Excalibur is a
1981-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
fantasy filmFantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap....
which retells the legend of
King ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated...
. It grossed $34,967,437
USDThe United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
, and was the 18th most successful film of that year.
Plot
The film begins with
Uther PendragonUther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
(
Gabriel ByrneGabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, and writer, as well as an audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen début came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the spin-off...
), in battle against the
Duke of CornwallGorlois was a Duke of Cornwall and Igraine's first husband before her marriage to Uther Pendragon, according to the Arthurian legend. Later versions give him a number of children, the most famous of which are Elaine, Morgause or Anna, and Morgan le Fay....
(
Corin RedgraveCorin William Redgrave is an English actor and political activist.-Family:Redgrave was born in Marylebone, London, the son of actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson...
), reminding
MerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
(
Nicol WilliamsonNicol Williamson is a Scottish-born British actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
) of his promise of the "Sword of Power",
ExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes' attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
to denote his kingship. Merlin retrieves the sword from the
Lady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers and copyists give her name...
(Telsche Boorman) and gives it to Uther with the intention of uniting the land as one. After Uther yields portions of "lands from here to the sea" Cornwall yields to Uther and promises to enforce the king's will. Cornwall invites Uther to celebrate at his castle, where Uther meets and is enchanted by Cornwall's wife
IgrayneIn Arthurian legend, Igraine is the mother of King Arthur. She becomes the wife of Uther Pendragon, but her first husband was Gorlois; her daughters...
. Cornwall is enraged and the truce is broken. The lustful Uther later lays siege to the Duke's castle.
Merlin, furious at Uther's recklessness, nevertheless agrees to use his magic to help Uther seduce Igrayne, on the condition that Uther relinquishes to Merlin whatever results from his lust. Merlin summons the dragon who lies beneath the land and transforms Uther into the image of Cornwall, who rides into the castle across the sky on the dragon's breath just as Cornwall leaves to attack Uther's camp. Meanwhile, Cornwall is killed during his assault and sensing her father's death, awakes Igrayne's young daughter,
MorganaMorgan le Fay, alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
. Believing her husband has returned home, Igrayne (Katrine Boorman) makes love to an aggressive Uther while a devastated Morgana sees past Uther's disguise.
Igrayne later gives birth to a son,
ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated...
. Upon seeing his child, Uther speaks of creating peace and staying with Igrayne. Much to Igrayne's despair, Merlin later arrives and reminds Uther of the oath he took, and takes baby Arthur. Uther pursues Merlin and is later ambushed by the remaining loyal Cornwall knights who were also after Excalibur. He is mortally wounded in the forest but not before thrusting the sword into a large nearby stone. Merlin is a witness and exclaims that "he who draws
the sword from the stoneThe Sword in the Stone is a novel by T. H. White, published in 1938, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once and Future King. Walt Disney Productions adapted the story to an animated film, and the BBC adapted it to radio.-Plot summary:The novel is about a young...
, he shall be king".
Years later,
Sir EctorSir Ector is the father of Sir Kay and the foster father of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. Sometimes a king instead of merely a lord, he has an estate in the country as well as properties in London. In The Once and Future King T. H...
(
Clive SwiftClive Walter Swift is a British actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Bucket in the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances....
) and his sons
KayIn Arthurian legend, Sir Kay is Sir Ector's son and King Arthur's foster brother and later seneschal, as well as one of the first Knights of the Round Table...
(
Niall O'BrienNiall O'Brien may refer to:*Niall O'Brien *Niall O'Brien , Colombian missionary...
) and Arthur (
Nigel TerryNigel Terry is a British stage and film actor probably best known by movie audiences for his portrayal of King Arthur in John Boorman's Excalibur . However, he has had a long career in classical theatre....
) who is now a young adult attend a jousting tournament to win a chance to draw Excalibur from the stone. The best knights in the land gather to compete and Leondegrance (
Patrick StewartPatrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor. He has had a distinguished career in theatre for nearly fifty years, including performances as various characters in Shakespearean productions...
