Excalibur (1981)

Director:

John Boorman

Writers:

Thomas Malory (book)
Rospo Pallenberg (adaptation)

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

No mortal could possess it! No kingdom could command it!

Plot:

A spirited accounting of one of the most obscure periods of the world's history. This reprisal is magical in its execution and gives its audience something to watch.

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Excalibur | Sword | King | Evil

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

The Knights (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

140 min | USA:119 min (edited version)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:12 | Sweden:15 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | USA:PG (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:12 (f)

Filming Locations:

County Kerry, Ireland

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to John Boorman's DVD commentary, the sword prop of Excalibur itself and the Holy Grail props used in the movie are in his home.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the final battle sequence, Sir Hector can be seen wildly hacking away at an enemy in close proximity to King Arthur, when he strikes Arthur on the back of his head with a full blow from his sword. Arthur, appearing momentarily stunned, grabs the back of his head but being faced with an opponent and film rolling, continued the fight sequence with his left arm up in the air to protect his head as he tried to move away from Hector who was still wildly swinging at the other actor - completely oblivious of the blow that he had inflicted on Arthur who was standing directly behind him.

Quotes:

Arthur: Move aside! This is the king's road - and the knights you joined arms against were his very own.
Lancelot: I await the king himself. His knights are in need of training.
Arthur: I am King. And this
[draws the sword]
Arthur: , is Excalibur. Sword of Kings from the dawn of time. Who are you, what do you seek?
Lancelot: I am Lancelot of the Lake, from across the sea. And I have yet to find a King worthy of my sword.
Arthur: That is a wild boast. You lack a knight's humility!
Lancelot: Not a boast, sir. But a curse. For I have never met my match in joust or duel.
Arthur: Move aside!
Lancelot: I will not. You must retreat, or prove your worth in the test of arms under the eyes of God.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Catalina Caper (#3.4)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Prelude to Parsifal

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!