MovieChat Forums > The Mists of Avalon (2001) Discussion > Bast casting

Bast casting

posted 11 years ago by louboutinparis
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Having read the book, Igraine is around 19 when she first meets Uthur but in the tv series she looks mid/late thirties at best(and a haggard one at that) in the show. She's also described as very beautiful but the actress is matronly and a little homely. Same with Uthur - pale blond hair, tall and lanky and a sarcastic amused character but in the show he's short and stocky, dark haired and serious.

I just think, in a book like this where the characters of the fantasy plot are what move the story forward, things like that are important. Especially the time period its set in, even Gwen looks like she's in her 30s (she is also a terrible actress) but women married young (clearly I wouldn't expect 15 years old playing the role but actresses who looked youthful enough to pull it off).

The show is a disappointing execution of the book

[–] zharth 10 years ago

Agreed. I found the majority of the actors "homely" (except Morgaine). It seemed like they were too lazy to recast some of the characters to show the progress of time (the story spans from before Arthur's birth to after his death). Morgause was also supposed to be an adolescent in that first part, but she, like Igraine, was already fully matured (and then some). And the first meeting with Gwenhwyfar, she was supposed to be a scared little child, not the same age as she is when she joins the convent after being caught with Lancelet near the end of Arthur's reign (which is what you get using the same actress across the board).

But the casting is just one of many problems with this abomination of an adaptation of what was a brilliant book.