) is the victor but fails to pull the sword from the stone. Arthur, now Kay's squire, forgets Kay's sword in a tent and returns only to discover that it has been stolen. While pursuing the thief, Arthur stumbles by the stone in which Excalibur is embedded. By sheer fate and destiny, the sword calls to him and Arthur draws it from the stone. Once news arrives of the sword's release, the tournament crowd gathers around him. Sir Ector commands Arthur to put it back and after a failed attempt by a skeptical
UryensUrien, often referred to as Urien Rheged, was a late 6th century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom of the Hen Ogledd . His power and his victories, including the battles of Gwen Ystrad and Alt Clut Ford, are celebrated in the praise poems to him by Taliesin, preserved in the Book of Taliesin...
(
Keith BuckleyKeith Buckley is a British actor who has mostly appeared in television since 1958.Buckley has made some appearances in film and television appearing in The Avengers and Randall and Hopkirk in the 1960s and The New Avengers in the 1970s...
), Arthur easily draws the sword from the stone once more. Merlin then appears, revealing to Arthur that he is the son of Uther and Igrayne, hence by birthright, he is the rightful king of the land.
Not all accept Arthur's kingship. As the knights argue, a confused Arthur flees into the forest pursuing Merlin. He later explains Arthur's destiny, telling the boy that he and the land are one. Overwhelmed, Arthur slips off into sleep. The next morning, Merlin tells him that his enemies are laying siege to the castle of one of Arthur's supporters, Leondegrance. Rallying the other knights loyal to him, Arthur leads a counter-assault and repels the attackers. The battle ends when Arthur asks for Sir Uryens' faith in Arthur's newfound kingship. Uryens is insulted at swearing faith to a squire. Arthur, realizing what he says is true, gives Excalibur to him to proclaim Arthur a knight. Tempted to take the sword for himself, Uryens hesitates, but after seeing Arthur's grace in victory, grants his request. Arthur later meets Leondegrance's daughter
GuenevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first appears in Chrétien de Troyes' Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart...
(
Cherie LunghiCherie Lunghi is a British film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She also...
), who narrowly avoids a kiss from Arthur, while she helps treat his wound.
Later, Arthur and his knights encounter a brilliant and self-proclaimed undefeated knight named
LancelotIn the Arthurian legend, Sir Lancelot is one of the Knights of the Round Table. He is typically considered to be one of the greatest and most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
(
Nicholas ClayNicholas Anthony Phillip Clay was a British actor.Born in Streatham London, to Bill and Rose Clay, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began his acting career in the early 1970s with small parts in film and television. He also appeared in several West End theatre productions...
). In search of a king worthy of his sword, Lancelot will allow none to pass a bridge until he is defeated in single combat. After besting all of Arthur's knights, Lancelot engages Arthur himself in a joust. An enraged Arthur refuses to accept Lancelot's victory and challenges Lancelot in a duel to the death. The battle brings them near a nearby lake. Lancelot is surprisingly fast and agile striking at will on the furious and unbalanced Arthur. Lying on the rocks in defeat, Arthur summons Excalibur's power. The "Sword of Power" hums with magic and cuts through Lancelot's spear, piercing his armour and knocking him unconscious, but breaking the tip of the sword. A devastated and shameful Arthur confesses to Merlin that in his rage he abused the sword's power to serve his own vanity. Arthur throws what is left of the sword into the lake but, upon his words of contrition, the Lady of the Lake shows herself and offers a restored Excalibur to the king. Realizing his error, Arthur quietly vows never to abuse the sword's power again. Lancelot awakens and, happy that he has finally been beaten, swears fealty to Arthur.
After a series of battles, Arthur and his knights unify the land. He decides to create a
Round TableThe Round Table is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his Knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status. The table was first described in 1155 by Wace, who relied on previous depictions of...
and builds his castle,
CamelotCamelot is the most famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the fabulous Arthurian...
. Arthur ultimately marries Guenevere but Lancelot, who escorts her to the wedding, falls deeply in love with her. Arthur's half-sister, Morgana (
Helen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards during her career.-Family:...
), a budding sorceress, becomes apprenticed to Merlin in hopes of learning the Charm of Making from him. Time passes and Lancelot, the greatest of the knights, is often inexplicably absent from the Round Table, seeking refuge deep in the forest in order to brood. One day while sleeping in the forest, Lancelot encounters a peasant boy named
PercivalPercival or Perceval is one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. In Welsh literature his story is allotted to the historical Peredur...
