Excalibur

11/25/2018

***Eccentric depiction of the medieval myths surrounding King Arthur*** In the late 400s Merlin the sorcerer of Britain takes advantage of the lust of King Uther (Gabriel Byrne) for a Duke’s wife, Ingrayne (Katrine Boorman), to grant him a boy who becomes King Arthur of Camelot (Nigel Terry) when he pulls Excalibur from the stone, a magical sword. Arthur marries Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi), but when Lancelot (Nicholas Clay) joins the Knights of the Round Table the two experience a profound affinity for each other. Meanwhile, Arthur’s half-sister, Morgana (Helen Mirren) is intent on incestuous deception to produce a son, Mordred. The script to this acclaimed 1981 film by John Boorman was adapted from Sir Thomas Malory's “Le Morte d'Arthur” (“The Death of Arthur”), published in 1485. Th

6/10/2024

A fun “retro dark fantasy” movie with applaudable historical accuracy, peak 80s visuals, with some campy moments. A gem of the 80s that holds up well today

6/18/2026

I think that of all the King Arthur films, this must be the most "authentic". That's largely down to the stylish cinematography and to Nicol Williamson's portrayal of the legendary sorcerer "Merlin". There aren't any whizzy visual effects or bodies morphing into dragons here; this is a much more cerebral chronology of the rise of a young boy (Nigel Terry) from the result of an illicit tryst between the king and the wife of his greatest foe to establishing the famed round table and uniting England to bring peace and prosperity for his beleaguered peoples. If you've read the Malory book, then you'll know the gist of the plot and about the pivotal characters who each get a moment in the sun during the rise and fall of this monarch. Lancelot (Nicholas Clay) perhaps isn't the best as the dashin