Excalibur (1981)

A spirited accounting of one of the most obscure periods of the world's history.

Director:

John Boorman

Writers:

Thomas Malory (book), Rospo Pallenberg (adaptation),

Stars:

Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nigel Terry	...	King Arthur
Helen Mirren	...	Morgana
Nicholas Clay	...	Lancelot
Cherie Lunghi	...	Guenevere
Paul Geoffrey	...	Perceval
Nicol Williamson	...	Merlin
Robert Addie	...	Mordred
Gabriel Byrne	...	Uther Pendragon
Keith Buckley	...	Uryens
Katrine Boorman	...	Igrayne
Liam Neeson	...	Gawain
Corin Redgrave	...	Cornwall
Niall O'Brien	...	Kay
Patrick Stewart	...	Leondegrance
Clive Swift	...	Sir Hector

Storyline

The myth of King Arthur brought once again to the screen. Uthur Pendragon is given the mystical sword Excalibur by the wizard Merlin. At his death Uthur buries the sword into a stone, and the next man that can pull it out will be King of England. Years later Arthur, Uthur's bastard son draws Excalibur and becomes king. Guided by Merlin, Arthur marries Guenivere and gathers the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur's evil half-sister Morgana sires a son with him, who may prove his downfall.

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Plot Keywords:

knight | king | evil | sword | excalibur | 

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Taglines:

Forged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a king.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Knights

Filming Locations:

County Kerry, Ireland

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 2,986,757 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min 119 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To make it easier to do special effects, the film was shot in 1.85:1.

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Goofs

During Merlin's speech to the knights, just prior to Arthur's announcement of the round table, etc., the hose supplying the gas for his flaming staff can be seen at its base.

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Quotes

Mordred: Any message for your dear brother, my father?
Morgana: You are my message.

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: Supercop (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Prelude to Parsifal"
by Richard Wagner
Specially recorded by London Philharmonic Orchestra (as The London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Conducted by Norman Del Mar

User Reviews

A Great Film

I am an Arthurian buff and a film fan (aspiring to be a novelist and a screenwriter). EXCALIBUR is a great, great film that holds up very well after more than 20 years. It is an expert distillation of the essential Arthurian legend (this from someone who has read and re-read Malory's original work, Le Morte D'Arthur, on which the movie was based, as well as Tennyson, White, Steinbeck, and many of the other modern fictional treatments, as well as a lot of the secondary literature on the history and meaning of the Arthur myth). The film is wonderful on many, many levels, from Boorman's masterful direction and writing (along with Pallenberg, his screenwriter), to the cinematography, the armor and costumes, the sets and production design, and the acting (with a great cast too numerous to mention). The film has violence, sex, myth, drama, intrigue, heroics, pathos, and aspirations to art, all in the best senses of those terms. The film probably works best if you already have some sort of sense of the Arthur legends, but I would recommend it to anyone. Also, listen to Boorman's director's commentary on the DVD. Perhaps the best and most lucid DVD commentary that I have heard on video; interesting and sharp comments throughout the entire film, and well worth replaying if you aspire to filmmaking in any way, or just want to hear a smart filmmaker talk about his work. I have tried to write Arthurian stories and an Arthurian script, but all have so far paled in comparison to Boorman and Pallenberg's work. Long live Boorman and long live EXCALIBUR!