(Paul Geoffrey), who aspires to become a knight and impresses Lancelot with his resiliency. Lancelot guides him back to Camelot where Percival later becomes his squire.
Though Lancelot is the king's champion, his forbidden love for Guenevere keeps him away from Camelot. One evening, Sir
GawainGawain is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...
(
Liam NeesonWilliam John "Liam" Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor, who has been a U.S. citizen since 2009. He is well known for his roles as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey and Aslan in The...
), under the corruption of Morgana, openly accuses both knight and queen of adultery at the Round Table. Since he is king, Arthur decrees that he must be the judge and that Lancelot must defend Guenevere's honor in a duel against Gawain. In a nightmare duel with himself, Lancelot pierces himself with his own sword in order to purge himself of his love for Guenevere. As the crowd gather for the duel, Lancelot is nowhere to be seen. A disappointed Arthur looks upon all of his knights and not one volunteers to challenge Gawain, except the squire, Percival. In duress and to the shock of the crowd, Arthur hastily knights Percival. Lancelot finally arrives and despite his injuries, manages to defeat Gawain and have him withdraw his accusation. The duel is too much for Lancelot and he collapses, close to death. Arthur implores Merlin to bring him back, whatever the cost and so Merlin does, placing Guenevere's hand on Lancelot's heart, giving him will to live.
Ultimately, Guenevere realizes her love for Lancelot, and they ride out into the forest where the two consummate their love. A heartbroken Arthur, realizing the two people he loves most in the world have betrayed him, finds Guenevere and Lancelot asleep together in the forest. Meanwhile, Merlin guides Morgana, who is showing signs of hostility towards her half-brother Arthur, to his secret lair intending on luring her into a trap. In the forest, Arthur thrusts Excalibur between the sleeping couple and because of his magical link with the Dragon and Earth, Merlin is instantly impaled by the magical sword also. Seeing a weakened Merlin, Morgana seizes the opportunity to trap him in crystal with the Charm of Making. Morgana (like Uther when he deceived Igrayne) then takes the form of Guenevere and seduces Arthur into making love to her. She later bears a son named
MordredMordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
(
Charley BoormanCharley Boorman is an English actor, traveller, television presenter and travel writer.-Education:Boorman was educated at St. Kilian's Deutsche Schule , an independent school in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland...
/
Robert AddieRobert Alastair Addie was an English actor who was best known for playing Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the television series Robin of Sherwood....
) and protects him with magic so that no man-made weapon can kill him.
On awakening to the sight of Excalibur, Lancelot cries "the king without a sword, the land without a king" and flees in shame as Guenevere lies there weeping. Time passes and Arthur is struck by lightning while in prayer, causing the land to be stricken with famine and sickness. A broken Arthur sends his knights on a quest for the
Holy GrailAccording to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers...
believing the land will prosper if it is found. More years pass and many knights die on the quest, while some are the walking dead; bewitched by Morgana to serve her and her son.
Stopping by a lake for water, Percival witnesses Mordred viciously murdering Uryens. With his dying breath, Uryens tells Percival that he is the last of the quest knights and that he must continue his search. After being captured by Mordred and Morgana, Percival manages to escape, but not before he dreams of obtaining the grail. Wandering aimlessly, Percival encounters a fat, bearded, and bitter Lancelot preaching to his followers of the failures of the kingdom. Recognizing Lancelot, Percival tries to tell him that he is still needed by Arthur, but with the help of his followers, Lancelot pushes Percival into a river. Rising out of the river, Percival, having lost his armor, has a vision of the Grail and a mysterious figure who asks "Who am I?" and "Have you found the secret that I have lost?" Percival realizes that the figure is King Arthur, and his secret is that he and the land are one. Answering the riddle, he attains the Grail and takes it to Arthur. Arthur drinks from it and is revitalized.
Realizing that now is his time to truly be king, Arthur and his few remaining knights ride to war against Mordred and Morgana. The barren land blooms with life as they pass and is reborn with its King. Learning that Guenevere has joined a nunnery, Arthur pays a visit to her convent, where they reconcile. She reveals Excalibur to him, having kept it safe since the day she fled.
