Excalibur (1981)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

John Boorman

Writers:

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

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 | King | Evil | Sword | Excalibur

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
Ciarán Hinds	...	Lot (as Ciarin Hinds)
Liam O'Callaghan	...	Sadok
Michael Muldoon	...	Astamor
Charley Boorman	...	Boy Mordred
Gerard Mannix Flynn	...	Mordred's Lieutenant (as Mannix Flynn)
Garrett Keogh	...	Mador
Emmet Bergin	...	Ulfus
Barbara Byrne	...	Young Morgana
Brid Brennan	...	Lady in Waiting
Kay McLaren	...	Aged Morgana
Eamon A. Kelly	...	Abbot (as Eamonn Kelly)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hilary Joyalle	...	Lady of the Lake (uncredited)
Prudence Wright Holmes	...	Sunshine (uncredited)

Directed by
John Boorman

Writing credits
Thomas Malory		(book "Le Morte d'Arthur")
Rospo Pallenberg		(adaptation)
Rospo Pallenberg		(screenplay) and
John Boorman		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Boorman	....	producer
Michael Dryhurst	....	associate producer
Robert A. Eisenstein	....	executive producer
Edgar F. Gross	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Trevor Jones

Cinematography by
Alex Thomson

Film Editing by
John Merritt
Donn Cambern		(uncredited)

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Anthony Pratt

Art Direction by
Tim Hutchinson

Set Decoration by
Bryan Graves

Costume Design by
Bob Ringwood

Makeup Department
Anna Dryhurst	....	makeup artist
Anne Dunne	....	hair stylist
Anne McFadyen	....	hair stylist
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack Phelan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Barry Blackmore	....	assistant director
Robert Dwyer-Joyce	....	second assistant director
John Lawlor	....	second assistant director
Peter MacDonald	....	second unit director
Andrew Montgomery	....	second assistant director
Ted Morley	....	second assistant director
David Murphy	....	second assistant director
Martin O'Malley	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Trisha Edwards	....	production buyer
Bob Hedges	....	property master
Joe Lear	....	master plasterer
Joe Lee	....	construction manager
John Lucas	....	associate art director
Owen Murnane	....	master painter
Paddy Murray	....	property man
Mario Novelli	....	model maker (as Anthony Freeman)
David Rayner	....	property man
Mervyn Rowe	....	scenic artist
Bertram Tyrer	....	associate art director
Mark Hedges	....	trainee propman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Pat Brennan	....	assistant sound editor
Tom Curran	....	sound recordist
Ron Davis	....	sound editor
John Fortune	....	boom operator
Tony Message	....	dialogue editor
Doug E. Turner	....	sound mixer (as Doug Turner)
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Doyle	....	special effects
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects
Gerry Johnston	....	special effects
Alan Whibley	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Wally Veevers	....	special optical effects

Stunts
Ken Byrne	....	stunts
Dominick Hewitt	....	stunt double
Paul Kelly	....	stunts
Chris King	....	stunts
James McHale	....	stunts
Ed McShortall	....	stunts
Donal O'Farrell	....	stunts
Bernard O'Hare	....	stunts
Peter Spelman	....	stunts
Alan Walsh	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Brewster	....	assistant camera
John J. Campbell	....	assistant camera (as John Campbell)
Jack Conroy	....	electrical supervisor
Louis Conroy	....	electrician
Terry Eiffe	....	electrician
Derek Hate	....	electrician
Martin Holland	....	electrician
Peter MacDonald	....	photographer: second unit
Shane O'Neill	....	assistant camera
Luke Quigley	....	camera grip
Arnaud Sélignac	....	still photographer
Bob Smith	....	camera operator
Peter Versey	....	assistant camera
Mike Fox	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Jon Sorensen	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Des Whelan	....	second assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Daryl Bristow	....	wardrobe master
Janet O'Leary	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Michael Kelliher	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Trevor Jones	....	conductor: original music
Dick Lewzey	....	music recording engineer (as Richard Lewzey)
John Richards	....	music recording engineer
John A. Coleman	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Terry Baker	....	stand-by crew
Philip Bernon	....	rider
Telsche Boorman	....	general assistant
Richard Collins	....	rider
Seamus Collins	....	rider
Con Cremins	....	assistant accountant
Joe Cullen	....	rider
Barry Cunningham	....	stand-by crew
Daithi Curren	....	rider
Tony Doyle	....	rider
Terry English	....	armorer
Nick Fitzpatrick	....	armorer
Martin Forrestal	....	stand-by crew
Donal Fortune	....	rider
David Gavaghan	....	rider
Beryl Harvey	....	production assistant
William Hobbs	....	fight arranger
Neil Jordan	....	creative associate
Eddie Kennedy	....	rider
Peter Leicht	....	armorer
Tom Lundy	....	stand-by crew
Marie McFerran	....	production assistant
Bronco McLoughlin	....	rider (as Bronco McLaughlin)
Kevin Moriarty	....	location manager
Michael O'Farrell	....	rider
Ray O'Toole	....	rider
Michael Rowland	....	horse master
Jean Skinner	....	continuity
Artur Tarry	....	production accountant (as Arthur Tarry)
Steve Tidiman	....	armorer
Anthony Van Laast	....	choreographer
Christy Yourell	....	stand-by crew
Wayne Docksey	....	animal wrangler (uncredited)
Craig Miller	....	marketing consultant (uncredited)
Philip Sharpe	....	technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical) (through)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Neue Constantin Film (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Irish Film Stunt Squad  stunts
• Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus  orchestra
• London Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra
• The National Film Studios  studio

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:

Guenevere's wedding dress was hand made from hundreds of beads. Young brides requested the dress to no avail.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Boom mike reflected King Arthur's armour.

Quotes:

Merlin: It is a lonely life, the way of the necromancer... oh, yes. Lacrimae Mundi - the tears of the world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sasquatch Gang (2006)

Soundtrack:

O Fortuna

Excellent battle scenes. Well worth seeing.

John Boorman's semi-adaptation of La Morte D'Arthur may come as something of a surprise, albeit a pleasant one, as the usually glamorised and fanciful tale is furnished in grimly realistic fashion. The armour, weapons and castles all look very authentic, and indeed it is in the battle sequences that the film excels, especially due to the stirring music selected to accompany each pivotal scene.

Purists will doubtless find plenty to frown and ‘tut' about, but doing justice to the Arthurian legends in film is a monumental task and Boorman delivers a true classic. Acting is fine, although dialogue is shouted more than spoke, and delivered with all the subtlety of a flanged mace. Nicol Williamson stands out in particular as the creepy Merlin, but it's fun to see Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson paving their ways to future stardom.

Of course, if the film has any reputation at all it is with its vicious battle scenes, which are still gory even today. They are, it has to be said, very welcome, because without the depictions of desperate, hand-to-hand battle, you might start comparing it with First Knight – which would be something close to sacrilege.

My older DVD copy looks fine but sounds a bit tinny, so it's with some annoyance I see there's a special edition out now, which presumably has had the full restoration work done on it. If you haven't seen Excalibur but have an interest in the subject (and hated First Knight), you should certainly give it a try.