John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) is an adaptation of one of the more well known stories of western mythology. There have been countless versions of the tale of King Arthur and his knights, but Excalibur remains one of if not the best one. My only other experience with a Boorman film is Point Blank (1967), which I had a hard time with due its abstract way storytelling. That quality is perfect for Excalibur. The film exudes a dreamlike quality, whether it be the way the armour glistens, or how the landscape looks with the smoke and fog. It can be overly done at times, making the film a little confusing but overall it is one of the better sword and sorcery fantasy films out there, especially in a genre and a decade of film where some truly awful sword and sorcery films were made.
The cast is led by Nigel Terry, who portrays Arthur at all stages of his life – from his teenage years to an elderly king. I’ve never been terribly impressed with Terry’s performance, while it gets the job done, he is outdone by the supporting cast. While those supporting players where unknowns at the time, they were people with future success on the horizon. Nicol Williamson was well known at the time, but Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Ciarán Hinds, and Patrick Stewart would achieve varying levels of success later in their careers, to the point of becoming household names in certain parts of the world. Williamson and Mirren really shine as Merlin and Morganna respectively, they had animosity before this film and you can feel the buried tension in their mutual scenes – and it makes their scenes some of the most interesting. Nicol Williamson’s performance is the best one in the film. his portrayal of Merlin as a mischievous but wise mentor to young Arthur adds levity to Excalibur whilst evoking the seriousness of what Arthur is ultimately tasked with – the role of King of England in turbulent and uncertain times.
Excalibur is messy, mystical, and utterly unlike any other fantasy film of its era.
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Roger Ebert stated “What a wondrous vision Excalibur is! And what a mess,” which is fairly accurate even if I disagree with his rating of 2 ½ stars. While it can be a mess at times, I find that the story being messy is one of the things that elevates the film to greatness. It looks like a dream and like a dream the story is in and out of focus, making it more of an experience and while that might turn some people off the film, it is one of the aspects that I love about it. It’s definitely a film that requires a few viewings to find, personally, I missed some things during my first watch. It rewards multiple viewings which may make it a hard sell, but because of that it is rewarding in a way that too few films are.
The score and use of classical pieces add to Excalibur’s grandeur, the use of Carl Orff’s O’ Fortuna, in particular, is highly important in tense scenes, a great choice that elevates the film’s action scenes. Not only does the use of classical music add to the film’s “epicness”, it enriches the fantasy elements.
As much as I like Excalibur, I understand why people wouldn’t like it. Even if the word is overused, it does give off a somewhat pretentious vibe, and can be overly dreamy. Boorman’s vision of a mythical and dreamy retelling of the King Arthur tale works and I would argue it is the definitive version of the tale put to screen. Great performances, amazing music and an overall keen direction make this a must watch 80s masterpiece. The 4k and Blu-ray releases by Arrow knock the previous releases out of the park. The Arrow 4k release includes three audio commentaries, two cuts of the film, a documentary and many interviews. Interviews featuring an array of names involved at all levels, from John Boorman and actor Charley Boorman, to creative associate Neil Jordan (Company of Wolves, Interview with a Vampire), production designers and 2nd Unit Directors – in a feature brilliantly titled “Confessions of a Professional “Pain-in-the-ass”. A booklet featuring writing by Charlie Brigden, K.A. Laity, Kimberly Lindbergs, Josh Nelson, Philip Kemp, John Reppion, Icy Sedgwick and Jez Winship, a fold-out poster and art cards are included as well. This three disc, 4k edition of Excalibur is the definitive edition.
EXCALIBUR 4K IS OUT NOW FROM ARROW VIDEO