Most of the land's nobles have rallied to Mordred and Morgana. In despair, Arthur calls to Merlin and strikes a nearby stone
hengeA henge is a prehistoric architectural structure. In form, it is a nearly circular or oval-shaped flat area over 20 metres in diameter that is enclosed and delimited by a boundary earthwork that usually comprises a ditch with an external bank. The earthwork permits access to the interior by one,...
in his frustration, unknowingly awakening the wizard from his enchanted slumber. Though still imprisoned in crystal, Merlin appears to Morgana in a dream and tricks her into calling the dragon and uttering the Charm of Making, creating a thick fog of the dragon's breath. Her magically-endowed youth dissolves, she grows old and grotesque, much to the dismay of her son Mordred, who strangles her in disgust.
With the help of Merlin, Arthur and his knights survive using Morgana's mist to their advantage to hide their small numbers, but are soon overwhelmed. Lancelot arrives and joins the fray, turning the tide of the battle. After disposing of the remaining enemies, Lancelot falls to the ground from the old wound that has never healed. Arthur and Lancelot reconcile, and Lancelot dies with Arthur's acknowledgment that he was the Round Table's greatest knight. A distraught Arthur turns to find Mordred ready to pierce his father with his spear. Percival offers to fight, but Arthur realizes Mordred was his sin and stands to face his son. Mordred lunges forward with his weapon and pierces Arthur, but the determined king pulls the spear, and his son, closer to him, whereupon he stabs Mordred with the enchanted Excalibur, killing him.
Knowing he is dying, Arthur commands Percival to throw Excalibur into a pool of calm water. He initially balks at the command, but eventually carries out the king's bidding and throws the sword into the pool where it is caught by the glimmering scale-clad hand of the Lady of the Lake. When Percival returns, he sees Arthur's body on a ship sailing away. The king is attended by three formally posed ladies clad in white, sailing into the setting sun toward the Isle of
AvalonAvalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, famous for its beautiful apples...
.
Cast
- Nigel Terry
Nigel Terry is a British stage and film actor probably best known by movie audiences for his portrayal of King Arthur in John Boorman's Excalibur . However, he has had a long career in classical theatre....
as King ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated...
- Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards during her career.-Family:...
as Morgana Le FayMorgan le Fay, alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
- Nicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson is a Scottish-born British actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
as Merlin
- Nicholas Clay
Nicholas Anthony Phillip Clay was a British actor.Born in Streatham London, to Bill and Rose Clay, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began his acting career in the early 1970s with small parts in film and television. He also appeared in several West End theatre productions...
as LancelotIn the Arthurian legend, Sir Lancelot is one of the Knights of the Round Table. He is typically considered to be one of the greatest and most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
- Cherie Lunghi
Cherie Lunghi is a British film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She also...
as GuenevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first appears in Chrétien de Troyes' Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart...
- Liam Neeson
William John "Liam" Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor, who has been a U.S. citizen since 2009. He is well known for his roles as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey and Aslan in The...
as GawainGawain is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...
- Patrick Stewart
Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor. He has had a distinguished career in theatre for nearly fifty years, including performances as various characters in Shakespearean productions...
as King Leondegrance
- Clive Swift
Clive Walter Swift is a British actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Bucket in the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances....
as Sir EctorSir Ector is the father of Sir Kay and the foster father of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. Sometimes a king instead of merely a lord, he has an estate in the country as well as properties in London. In The Once and Future King T. H...
- Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, and writer, as well as an audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen début came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the spin-off...
as Uther PendragonUther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
- Robert Addie
Robert Alastair Addie was an English actor who was best known for playing Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the television series Robin of Sherwood....
as MordredMordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
- Paul Geoffrey as Perceval
Even though he was 35 years old,
Nigel TerryNigel Terry is a British stage and film actor probably best known by movie audiences for his portrayal of King Arthur in John Boorman's Excalibur . However, he has had a long career in classical theatre....
plays King Arthur from his teenage years to his ending as an aged monarch.
Several members of the Boorman family also appeared in the picture.
