthur. So I think there is a moment where there is a kind of a flicker, I think if you’re talking about animal instinct and then may be she would have gone for Lancelot, and there is definitely a connection between them. And as far as the two characteristics of the pair go, they are very similar. They are very fiery, they’re very hot headed, and it’s almost Arthur that has to kind of reign them both in. They are very much pulling him in two separate directions, and it is almost like, as oppose to the love triangle, sort being Guinevere in the middle of the two guys, it is almost like Arthur is in the middle, and it’s Lancelot and Guinevere kind of pulling either way. Which sort of makes it interesting to the dynamic of the threesome, if you like, sort of changed a lot, ‘cause it’s interesting. Have I answered the question? [Lots of yes’.]

You shot a new added ending just a few weeks ago? How much did you have to juggle your schedule to fly to London?

Keira: No, I was already in London, but I was sort of prepping a film I’m--‘Pride and Prejudice,’ that I’m just about to start. So I took a couple of days off from that and went down to North Devon and shot the last scene. It was really fun actually. It was really nice to kind of see all the guys again and everything. We had, I think about a month previously shot a different scene as well in the forest just outside London. So it was almost like the never ending film. ‘Okay. Have we finished yet?’ But no, it was nice…it was a nice little reunion, and actually I think it’s a nice way, it gives a definite end to the film. It’s a good completion ‘cause as it was I think we ended up on the burial of Lancelot and it left a lot of questions unanswered, so it was good to sort of do that.

The battle scenes are quite furies and convincing. Did you enjoy getting into that aggressive energy?

Keira: I did like it yes. [Laughs] But it is a weird thing doing battle scenes ‘cause what you’re doing is you have to look like you’re going to kill somebody. When all the time what you’re thinking is, ‘Oh my God! I don’t want to hurt him, I don’t want to hurt him, I don’t want to hurt him!’ So, it is a weird kind of mix, but I really did love it. It really was like being eleven and running around in the playground. It was fantastic, and I sort of—I love watching how it’s done. ‘Cause you see an action sequence, and I think that final battle is very long. I don’t know how long, twelve minutes, something like that.

It took ages to film, right?

Keira: It took a month to film. So, it’s a really really long drawn process and every fight seemed—you’d do it from so many different angles. I mean, I think at one point we had eighteen cameras or something. So you do it from every conceivable angle and it does take forever. Yeah, but I loved it.

Were there any scenes you couldn’t do or they wouldn’t let you do?

Keira: No, I did it all. I did. Yup, I’ll let you what, the firing the flaming arrow that was, I’ve always wanted to have a flaming arrow ‘caused I’ve been to—I actually remember being at summer camp in Brittan doing arching and asking if I could have a flaming arrow. ‘Yeah, whatever.’ [Laughing] So it was great to have a flaming arrow.

So you have a thing for fire?

Keira: Yeah. It’s a bit of an ambition. But you know I’ve done it now so that’s alright.

Is “Pride and Prejudice” a musical?

Keira: No. There’s a Bollywood one actually, Gurinder Chadha who directed ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ who’s come out with called ‘Bride and Prejudice,’ but that’s modern day and Bollywood.

Who is directing this one?

Keira: This one is an amazing guy called Joe Wright. Who is a British director, he’s early thirties. It’s his first feature film so he’s very exciting. He’s sensational, so yeah, it should be cool.

Who is going to be Mr. Darcy?

Keira: Matthew MacFadyen. Yes, very good.

Do you have a favorite version of King Arthur?

Keira: I like Camelot the musical. I’m actually really embarrassed; you have no idea the people who have been taking a piss at me today for saying that. Yeah, I like that one. But it’s great ‘cause there are so many different versions. There are so many different versions and I just heard the other day there is an Eva Gardner one I didn’t know about. So I’d like to see that one as well.

How much of this story was news to you when you took on the project and how much of it is part of any British school kids education?

Keira: I don’t remember really learning—I remember reading the stories at school, but as far as trying to find a reality behind them, I don’t think you do that at school. But there is always a lot of interesting Briton, about trying to find the reality ‘cause you go anywhere in England like Tintagel and they say, ‘Yes, this was Camelot.’ Or you drive somewhere and it’s like this is the final birthplace of—this is the resting place of King Arthur, all that kind of stuff, so we are definitely surrounded by a lot. Over the last couple of years there have been a lot of things in the news where they found tombs or something of I think this Lucius Artorius Castus and there is—I knew about this theory. So I knew about that. I didn’t know about Guinevere or I hadn’t heard the theory that Guinevere could have been a Pict or a Celt. So I thought that was fascinating, and then that led into the discovery that the Pict’s and the Celt’s were a matriarchal societies, which was really interesting as well. Especially seeing that my Mum is Scottish, so Celtic, and she didn’t know that either. So that was an interesting find. It is great to have John the historian sort of—I don’t know if you’ve spoken to him yet, but—he’s a fascinating guy. So having chats with him was really amazing.

Why is your character found bound with her fingers crushed?

Keira: She’s just been tortured and a dungeon, but why? From what we thought was that, they were matriarchal societies and probably Guinevere had led a raid on that Roman house and got capture is kind of the assumption we made, and therefore tortured and all the rest of it. But definitely the fact of her being, because they are matriarchal societies women would have been obviously leaders, and would have fought on equal standing with men, if not leading men into battle. That automatically makes Guinevere a really strong character, and therefore…[tapes flips over]…then you see this warrior type thing. It was an interesting transition to play.

