EXCALIBUR (1981)

An Entertaining Retelling of the Arthur Legend

Grade: A-

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The legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table has been told several times in film and on television throughout the years. These interpretations have ranged in tone from farcical (i.e. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975), to serious. Excalibur, released in 1981, falls into the latter category. Lavishly produced, the film’s story and action scenes are somewhat lacking, but these flaws are largely redeemed by an exciting third act.

Set during the Dark Ages in England, Excalibur sets its mature tone early on when Uther Pendragon, the King of England, makes peace with his enemy, the Duke of Cornwall, only to shatter that peace when he lusts after the Duke’s wife, Igrayne. Seeing that Uther is unfit to be king, Merlin the Wizard agrees to help Uther seduce Igrayne on the condition that Uther give Merlin the child that will be born from this affair. Shortly after the child’s birth, Merlin takes the child and Uther is killed, but not before he plants his sword, Excalibur, in a stone. Years later, Uther’s child Arthur removes the sword and becomes king. He assembles his knights, marries Guenevere, and builds his castle Camelot. A golden age of peace ensues but is turned to darkness when Arthur’s half-sister, Morgana Le Fay, seduces Arthur in the guise of Guenevere and begets a son named Mordred, whom she hopes will usurp Arthur as king. As Arthur wastes away and the land with him, his knights set out to find the Holy Grail, which they hope will restore his king and help him defeat Morgana and Mordred.

Excalibur is loaded with beautiful cinematography, elaborate sets and costumes, and great performances. Despite these trappings, however, the film works best when it concentrates on moments of individual drama between the characters and their situations. One example is an early scene where Uther firsts lusts after a dancing Igrayne. The quick cuts in the editing and the expressions on onlookers’ faces, as well as Uther’s openly expressing his desire, combine to create incredible tension. Later, when King Arthur defeats Sir Lancelot in combat, Excalibur is temporarily broken. Actor Nigel Terry expertly conveys despair and regret when he realizes his pride led to the great sword’s shattering.

Probably the biggest weakness in Excalibur is the overall execution of the story, though that may not entirely be the fault of the filmmakers. With a legend as big as King Arthur’s, there is only so much material that screenwriters can fit in a two-hour-twenty-minute movie. Excalibur does an admirable job of conveying the legend, depicting Arthur’s conception, his extraction of Excalibur, his first meeting with Sir Lancelot, his founding of his knights, the betrayal by Morgana, etc. With that said, the movie still feels like it is rushing through certain events to meet the runtime. Before Arthur challenges Sir Lancelot, he reminds his knights how they conquered armies together; this statement implies several epic battles, but up until this point in the story, the only time we’ve seen Arthur and his men in battle was when they aided Arthur’s supporter, Sir Leodegrance, when his castle was under siege. And of the large number of knights seen seated at the Round Table, only a handful are given any real personality.

Another weak aspect of the movie is most of the action scenes, which are usually the highlight of a movie of this type. The fight choreography is not the best I’ve seen. When soldiers and knights go to battle with each other, I wasn’t as thrilled by them as I would’ve liked; in the fight between Arthur and Lancelot, it’s sometimes difficult to make out their weapons and the moves they make against each other. And the final battle between Arthur and Mordred’s forces takes place in a fog, which sometimes makes it hard to distinguish the good knights from the bad.

Despite these flaws, Excalibur features a terrific climax. After the knight Sir Perceval finally finds the Holy Grail and uses it to revive an ailing Arthur, the king sets out to face Morgana and Mordred. Along the way, the previously desolate land is restored, and Arthur makes amends with those who wronged him. The final battle, despite the aforementioned fog, is still thrilling, and the final standoff between Arthur and Mordred-set against a blazing red sunrise-is as dramatic as it is bloody.

Excalibur is not a perfect movie. The story needed some expanding in certain areas and the fight choreography could’ve been better. But the film is well-acted, has great production value, and does the best it can do with such a relatively short runtime in conveying such an epic story. The dark and mature themes also contribute to make Excalibur a standout among adaptations of the Arthur legend.

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Director: John Boorman

Producer: John Boorman

Screenplay: John Boorman, Rospo Pallenberg (Based on "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Thomas Mallory)

Cast: Nigel Terry (King Arthur), Helen Mirren (Morgana Le Fay), Nicolas Clay (Sir Lancelot), Cherie Lunghi (Queen Guenevere), Paul Geoffrey (Sir Perceval), Nicol Williamson (Merlin), Patrick Stewart (Sir Leodegrance), Liam Neeson (Sir Gawain), Gabriel Byrne (King Uther Pendragon), Robert Addie (Prince Mordred), Katherine Boorman (Igrayne), Corin Redgrave (Duke of Cornwall)