The myth of King Arthur (Nigel Terry) brought once again to the screen. Uthur Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) 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. Several years later, Arthur, Uthur's bastard son, draws Excalibur and becomes King. Guided by Merlin, Arthur marries Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi) and gathers the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur's evil half-sister Morgana (Dame Helen Mirren) sires a son with him, who may prove to be his downfall.Written by
Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>
In the film, Guinevere is the daughter of Leodegrance, the King of Cameliard (played by Patrick Stewart) Her native Cameliard has been identified with locations in both Cornwall and the region of Cornouaille in Brittany. Leondegrance appears as Guinevere's father in the chivalric romance tales from the High and Late Middle Ages. In Welsh legends, her father is variously identified as Cywryd of Gwent, Gwythyr ap Greidawl, and Gogfran Gawr ("the Giant"). Of them, Gwythyr is depicted as one of Arthur's warriors, and the personal enemy of Gwyn ap Nudd. See more »
Goofs
Arthur jumps from Leondegrance's castle wall to take Uryens off his horse, and then appears to be trampled by that horse. See more »
Quotes
Uther:
The sword. You promised me the sword.
Merlin:
And you shall have it; but to heal, not to hack. Tomorrow, a truce; we meet at the river.
Uther:
Talk. Talk is for lovers, Merlin. I need the sword to be king.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The movie was originally put into theatrical release in 1981 as an R-rated film in the USA. Later there was an announcement of a PG rated version, but it was not widely released. The original R-rated cut is 140 minutes. Most home video versions are the R-rated version, but TV and movie channels show the PG cut, making the movie 119 minutes. The R-rated version features about 21 more minutes of graphic sex and violence. See more »
"Excalibur" is the best version of the Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ever made by the cinema industry. John Boorman´s version has inconsistencies with the legend but it is a perfect blend of fantasy, drama and adventure. Visually stunning, it is worthwhile watching this film in Blu-Ray. The magnificent soundtrack is supported by music of Wagner and Carl Orff. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Excalibur"
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"Excalibur" is the best version of the Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ever made by the cinema industry. John Boorman´s version has inconsistencies with the legend but it is a perfect blend of fantasy, drama and adventure. Visually stunning, it is worthwhile watching this film in Blu-Ray. The magnificent soundtrack is supported by music of Wagner and Carl Orff. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Excalibur"