IgrayneIn Arthurian legend, Igraine is the mother of King Arthur. She becomes the wife of Uther Pendragon, but her first husband was Gorlois; her daughters...
(Arthur's mother), the
Lady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers and copyists give her name...
,
MordredMordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
as a boy, and the infant Arthur were all played by Boorman's children. Because of the number of Boormans involved with the film, it is sometimes called "The Boorman Family Project."
PG and R-rated versions
The movie was originally put into theatrical release simultaneously in both its PG and R-rated formats in the USA. The original R-rated cut is 140 minutes. Most home video versions are the R-rated one, but TV and movie channels show the PG version, making the movie 119 minutes. The R-rated version features about 21 more minutes of graphic sex and violence.
Production
John Boorman originally intended to film an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien 's
The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by philologist and Oxford University professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
and much of the imagery and set designs seen in Excalibur were created with that intention. He was, however, unable to secure the rights to the book.
Casting
John BoormanJohn Boorman is an English filmmaker, currently based in Ireland, best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Excalibur, Hope and Glory, The General and Zardoz.-Early life:...
cast
Nicol WilliamsonNicol Williamson is a Scottish-born British actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
and
Helen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards during her career.-Family:...
opposite each other as Merlin and Morgana, knowing that the two were at the time on less than friendly terms, due to personal issues that arose during a production of
MacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth, commonly just Macbeth, is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
seven years earlier. Boorman felt that the tension on set would come through in the actors' performances. This is stated by John Boorman himself in the audio commentary track of the Excalibur DVD.
Filming
Excalibur was filmed in Irish locations in
County WicklowCounty Wicklow is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Wicklow ....
,
County TipperaryCounty Tipperary is one of the traditional Counties of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster. It was named after the town of Tipperary .Tipperary is the sixth largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 11th largest in terms of population...
, and
County KerryCounty Kerry is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster. Kerry is the fifth largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 14th largest in terms of population...
. The early critical battle scene around a castle, in which Arthur is made a knight by Uryens, while kneeling in a moat, was filmed in
Cahir CastleCahir Castle , one of the largest castles in Ireland, was built in County Tipperary in 1142 by Conor O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, on an island in the river Suir...
, in Cahir
County TipperaryCounty Tipperary is one of the traditional Counties of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster. It was named after the town of Tipperary .Tipperary is the sixth largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 11th largest in terms of population...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
. It is a genuine
NormanThe term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture...
castle, one of the best preserved anywhere and the moat is the River Suir which flows around the castle.
The original cut of the film was three hours long. Following a reduction in length, several shots were lost, among them a scene of Lancelot rescuing Guinevere from a forest bandit.
According to director
John BoormanJohn Boorman is an English filmmaker, currently based in Ireland, best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Excalibur, Hope and Glory, The General and Zardoz.-Early life:...
, the love scene between Lancelot and Guinevere in the forest was filmed on a very cold night, but
Nicholas ClayNicholas Anthony Phillip Clay was a British actor.Born in Streatham London, to Bill and Rose Clay, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began his acting career in the early 1970s with small parts in film and television. He also appeared in several West End theatre productions...
and
Cherie LunghiCherie Lunghi is a British film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She also...
did the scene in the nude anyway.
Costumes
The costumes were designed by Bob Ringwood. The
armourArmour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat...
was designed by Terry English, who also crafted the armor for the film
AliensAliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, and Bill Paxton. A sequel to the 1979 film Alien, Aliens is set fifty-seven years after the first film and is regarded by many film critics as a...
. It is notable that the armor worn during the period before Arthur and the earlier part of his reign (the "Dark Ages") is dark and dull, primarily greyish tones of varying styles, reflecting the turmoil and strife of a divided land. Soon after Lancelot arrives and during the height of Arthur's reign, the Round Table knights adopt armor similar Lancelot's style of glossy, chrome-like platemail with the same type of helmet, representing a strong, united kingdom. When the kingdom decays and strife returns with the rebellion of Mordred, knights in the varied, dark armor return, as the ones who fight for Morgana and her son against Arthur. The final battle between Arthur and Mordred's forces highlights the contrast between the silver and dark armour. Although it may simply be a direct indicative of the conditions they faced, it is also of note that the knights on the quest for the grail also went from glittering armor to a dull, dirt-caked set over the years that they quested.