Was this your first love scene?

Keira: No, no. The love scene in this one was great ‘cause I wasn’t even undressed. It was fantastic, and it was fine, but no it wasn’t my first.

In “Love Actually” you did some smooching.

Keira: I did a bit of smooching but nothing else. I did full on love scenes in a film called ‘Doctor Zhivago’ and a bit in a film called ‘The Hole’ which actually never came out here. I’m a veteran at the love scenes I guess.

How much did the success of “Pirates of the Caribbean” change your life?

Keira: It was amazing, and I don’t think anyone could have predicted the success. We all knew that it was going to do pretty well, but it did very well. And definitely, I have to say when it first came out I was very protected ‘cause I was doing this and I was up a mountain just outside of Dublin, and so I didn’t really notice it at all. And to a certain extent I really haven’t stopped working since, so, which is in it self a change. So I haven’t taken time out to kind of step back and process it I suppose in a strange way. But one thing I can say is that I am being offered parts now where I can actually really choose what I want to do which is something very few actors get to do, which is amazing, and I never got to do before. And certainly I’m being recognized a bit more on the street which is strange, but a lot of the time it’s just people who want to say, ‘Hey we really enjoyed the film.’ And that’s why you make films so that’s cool, but yes, something to get used to.

Most of the parts you’ve played are very physical. Are you a sports oriented person?

Keira: No, not really. I think I was in a couple of sports teams at school, but I was never like the star or anything like that. Yeah I always enjoyed it, but it wasn’t something I was particularly into. I had friends who did a lot more then me. I do--I really enjoy team games like, we play a lot of net ball in England which you don’t play over here, but it’s a bit like basketball but you don’t bounce the ball. So I’ve played a lot of that and I really like team games, I love team games, but because I’m always moving around I don’t, I can’t play them obviously. And I hate the gym, I really absolutely hate it and I did actually join a gym. I thought, right, you know this your business and you’ve got to take care of your body and just be healthy and that—it’s just the most boring thing in the world. So I haven’t worked out what I’m going to do to keep in shape yet. I walk a lot, but apart from that I don’t know. But I did enjoy sports at school, yeah.

What do you do for fun, since you are working all the time?

Keira: I am working a lot of the time and to tell you the truth, fun, fun is sitting in my parents back garden with a load of my friends from back home and chatting with a bottle of wine which I can’t do here. That’s the perfect evening. And you only realize how fantastic that is when you don’t get to do it a lot when you’re away from your friends so much. So really I just hang out and talk to them.

Are you living with your parents now?

Keira: I’m not really living anywhere now. I’m sort of, I honesty haven’t spent much time in England for the past kind of year, so I have bought my own flat. It has a wardrobe and a bed in it and that’s it. So I haven’t really spent much time there, and I’m sort of between four places at the moment. So I’m kind of fitting around a bit, which is quite nice.

Can you talk about Antoine as a director and his style?

Keira: I think he’s amazing. I really think he’s amazing. I first met Antoine when I was filming Pirates of the Caribbean, and I came out and had lunch with him. And I think Jerry had said, ‘I think she’d be quite good for Guinevere.’ And he’d gone, ‘Oh, well I’ll go and meet her.’ And I had to talk, and I really thought he was amazing, he had such integrity and he’s so fucking intelligent. I mean, he’s so intelligent, and I just remember, I remember coming out of the interview and I phoned my agent and went, “Okay, anything this guy wants me to do I’ll do it. Anything, I think he’s incredible.’ And then I didn’t hear anything for four months and I was like, ‘Okay, well I thought that went really well, but it must of went really badly.’ And then I went back again and audition with Clive, and again I thought it went well and I seemed to click with Antoine and again I waited I think a month until he offered it to me. So it was a really long drawn out process, but he’s absolutely amazing. Really incredible, just, I think when--he’s the reason that we all wanted to do it so much. I think when you think of King Arthur you think of an old English director directing it and it being told being romantic, and I think the idea of somebody who directed a film like ‘Training Day,’ and then ‘Tears of the Sun,’ doing this film was so extraordinary that we all just thought, okay, this could be something that’s really different and really special, and it was. It was an amazing experience and I think the fact that he hadn’t grown up within the British culture, and therefore didn’t sort of feel he had to pay homage to the original myths and legends was great because he could take a completely fresh look and learn things for the first time and then draw his own conclusions from there. So it was really refreshing.

Is Antoine demanding as a director or a perfectionist?

Keira: Oh, he is a perfectionist, but I think most directors are…yeah absolutely. But he’s incredible ‘cause what you have to do as an actor is you have to, you act out somebody else’s vision, and this film is completely Antoine’s vision and I was very comfortable in the knowledge that if he told me what to do normally he was right. But he is the sort of person who if I did disagree then there would always be a discussion and we’d talk it through and most of the time he was right and I was wrong, but occasionally I could put a bit of input. But somebody who is willing to take time and discuss, is actually quite a rarity. Especially on a film of this size, and he absolutely did. I really, really think he’s amazing, just a real talent.

If you have any questions, or comments, you can write me at jax@latinoreview.com.

KING ARTHUR OPENS JULY 7

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