Best Performances: Our Lady of the Lake
This morning I have been re-watching “The Lady of the Lake”. It’s impossible to keep the tears at bay. I keep thinking if I see it enough, it will have less impact on me … but not so. And it is Colin Morgan’s performance that keeps it forever fresh.
The Lady of the Lake is such a beautiful love story. I delight in his portrayal of the awkward, embarrassed young suitor, so smitten with this young girl who he wants desperately to protect … so eager to impress her … so buoyant with hopeful feelings of what could be.
Then the devastation of truth revealed, which Colin/Merlin so achingly sets before us. Even so, his love survives. He is so tender with her, even when she is the Bastet … how can your heart not break?
The scene at the lake is almost too much to bear. He conveys such anguish, such sorrow … nothing held back … tears flowing down his face, lingering on his nose and chin. The yearningly lovely, “I don’t want you to go.” … telling of his heartache with intense depth of feeling behind those simple words.
At the end of one of the audio commentaries, Anthony Head asks Colin about the hesitation just before Merlin lights the funeral pyre for Freya. “Beautiful”, he says. “Was it in the script or was that you?”
Bradley James interrupts and says, “no, that was all Colin”.
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There is a clip on YouTube of Laura Donnelly describing the filming of this final scene. How can we not be impressed that these actors give us such emotion with cameras and support staff all around, not to mention the rain and the delays … she mentions how Colin held that level of intensity throughout this process … as she says, “a complete professional” … and one who brought to life these not-to-be forgotten, beautiful moments. You can view it here:
(also posted in Merlin pages, top of blog, home menu bar)
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