Adaptation
The
screenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. A play for television is known as a teleplay.- Format and style :...
was written by Rospo Pallenberg with assistance from
John BoormanJohn Boorman is an English filmmaker, currently based in Ireland, best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Excalibur, Hope and Glory, The General and Zardoz.-Early life:...
.
The film is primarily an adaptation of
MalorySir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholarship assumes that he was Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel in Warwickshire...
's
Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'Arthur is Sir Thomas Malory's compilation of some French and English Arthurian romances...
(1485). In order to recast the Arthurian legends as an allegory of the cycle of birth, life and decay, the text was stripped of decorative or insignificant details. The resulting film is reminiscent of
mythographicA mythographer, or a mythologist, according to a strict dictionary definition, is a compiler of myths. Mythography is then the rendering of myths in the arts...
works such as Sir
James FrazerSir James George Frazer , was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion....
's
The Golden BoughThe Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer . It first was published in two volumes in 1890; the third edition, published 1906–15, comprised twelve volumes...
and
Jessie WestonJessie Laidlay Weston was an independent scholar and folklorist, working mainly on mediaeval Arthurian texts.Her best-known work is From Ritual to Romance ; this book is now available as an online text, as are others of hers...
's
From Ritual to RomanceFrom Ritual to Romance is a 1920 book written by Jessie L. Weston. The work's current fame rests on it being mentioned by T. S. Eliot in the notes to his poem, The Waste Land:...
; Arthur is presented as the "Wounded King" whose realm becomes a wasteland to be reborn thanks to the Grail, and may be compared to the
Fisher (or Sinner) KingThe Fisher King, or the Wounded King, figures in Arthurian legend as the latest in a line charged with keeping the Holy Grail. Versions of his story vary widely, but he is always wounded in the legs or groin, and incapable of moving on his own. When he is injured, his kingdom suffers as he does,...
, whose land also became a wasteland, and was also healed by Perceval. "The film has to do with
mythical truth, not historical truth," Boorman remarked to a journalist during filming. The Christian symbolism revolves around the Grail, perhaps most strongly in the baptismal imagery of Perceval finally achieving the Grail quest. "That's what my story is about: the coming of Christian man and the disappearance of the old religions which are represented by Merlin. The forces of superstition and magic are swallowed up into the unconscious."
In keeping with this approach, the film is intentionally ahistorical. For example, the opening titles state the setting to be the
Dark AgesThe Dark Ages is a term in historiography referring to a perceived period of cultural decline or societal collapse that took place in Western Europe between the fall of Rome and the eventual recovery of learning. Increased understanding of the accomplishments of the Middle Ages in the 19th century...
, even though the knights wear full plate armor, a technology of the 15th century. Knights, knighthood and the code of chivalry also did not exist during the period. Furthermore,
BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
is never mentioned by name, only as "the land".
In addition to Malory, the writers incorporated elements from other Arthurian stories, sometimes altering them. For example, the sword between the sleeping lovers' bodies comes from the tales of
Tristan and IseultThe legend of Tristan and Iseult is an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with as many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Iseult...
; the knight who returns Excalibur to the water is changed from
BedivereIn Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He serves as King Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with Sir Kay. Sir Lucan is his brother, Sir Griflet is his cousin. The Welsh give him a son and daughter named Amren and...
to Perceval; and
MorgauseMorgause, known in earlier works as Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. In her earliest appearance she is Arthur's full sister by Uther Pendragon and Igraine; and is the mother of the heroic Gawain and the villainous Mordred...
and
Morgan Le FayMorgan le Fay, alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
are merged. The sword Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are presented as the same thing; in some versions of the legends they are separate. In the
Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'Arthur is Sir Thomas Malory's compilation of some French and English Arthurian romances...
, Sir Galahad, the illegitimate son of Lancelot and Elaine of Carbonek, is actually the Knight who is worthy of the Holy Grail. Boorman follows the earlier version of the tale as told by Chretien de Troyes, making Percival the grail winner.
