Powerful Witches or Weak Damsels
83
of the Lady of the Lake. None of this happens in the shortened plot of the film,
which keeps the character more sympathetic, but less active.
However, Morgaine does have a role, albeit more of an observer role, in the
climactic scenes of the movie. The key climactic scene is between the women,
primarily between the most powerful women, Viviane and Morgause, with
Mordred and Morgaine watching. After Viviane kills Morgause, Mordred then
kills Viviane. After these deaths, Morgaine gives the two women a proper
funeral. Then she rushes onto the masculine domain of battle to watch Mordred
die and to take Arthur to Avalon. Although taking Arthur to Avalon is
traditional, being on the actual field of battle is not. She also is the one to throw
Excalibur into the lake as Arthur lies dying, and while this role can be assigned
to different characters in different versions, it is usually a knight’s role. Lacy
comments that “This role, incidentally, seems to be assignable to almost
anyone” (42); however, in all other cases the characters are knights. Having
Morgaine throw the sword in the lake shows the heightened emphasis in this
version on the women’s roles.
The film also emphasizes love relationships between women and men.
Since in the movie the whole plotline of Morgaine’s enmity towards Arthur and
the attempted coup d’etat through Accolon is completely eliminated, this
intensifies the portrayal of the two as lovers, and contrasts to Arthur’s difficult
relationship with Gwenwhyfar. The movie adaptation, then, follows the
motivation, as stated by Raymond Thompson, for the portrayal of the two as
lovers in modem novels: “In the first place, the widespread sympathy for the
figure of Arthur, who is often perceived as an undeserving victim of betrayal by
his wife and best friend, encourages attempts to provide him with a true love”
(342). This affection between Morgaine and Arthur is shown all through the film
as Morgaine is portrayed as loving Arthur immediately when he is bom, and
continuing as they grow into children. When separated by Viviane as children,
Morgaine as narrator says, “leaving my little brother was almost more than I
could bear.” This theme is expanded when Morgaine and Arthur have
intercourse in the ritual known as the Great Marriage (planned by Viviane) but
not knowing each other’s identity. After Arthur becomes king, Morgaine
continues her affection for him but conceals from him the fact that she was the
one he was with in the Great Marriage to spare him guilt and embarrassment at
their incest, even if done in ignorance. She also conceals the fact that a child
resulted from this incident, again to protect her brother, allowing her aunt
Morgause to raise the child. While this decision concerning the child Mordred
has disastrous results for Arthur and Morgaine, her stay at Camelot does bring
her closer to her brother.
Another theme in the film is the cooperation and community among
women. The highest expression of this good will is the community at Avalon.
Avalon is presented over and over as a motive for Viviane’s actions, and at the
end of the film when Morgaine says she had thought the Goddess and Avalon