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Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Nicholas Clay, Helen Mirren, Cherie Lunghi ... see more see more... , Paul Geoffrey , Robert Addie , Gabriel Byrne , Keith Buckley , Katrine Boorman , Liam Neeson , Corin Redgrave , Charley Boorman , Brid Brennan , Barbara Byrne , Ciarán Hinds , Eamon A. Kelly , Niall O'Brien , Liam O'Callaghan , Patrick Stewart , Clive Swift , Garrett Keogh , Emmet Bergin

John Boorman directed this gloriously savage interpretation of Arthurian legend loosely based on Thomas Malory's novel Le Morte d'Arthur. By turns gleaming and filthy, tender and bloody, the film is a... read more read more... visually stunning epic which is never less than compelling. Nigel Terry is perfectly cast as Arthur, whose unwavering trust and faith are shown to be both quietly heroic and achingly naïve. Interestingly, the quest for the Grail is the least effective part of the film, despite bold cinematography by Alex Thomson (who was nominated for an Oscar) and a fine performance by Paul Geoffrey as Perceval, whose greatest desire is attained in his dying sight. It is the scenes of Camelot in which Boorman is at his most effective, as Arthur is betrayed by the burning passions of Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi) and Lancelot (Nicholas Clay), whose boiling internal forces cannot be denied, whatever the cost. The wicked Mordred (Robert Addie) and Morgana (Helen Mirren) are commanding when onscreen, and Nicol Williamson's performance as the grandiosely self-sacrificing Merlin is outstanding. Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart also appear in this dense, passionate, and stirring triumph featuring a marvelous Trevor Jones score. The gruesome effects by Peter Hutchinson and Alan Whibley, however, and sights such as a knight having sex in full body armor make this a fairy tale strictly for adults. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

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73% liked it

47,978 ratings

Critics

79% liked it

29 critics

R, 2 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: John Boorman

Release Date: April 10, 1981

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DVD Release Date: September 21, 1999

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Stats: 2,004 reviews

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Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Nicholas Clay, Excalibur and Cherie Lunghi Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Nicol Williamson as Merlin. Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur
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Flixster Reviews (2,004)

  • jmanard52
    March 22, 2007
    jmanard52
    Simply the best Arthurian legend movie ever made. John Boorman was at his best directing this film.
  • paulsandberg
    May 27, 2012
    paulsandberg
    Beautifully filmed in the wilds of Ireland, Excalibur tells the Arthurian legend in a way that is gritty, real, and at times heart breaking.

    There have been hundreds if not thousands of films dealing with Arthur, but for me, this one has always held a strong place in my memory... read more. Upon this viewing, a good 20 years since my previous one, I note that time once again (as I noticed with Chinatown) cannot stand up to my memory. My memory certainly recalled all the high points - and believe me, there are many, but had glossed over some of the achingly bad dialog and overdubbing. I had also forgotten the written prologue and the overuse of fade to black editing (you either love it or hate it - on this viewing it often felt like I was watching this on TV and each fadeout was a really good spot for a commercial interruption).

    Still, for all that, the film certainly has its moments, and those moments shine. The cinematography and art direction are flawless (and nominated for an Oscar if memory serves) - the wonderful Wagner soundtrack fitting the moods of the film to a tee. The performances are often quirky, but I feel that in many cases it is due to the dialogue itself than to a lack of talent by the actors. Nigel Terry's Arthur grows from young, naïve, doofus boy to living embodiment of the soul of a nation. Nicol Williamson as Merlin does a wonderful job of spitting out the dialogue, and changing his vocal tones so you aptly feel this otherworldly quality about him - which is apropos. His interplay with Morgana (holy cow - that's Helen Mirren!!) is wonderful in a cat and mouse, odd duck flirty way.

    Along the way you can also pick up some of the armored knights - Patrick Stewart and... isn't that Lliam Neeson as Gawain? This is all fun, and at times the story teeters on the absurd, but John Boorman always manages to then do something truly special - splitting the camera time between Lancelot and Guenevere's naked tryst in a green glade and the aforementioned quasi romance (a romance over power perhaps) between Morgana and Merlin, taking place in a stalagmite filled cavern (which Merlin calls the heart of the dragon).

    It is scenes like this and the final battle scenes with a blood red sun casting its pall over the fog enshrouded countryside; all choreographed with that epic Wagnerian music that makes this film, for my money, the best Arthurian film - especially for taking a chance with a different theme - that Arthur and the land are one - which made the scene with the revitalized Arthur riding into battle through a field of flowering trees, the buds swirling around him like snow, all the more poignant and special.

    If you can get past the creaky dialogue and appreciate the stunning visuals that still stand up today, you'll enjoy this film. As Merlin says at one point "a dream to some, a nightmare to others".
  • phubbs1
    April 21, 2012
    phubbs1
    Set in the wilds of Ireland and with a pretty full cast of Irish actors which set in motion the careers of both Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne whilst also utilizing some classic/cult British names for spice.

    Like Robin Hood there are many stories of the legendary King Arthur and ... read morehis Knights of the round table but this film is probably the most accurate in terms of an adaptation from original writings. This film is based around the tales from 'Le Morte d'Arthur' and seems to follow each 'segment' quite closely (haven't read it so I'm not sure).

    The overall essence of this film is like a fairytale of sorts, a kind of slightly cheesy shiny armoured fantasy with glittery sets, soft colours, strong religious/iconic imagery and a 'Clannad' vibe running through it. The film reminded me of the classic British TV series 'Robin of Sherwood' which also starred the dastardly Robert Addie and the classic British fantasy film 'Krull', I think the latter took inspiration from the look of 'Excalibur'.