Some new elements were added, such as Uther wielding
ExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes' attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
before Arthur (repeated in
MerlinMerlin is a television miniseries released in 1998 that retells the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the wizard Merlin. Sam Neill stars in the title role in a story that covers not only the rise and fall of Camelot but also the phase in the legendary history of Britain that precedes...
), Merlin's 'Charm of Making' (written in Old Irish), and the concept of the world as "the dragon".
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is by
Trevor JonesTrevor Alfred Charles Jones is a South African orchestral film score composer. Although not especially well known outside the film world, he has composed for numerous films and his music has been critically acclaimed for both its depth and emotion.-Career:At the age of 5, Jones already had decided...
, with sound bites and samples drawn from
OrffCarl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his oratorio Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
's
Carmina BuranaCarmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff between 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana...
and
WagnerianWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas...
motifs, of fate (
RingDer Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas or 'music dramas' by the German composer Richard Wagner. The operas are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
) and fatal attraction (
Tristan und IsoldeTristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg...
). A portion of the
Siegfried Funeral March from
Götterdämmerungis the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas entitled Der Ring des Nibelungen . It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the Ring....
was used as the main theme music of the film over the opening and closing credits.
- Carl Orff
Carl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his oratorio Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
's "O FortunaO Fortuna is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem composed early in the thirteenth century, part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana. It is a complaint about fate, and Fortuna, a goddess in Roman mythology, is a personification of luck. In 1935–36 O Fortuna was set to music by the German...
" is used regularly during the dramatic and violent scenes of the movie. In part because of Excalibur, its imitations, and parodies, the movement has become an archetype for melodramaThe theatrical genre of melodrama uses theme-music to manipulate the spectator's emotional response and to denote character types. The term combines "melody" and "drama" . While the use of music is nearly ubiquitous in modern film, in most cases it is used within a fairly rigid structure...
.
- The theme between Lancelot and Guinevere is in fact the prelude
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece...
to Richard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas...
's operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, "Tristan und IsoldeTristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg...
", a piece about the romance of Sir Tristram and IseultIseult is the name of several characters in the Arthurian story of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, wife of Mark of Cornwall and adulterous lover of Sir Tristan. Her mother, the Queen of Ireland, is also named Iseult...
, another pair of lovers from the Arthurian tales.
- The theme of Perceval and the Grail is the prelude to Wagner's "Parsifal".
Reception
Excalibur is rated at 86% on
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films. The name derives from the historical cliché of throwing tomatoes and other produce at stage performers if a performance was particularly bad.- History :...
Tomatometer, based on 21 reviews.
Awards
Alex Thomson, the film's cinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
, was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 1982 Academy AwardsThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
, but lost to Vittorio StoraroVittorio Storaro, A.S.C., A.I.C. is a three-time Academy Award winning Italian cinematographer.-Biography:The son of a film projectionist, Storaro began studying photography at the age of 11, and went on to formal cinematography studies at the national Italian film school, Centro Sperimentale di...
for Reds.
The film won the prize for Best Artistic Contribution at the
1981 Cannes Film Festival- Jury :*Jacques Deray *Ellen Burstyn *Jean-Claude Carrière *Robert Chazal *Attilio D'Onofrio *Christian Defaye *Carlos Diegues *Antonio Gala...
.
Remake
A remake is currently being developed at
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Warner Bros. Pictures, or simply Warner Bros.—the shortened form of the former official, sometimes still used, formal corporate name: Warner Brothers
and Legendary PicturesLegendary Pictures is an American motion picture production company based in Burbank, California founded by Thomas Tull. The company has a 7-year, 40-picture agreement to co-produce and co-finance with Warner Bros., starting in 2005. Their contract with Warner Bros. expires in 2012...
. Bryan SingerBryan Singer is an American film director and film producer. Singer won critical acclaim for his work on The Usual Suspects, and is especially popular among fans of the sci-fi and comic book genres, for his work on the first two X-Men films and Superman Returns.-Early life:Singer was born in New...
has been attached to the project.
See also
- List of American films of 1981
- Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes' attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
, King Arthur's sword, the central symbol of kingship for Malory and the film.
- List of films based on Arthurian legend