    The design and look of this film is really very good, its clearly rather dated but it still has a high polish to it and looks quite epic. The locations are really well used and do give an impression of old medieval England and the costumes all make the sale. Of course this being the 80's the armour does look a bit fake, plastic and too shiny in places, there is a kind of music video feel to the proceedings in places haha some sets look a bit too sparkly, some characters have some dubious haircuts and to be utterly honest the acting/dialog is pretty hilarious in places but you can't deny the effort and scope of this historical fantasy.

    This being in the days before cgi and when historical epics were all the rage the battle sequences here are small with some blood and minimal gore. You can easily tell they didn't have allot of people to make grand battles so clever editing is used with lots of darkness and fog hehe luckily Old England was a foggy place...or so I've been led to believe. The other slightly amusing thing was the soundtrack, there was original work here but the use of classical pieces slapped on top of key moments didn't really work. The combination of certain scenes and certain pieces of music felt very rickety and really did seem crowbarred in badly, you can see what the director was going for but it comes off more like something out of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.

    The plot is straight forward and it doesn't get dull despite the heavy romance of the tales, the film is rich and vivid in design and imagery giving the whole production much flare and class which works brilliantly because you know these were the days when everything was hand crafted. The film is a cult classic with a powerful poster that demands your attention, oh and Nicol Williamson as 'Merlin' is also another good reason to view with his unique quirky take on the character spouting some glorious moments, 'oh that's grand'.
  • moonrivers
    April 14, 2012
    moonrivers
    Although flawed this is still the best of the tellings of one of the central myths of Western thought. Filled with lust, murder, magic, glory, vanity, and well, there's some hope, too. Only Curtiz's "Robin Hood" competes with showing the dream of what is wished to have been med... read moreieval.
  • sergioogarcia
    July 7, 2011
    sergioogarcia
    Honestly I don't know the name of the actors. At least the main characters. But it doesn't matter its a GORGEOUS movie. The mithology around King Arthur brought to life in a fantastic way. Includes everything: King Arthur, Lancelot, Guenevere, the sword in the stone, Merlin, Morg... read moreana, the knights of the round table, the holy grial, Avalon and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana main theme. Even Gabriel Byrne and Liam Neeson first steps. +1000
  • FilmFanatik
    February 6, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Brilliantly atmospheric retelling of the entire Arthur legend. Some wonderful performances and beautiful photography make this a rousing and entertaining version of the classic tale of old.
  • ajv2688
    January 10, 2011
    ajv2688
    An incredibly long movie, but worthwhile watching, it's an exciting action packed classical film, and I really liked it. I recommend seeing it.
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    October 26, 2010
    MeetMeinMontauk
    I suspect that Mr. Boorman invested some serious cash in green lights cause FOR REALZ. Now there were some great acting appearances, but these were not the best of their work. Some reviewers seemed to like it for its artistic beauty. Erm. I guess. Remember what I said about the g... read morereen light thing? Yeah. A wee bit too much on that... Other than that it reeked of the 80s. Like whoa.
  • imrealgod
    September 10, 2010
    imrealgod
    I haven't read the book it's based on, but have read one of the chapters. Besides, I've also watched a Bollywood movie slightly based on this story. So I thought I'd be at a disadvantage here. And to an extent, I was, especially for first half an hour or so. But as the story move... read mored to unfamiliar lands (for me), I began to find it relatively interesting. However, knowing the story wasn't the only thing that kept me from enjoying the movie in the beginning. Besides that, the performances by almost every actor seemed to be theatrical for around the first whole hour. After that, I guess I got used to it & it didn't remain as much of a problem. Nothing much to recommend here from my end.
  • ythelastman89
    May 23, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Just all kinds of crazy, this is probably the best rendition of King Arthur to ever appear on screen. The unchoreographed fights completely sell the movie because it looks like an actual battle rather than a beautiful slow motion scene. The music is amazing and gives so much per... read moresonality to an already great visual style. I really like all the performances, although they aren't perfect, it fits the movie for some reason. It goes to every length to give you the most complete and full story, while also being fun and original.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
October 8, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Exquisite, a near-perfect blend of action, romance, fantasy and philosophy, finely acted and beautifully filmed by director John Boorman and cinematographer Alex Thomson. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What a wondrous vision Excalibur is! And what a mess. Full Review

Vincent Canby
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Mr. Boorman takes these myths very seriously, but he has used them with a pretentiousness that obscures his vision. Full Review

Walter Chaw
May 6, 2011
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

a work of hideous myopathy Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
March 18, 2011
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Excalibur is both sober and laughable. Full Review

Sean Axmaker
March 10, 2011
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View

John Boorman's magnificent and magical Excalibur is, to my mind, the greatest and the richest of screen incarnation of the oft-told tale. Full Review

Charles Cassady
January 18, 2011
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

Epic King Arthur saga with illicit affairs and brutality. Full Review

Ken Hanke
February 27, 2008
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

One of my favorite films of its year, and far and away my favorite of this type of film. (And, yes, I include Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films in that assessment.) Full Review

John J. Puccio
November 21, 2006
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...romantic and brutal, lyrically beautiful yet grittily realistic. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

For all its audacity, a misguided folly. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Merlin: A dream to some.......a nightmare to others!
    • Uther: You don't understand... you not a man. Use the magic. Do it!
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Excalibur Trivia

  • What is the name of the sword, in The Sword in the Stone?  Answer »
  • "FORGED BY A GOD. FORETOLD BY A WIZARD. FOUND BY A MAN." Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren starred in this 1981 Mid-evil movie:  Answer »
  • in this movie, king arthur's broken excalibur was caught on camera but i guess they didnt re-take the scene anymore :) (take a good look after lancelot's fight scene)  Answer »
  • In this movie the main character unknowingly has sex with his sister, which leads to the eventual downfall of his kingdom  Answer »
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